Five-finger breathing

A simple mindfulness exercise: one index finger travels round the outline of the other hand while children breathe in time with it.

Steps

1. Children spread one hand on the desk or knee, fingers wide.
2. The index finger of the other hand slides up the thumb – breathe in through the nose; down – breathe out through the mouth.
3. The same for every finger up to the little one. That's five calm breaths.
4. Then go back the other way or use the other hand. Older pupils can do it with their eyes closed.
5. Talk: when could this kind of breathing help? Children can draw round their hand on paper and write things that make them happy in the fingers.

Tip: It needs no equipment, so children can do it on their own – in a queue, before a performance or when they get upset.