This relaxing birthday cake craft for kids, combines lots of lovely activities. Make an easy playdough birthday cake using scented, homemade playdough. Then craft a simple birthday candle using paper straws. Finally take a mindful Birthday Cake Breath, a lovely way for kids to use their senses and become aware of their breath in a fun, playful way.
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This activity simply by its self is great fun for kids, but I love when I can gently weave in well being skills into activity too. Kids are having fun, being creative and learning to practice deep breathing and mindfulness.
Making Homemade Scented Playdough for Kids
{Before we started this activity I prepped the playdough in advance}
Add essential oils to your homemade play dough to get a fantastic smelling play dough with all the benefits of essential oils. Use my easy no cook play dough recipe then simply knead the essential oil into the dough
Add a few drops of your choice of essential oil into the dough. The amount you use will depend on the strength of the oil you’ve chosen and your child’s preference. Start with about 5 drops and add more, if desired. Knead the oil into the dough to distribute. {please follow essential oil safety guidelines}
We used Lemon and Lavender Scented Play Dough
- Lemon
- Aroma: Zesty and fresh
- Benefits: Energising and cleansing
- Lavender
- Aroma: Sweet, Fresh and Floral.
- Benefits: calming, soothing and relaxing
Ready to make, play and relax!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Homemade prepared or shop bought playdough in 2 colours
- Toilet Roll
- Paper Straw
- Tissue paper in yellow and orange.
- Seed Beads
- Pape Cake Case
- Scissors
- Birthday Breaths Free Printable
Lets get Started!
Easy Mindfulness Playdough Activity for Kids
Incorporate the 5 senses into this playdough activity and encourage kids to focus their attention in the present. Simply get them to pause and really notice the squishy feeling of the playdough, the yummy smell, the squelchy sounds and what colours they see.
Use the playdough as a way to get kids to focus on the anchor point of their hands. Our hands are a calming place we can focus or mind on when we are feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. Spend some time rolling playdough in your hands and squeezing it through your fingers. This will also naturally feel calming, as the muscles in the hands get relaxed.
How to Take a Birthday Cake Breath with Kids
Using the playdough birthday cake and DIY paper straw candle as a prop to practice taking a mindful birthday cake breath with kids is great fun. I love to use props with kids, the aim is for them to just become aware of this magic breath they have, prompting them to notice their breath both inside and outside of their bodies. You can find out more here and download my free birthday cake breaths printable kit.
The playdough cake engages children’s sense of smell as they breathe in. Ask them to notice what they smell? My son said it smelt like jam. If children want to they can breathe the yummy smell all they way into their bellies for a belly breath.
When children breathe out, get them to notice how their breath moves the tissue paper attached to the DIY paper straw birthday candle. Finally ask them to make a kind wish, either to themselves or to someone else. They can share it with you and you could practice a breath and make one too!
{Find lots of fun breathing activities in either my Etsy or Teachers Pay Teachers Store}
I hope you enjoy making this playdough birthday cake activity with your kids, we really did love it and it was a lovely way to bring the birthday cake breaths exercise to life! Emma x
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