Mindfulness for kids and caregivers has become a trending topic in education and beyond. Many researchers are spending time looking at how the brain responds to mindfulness practice and finding incredible results. This is why we incorporated this skill into our Slumberkins Yeti.

Mindfulness 101

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present moment. It is not an attempt to change that present moment, rather to be aware of it. For adults and older children, becoming aware of inner states can be very helpful in reducing anxiety. Often times, anxiety is tied to runaway thoughts. When you are mindful, you can observe your thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad. When you observe your thoughts and feelings, you are less likely to get caught up in them and more able to stay in a calm state.

Mindfulness + Early Childhood

For young children, observing thoughts is an advanced concept. Children often do not have an internal voice (that voice in your head) until about the age of seven. Becoming an observer of that voice is not necessarily a possibility before then. By starting to understand and tune into all their senses, children can start to practice being mindful of their present experience. They can learn that their thoughts are not necessarily reality or truth but rather tides of feelings that come and go like waves in the ocean. With practice, this valuable skill can help regulate their emotions into adulthood. With all of this in mind, we wrote our Yeti Sleepytime Rhyme to start the building blocks of a mindfulness practice.

How Yeti Promotes Mindfulness

Yeti’s Sleepytime Rhyme is the perfect interactive narrative adventure for parents or caregivers to experience with children. When children are holding Yeti and practicing the mindfulness activities, it creates a physical reminder of the skills that are incorporated within the Sleepytime Rhyme. Yeti becomes a best friend that reminds them to slow down and be mindful of everything around. Over time, you can build on the concepts from the story to get kids to be more mindful in general. They can be mindful of eating, walking, breathing, anything really!  It’s all great practice for little ones and their growing brains at any age.

To learn more and see the Yeti listing, click here.