Beach Ball Breathing can be a fun activity to help keep kids calm and entertained at home this summer. This fun breathing activity is a great way to help kids to calm their bodies, minds and check in on how they are feeling.
You can also use this playful breathing activity to lead into some fun, summer themed mindfulness activity.
{Related Post: 23 Playful Breathing Activities for Kids}
I love this activity as a beach ball is such an inexpensive resource, that can be easily transported with you and used for lots of fun activities.
For this breathing activity children also have the option to simply use their imaginations or using the free printable beach ball colouring sheet. So don’t let not having a beach ball put you off trying it with them!
Check out my Book of Breaths for more fun Breathing activities with kids!
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How Can Beach Ball Breathing Help Kids?
The summer break can be a really exciting and fun time for kids, a time to relax and get away from the stresses of school. However, just like adults we can often find being out of usual routines and extra social pressures can feel stressful too. Learning to take a simple Beach Ball breath can help kids to practice self care and notice what’s going on for them. It’s great for parents too!
Creating a Summer Routine for Kids
Beach Ball breathing can become part of your summer routine with your children. I’m currently on summer break with my 6 year old and here are my 3 top tips for creating a summer routine:
- Try to keep some parts of the wake up routine the same. For me I try to keep getting dressed, having breakfast and brushing teeth in the same order every day. I find starting the day in the same way gives a focus. If I let my little boy stay in his Pj’s all morning then its really hard to get him out the house later on.
- Just like the morning, I keep the eveing routine the same. There are more late nights, so I may shorten it but it helps to stay consistent with that even if bedtimes are changing. We always do Pj’s, toilet, teeth, drink, story, check in and relaxation.
- With each day changing and going on trips, seeing family and friends etc you never know how a day may turn out. Part of our routine is to have a calm kit and do a check in at some point during the day. We might practice a breathing activity like Beach Ball Breathing or use our Book or Breaths and notice how we are feeling. This can be done parked up in the car, after lunch in the park or anythime during the day when you notice kids might need some downtime.
What is Beach Ball Breathing?
Beach ball breathing is a relaxation technique that can help reduce stress and calm the mind. It involves visualizing the breath moving in and out of the body, as if you were inflating and deflating a beach ball.
How to do Beach Ball Breathing?
Are you ready to take a Beach Ball Breath? Lets do it!
I’m going to offer 2 options for taking a beach ball breath, one using a visualisation and one using a beach ball prop.
Option 1 – Beach Ball Breath Visualisation
- To practice beach ball breathing, ask your children to find a comfortable seated position and close their eyes. They can imagine relaxing on a tropical beach, with soft sand beneath them and the warm sun on their skin.
- Next they need hold their hands out and imagine holding a small deflated beach ball.
- Then they need to take in a deep inhale through their nose, imagining the breath filling up their bellies, expanding the tummy and the imaginery beach ball in their hands.
- After they hold the breath for a few seconds, they then exhale slowly through their mouths, visualizing the beach ball deflating and their hands coming closer together.
- Repeat this process several times, allowing the breath to become slow and steady. They can use this technique anytime they need to relax and reduce anxiety.
Related Post: Take a Pirate Breath and Feel Arrrrrmazing!
Option 2 – Beach Ball Breathing Using a Ball as a prop
- In this option the child holds a beach ball and as they breath in, with straight arms they raise the beach ball above their heads. As they exhale they lower the beach ball down.
- The beach ball can also be used as a fun prop to notice the rise and fall of the breath. sk children to lie down and balance the ball on their bellies. As their bellies rise, will the ball roll off?
You can also start with the visualisation and follow on with the other breathing activities and then extend the session with the game and creative activities below.
3 Calming Beach Ball Summer Themed Extension Activities
1 – Play Gratitude Catch:
This is a simple and fun game that can help foster positive emotions and connections between players. To play, all you need is a beach ball and a sharpie pen.
Here’s How to Play the Gratitude Catch Game:
- Write on the beach ball with a Sharpie lots of prompts of things to be grateful for.
- Then you can either throw the ball between two or more people or simply throw it up in the air and catch it.
- Which ever prompt your right thumb lands nearest to, this is the gratitude you have to share.
2 – Beach Ball Colouring
Mindful coloring with kids is an excellent way to engage their creativity while also promoting mindfulness and relaxation. It is a great activity to help children focus on the present moment and develop their concentration skills.
Use the free printable for kids to use as part of the Beach Ball breathing activity.
3 – Mindful Keepy Uppy’s
Mindfulness involves being present and fully engaged in the current moment. One way to practice mindfulness is through a game of keepy uppy’s with a beach ball. The goal of the game is to keep the beach ball in the air for as long as possible by hitting it with your hands or other body parts, without letting it touch the ground.
This is one of our favourite games and it’s so simple. You could also try a version where you use feet only to pass the ball around – Lots of fun and focus!
I hope you enjoy trying out all of these fun brach ball themed activities with your kids. Whether this is at home or in the classroom. Take Care Emma x
