Making a simple Calm Heart can inspire and teach your child how to take a mindful breath and become aware of the things that they love about themselves. This self love and mindful breathing craft for kids, can help to develop self esteem and conversations around the importance of recognising the unique and amazing things about ourselves and expressing them in a positive way.

What is a Calm Heart
A calm heart is a simple pipe cleaner craft, that can make us pause, be present and reflect upon the things that are special about us. A calm heart can help you to connect with your kids and understand what they feel are the things that they love about themselves.
Beyond that, making a calm heart is an opportunity to teach kids how to build their self esteem. It’s an opportunity to discus the importance of self compassion and the importance of thinking kind thoughts about ourselves and noticing when we are being critical. So, let’s give this self love and mindful breathing craft a try!
How to Make a Calm Heart
Before you get started have a conversation and discover what kind of qualities that your child appreciates about themselves. Try using our printable strengths based affirmation cards as a prompt for discussion or use the Calm Hearts free printable in our resource library.

Now it’s time to grab supplies! This fun self love and mindful breathing craft develops a positive mindset as well as kids learning to focus and pay attention in the present. Once finished, proudly display your calm hearts.
Let’s Make a Calm Heart!
- Skill Level – Beginner: Suitable for all developmental stages.
Craft Supplies Needed for the Calm Heart
- Pipe cleaner
- Beads
- Scissors (If you need to trim the pipe cleaners).

This calm heart self love and mindful breathing craft is a fun personalized pipe cleaner craft that can be enjoyed at home or in school. It is a visual way of practicing being present, noticing and expressing self love.
Directions for the Calm Heart
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Pipe cleaner Calm Heart Activity for Kids
- Twist it
You’ll need 2 pipe cleaners to start. Simply twist the two pipe cleaners together and trim at the end if they are not level.
- Make Half a Heart
Now bend your pipe cleaners in half.
- Add your beads
Next pick out 3 – 7 beads. Depending on how many breaths you’d like to practice. If you choose one breath, add one bead to each half of the heart.
- Finish your heart shape
Curve and bend the ends of the pipe cleaners to make a heart shape. Then secure them with a bead and fold the ends up. This can be a bit tricky, so make sure the pipe cleaner ends are level and watch out if they are a bit sharp. Younger children will need supervision with this.
- Finally use the Calm Heart to take a mindful breath.
As you breath in, move a bead around one side of the heart. As you breathe out, move the other bead to the top of the heart.
Taking a Heart Breath
When taking a heart breath, children use the shape of a heart to trace the breaths. Either using the beads in this craft or their fingers. They breath in, tracing down one side of the heart and breathe out tracing along the other side of the heart.
I love to focus on practicing self love when using this activity, you can find a script for an alternative Heart Breaths activity, posters and other creative worksheets in my Heart Breaths Kit.
Related: Hot Chocolate Breaths – Playful Breathing for Kids
More Breathing Crafts for Kids
- How to use Dragon Breaths to Calm Angry feelings.
- Firework Rocket Straws: Breathing Activity Craft for Kids
- Straw Maze Craft and Game for Kids

I’d love to hear if you try out the activity 🙂 Take Care
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