The Mindful Explorer’s Playtime – QMAK – Question More, Action Knowledge.

Back to Mind Explorers

The Mindful Explorer's Playtime

These four simple games help children explore different aspects of mindfulness and present-moment awareness in a playful and accessible way.

The “Try Not To” game encourages children to take a step back from their habitual patterns of wanting, striving, and thinking, and to experience a sense of contentment and ease in the present moment.

“The Yes Game” helps children cultivate a more accepting and non-judgmental attitude towards their own thoughts and experiences.

The paradoxical nature of the “Just Non-Do It” game introduces children to the idea of non-doing or effortless action.

Finally, the “No Thoughts” game invites children to imagine a state of pure awareness beyond the realm of thought.

Introduction script for the child:

				
					Hey there, young mindfulness explorer! 

Today, we're going to play four exciting games that will help us discover new ways to experience the world around us and the one inside our minds. 

These games are called "Try Not To," "The Yes Game," "Just Non-Do It," and "No Thoughts." 

Each game will challenge us to look at our thoughts and actions in a different way and help us practice being present in the moment. 

Are you ready to have some mindful fun?

Instructions for the teacher:

1. Introduce the first game, “Try Not To“:

Encourage the child to take a few minutes to try not to want, get, achieve, plan, do, or think of anything.
Explain that it’s okay if they can’t completely stop these things, but the goal is to take a short break from them and see how it feels.
Remind them that they can always go back to wanting, getting, achieving, planning, doing, and thinking later if they want to.

2. Move on to the second game, “The Yes Game“:

Ask the child to say “yes” to everything that comes into their mind, even if their mind is saying “no.”
Encourage them to let whatever thoughts come, come, and just say “yes” to them without judging or trying to change them.

3. Introduce the third game, “Just Non-Do It“:

Have the child catch themselves doing something, and then encourage them to do nothing.
If they question how playing a game can be doing nothing, acknowledge the paradox and encourage them to “non-figure it out.”

4. Finally, play the fourth game, “No Thoughts“:

Ask the child to imagine what it would be like to not have any thoughts at all.
Encourage them to sit with this idea for a moment and notice how it feels.

Follow-up questions for discussion:

What was it like to try not to want, get, achieve, plan, do, or think of anything during the “Try Not To” game?
How did it feel to say “yes” to everything that came into your mind during “The Yes Game”?
What happened when you caught yourself doing something and then tried to do nothing in the “Just Non-Do It” game?
Could you imagine what it would be like to have no thoughts at all during the “No Thoughts” game? What was that experience like?

A4 Printables:

Click here

Follow-up resource:

Resource Read Aloud

To further explore the concepts introduced in these games, consider sharing the book “The Quiet Book” by Deborah Underwood with your child.

With soft, whimsical illustrations, “The Quiet Book” explores all the different kinds of quiet moments children might experience, from cozy to reflective. This is an excellent tie-in to “Just Non-Do It” and “Try Not To,” as children learn there are many flavors of peaceful stillness. Each quiet moment described in the book can serve as a mini mindfulness exercise in recognizing and accepting whatever arises.

Bonus Content: Mind Games for Little Sages Song

Lyrics

Verse 1:
Try not to want, try not to do
Just for a moment, see what comes through
Say yes to thoughts, let them all in
A big welcome party, let the fun begin

Pre-Chorus:
Four little games to play with your mind
New ways of being you’ll surely find

Chorus:
Mind games for little sages
Exploring all the inner spaces
Do nothing, think nothing, say yes to all
In this playground of awareness, have a ball

Verse 2:
Catch yourself doing, then just let it go
Non-do it, non-think it, go with the flow
Imagine no thoughts, not even one
What would that be like? Oh, what fun!

(Pre-Chorus)
(Chorus)

Bridge:
In the quiet, in the stillness
There’s a world of inner brilliance
Play these games and you will see
How amazing your mind can be

(Chorus)

Outro:
So when life gets noisy, and thoughts run wild
Remember these games from your inner child
Mind games for little sages, young and old
Where presence and peace are worth more than gold