30/08/2025
✨5 Mindful Play Ideas✨
These are tried and tested ideas that my 3 year old loves. We've been doing them since she was tiny and I'll be adapting them so we can do them for many years to come. Enjoy these 5 low effort, zero cost, mindful play ideas- I'd love to hear how you've got on with them! 👇
Cloud Watching- simply head outside and watch the sky ☁ Take a picnic to the park and make a day of it! For older children, look for shapes/animals and make up stories about them together. Notice if anything else appears in the sky and if there are accompanying sounds- birds, planes, helicopters, insects, kites...
Mindful Walk- head outside (it doesn't have to be in nature, around the block is just as good) and take in your surroundings. Ask your little ones what they can hear, smell, see, touch- maybe even taste! 👁👂👃👅👋You could spot colours, shapes, letters, numbers, patterns... the possibilities are endless.
Texture Hunt- Collect different objects and explore the different textures. Use descriptive language and ask questions such as "Is it hard or soft? Hot or cold? Smooth or bumpy?" Once you've explored them perhaps make up a story with the objects, create a game or make something with them.
Pouring Practice- Such a simple exercise but one that is so mindful- you can't do anything but focus on pouring! 🚰Collect different sized and shaped containers and a jug of water- encourage your child to practice pouring from container to container, you could discuss the weight, smell or colour of the liquid you are using. Worried about the mess? Do it outside or over the bath!
Once they've mastered water, try different objects like pompoms, rice, pebbles...
Paint Experiments- Grab paint, food colouring or even squash and talk about how the colours mix together. 🎨🖌 This is great to enhance creativity and to learn colour mixing too. You might like to try mixing other materials with water, like mud, too to make thicker paint or different textures. Don't put pressure on to make a certain mark or picture with the paint, just let them explore. If youre brave let them feel it with their hands and feet (it can all be washed off)!
