Mindfulness For Kids – Fallen Leaf Art

Date :
June 25, 2021

Mindfulness for Kids - Fallen Leaf Art

Mindfulness For Kids – Fallen Leaf Art

Mindfulness has become an important approach for wellbeing. It’s the practice of being present in the moment and not overwhelmed by distractions or what’s going on around us.  

Mindfulness has been used by adults to relieve stress, but it also has benefits for children.  

Positive Psychology advises mindfulness for children can benefit them by improving their: 

  • Physical health 
  • Mental health 
  • Social and emotional skills 
  • Intellectual skills 
  • Social-emotional skills 
  • Focus 
  • Overall wellbeing with lower stress and anxiety 

How to get kids to practice mindfulness

There are many techniques to help kids be mindful.  

Deep breathing techniques, colouring in, board games like Jenga, and even group games like Simon Says.  

One mindfulness activity to try is going for a walk and observing how leaves have fallen to create art on the pavement. This exercise will help your kids focus their attention in the moment. You might also get some cool artwork in the process.  

Has your child ever laid on their back and made pictures out of the clouds floating by in the sky? Well, instead of looking upward, this activity is about looking forward and downward.  

What You’ll Need

  • Sense of adventure 
  • Good walking shoes 
  • Camera or iPad with a camera 

Mindfulness for Kids - Fallen Leaf Art

Instructions

  1. Go for a walk and observe how the leaves have fallen on the path, garden, sidewalks and roads. Adult supervision is mandatory to keep safe.  
  2. Do the fallen leaves look like a picture? What does it look like? Does it remind you of an object or a memory? 
  3. Take a picture to capture the moment. 
  4. After your walk, why not collect some fallen leaves and seeds, and then create your own artwork on the driveway or footpath? 

Fallen leaf art from my walk

Here are some of the fallen leaf artworks I discovered on my walk. Do you see the same pictures as I do? My favourite is the Kookaburra.  

Mindfulness for Kids - Fallen Leaf Art

Kookaburra

 

Mindfulness for Kids - Fallen Leaf Art

Scooter

 

Mindfulness for Kids - Fallen Leaf Art

Tree in the Wind

 

Mindfulness for Kids - Fallen Leaf Art

Jumbled Clock

 

Created fallen leaf artwork

Using the collected leaves and some sticks, I was able to create these pictures.  

Mindfulness for Kids - Fallen Leaf Art

Sun Face

 

Mindfulness for Kids - Fallen Leaf Art

Sailing Boat

 

Your child’s fallen leaf art discoveries are a great way to hone in on their focus skills. You can also incorporate their senses by asking: 

  • What do you see? (leaves in the shape of a jumbled clock) 
  • What can you hear? (birds chirping) 
  • What are you touching? (the gentle breeze on my skin) 
  • What are you smelling? (freshly cut grass) 
  • What are you feeling? (content, amazed, inspired…) 

Other Nature Craft Activities

 

Crafty Bec
Crafty Bec is here to help stimulate little imaginations and spark a creative flame in little people. Inspired by May Gibbs’ own passion for creative writing and art, Bec helps educators and mums to embrace nature inspired creativity.
https://www.theplumbette.com.au/