top of page
Search

5 Fun Mindfulness Games for Quality Time with Your Child

You come home tired in the evening, the dinner rush is over, homework has been checked... You want to do something "quality" with your child in the limited time remaining. But often the scenario is familiar: Everyone gets buried in their own screens, and time slips away while in the same room but different worlds.

As parents, we want to "stay in the moment" and truly connect with our child, but the to-do list in our minds doesn't allow it. This is exactly where Mindfulness comes to our rescue.

Don't worry; to practice mindfulness with your child, you won't be forcing them to sit cross-legged and asking them to "sit silently." For children, mindfulness means play. This is their natural language.

Here are 5 simple games that require zero preparation, will take only 5-10 minutes, and will bring you into "that moment," allowing you to connect with your child while giggling:

1. "Alien" Taste Test (Sensory Awareness)

This game turns a quickly eaten snack into a fun awareness experience.

  • Preparation: A raisin, a slice of mandarin, or a small piece of chocolate.

  • Game: Tell your child (and yourself): "We are aliens newly arrived on Earth, and we are seeing this food for the first time in our lives. Our mission is to examine it."

    1. First, examine it with your eyes (How is its color? Is its surface rough?)

    2. Smell it (What does it resemble?)

    3. Bring it to your ear and squeeze gently (Does it make a sound?)

    4. Pop it in your mouth but don't chew immediately. How does it feel on your tongue?

    5. Now chew very slowly and notice how its taste changes.

  • Benefit: Slows down eating speed and sharpens the senses.

2. Sleeping Teddy Bear Breath (Bodily Calming)

It is a wonderful method, especially for calming active children before sleep.

  • Preparation: A small plush toy your child loves.

  • Game: Have your child lie on their back on the floor or bed. Place the toy on their belly.

  • Instruction: "This little teddy bear is very sleepy and wants to sleep on your belly. Now, using your belly like an elevator, slowly lift him up and lower him down. But be very careful, if it shakes, he might wake up! Take a deep breath in, teddy bear rises... Breathe out slowly, teddy bear descends."

  • Benefit: Teaches diaphragmatic breathing (the most calming type of breathing) through play.

3. "Mystery Bag" Detectives (Sense of Touch)

Disengaging the sense of sight and focusing only on the sense of touch instantly brings the brain to the "now."

  • Preparation: Put 3-4 random household objects into a cloth bag or pillowcase (spoon, Lego piece, cotton ball, key, etc.).

  • Game: Take turns closing your eyes, putting your hand in the bag, and holding an object. Without taking it out, try to describe what it is just by touching: "It's cold, metal, the tip is round, I think this is a..."

  • Benefit: Provides intense focus and creates very fun moments during guessing.

4. Rainbow Hunt (Visual Grounding)

It is the most colorful way to direct distracted minds to the environment while walking at home or outside.

  • Preparation: None! Just your eyes.

  • Game: Take turns trying to find the colors of the rainbow in the surroundings.

    • "I see something red... (Red pillow)"

    • "Your turn, find something orange."

    • Continue with yellow, green, blue, purple.

  • Benefit: Enables your child (and you) to notice details you look at every day but don't see.

5. The Silence Bell (Auditory Focus)

It is like a magic button to stop the chaos inside the house for a moment.

  • Preparation: A bell, striking a metal bowl with a spoon, or a gong sound app on your phone.

  • Game: "Now I will make a sound. This sound will gradually decrease. Our task is to open our super ears and listen to this sound until the very end. Raise your hand when you catch that 'exact moment' when the sound completely stops and silence begins."

  • Benefit: Develops deep listening skills and creates complete serenity in the house, even for a few seconds.

Conclusion: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

Dear parents, the goal is not to do these games "correctly" or complete them like a task. The goal is; to laugh, to make mistakes, to explore, and to belong only to each other for those 10 minutes.

Put the screens aside tonight and try eating a mandarin like an "alien." You will feel the difference.

Follow the Mindful Horizons Project! Don't forget to follow us on our social media accounts for more mindfulness tips, activities, and project news for children, parents, and teachers. Together towards a more conscious future...

Instagram: @ka220mindfulhorizon YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mindfulhorizons-t7e


 
 
bottom of page