Back to Mind Explorers (Ages 7-12)
This game helps children develop a more fluid and non-attached relationship with their thoughts, recognizing that thoughts are temporary phenomena that don’t need to be held onto or believed. By imagining their mind as a slippery surface where thoughts can’t stick around for long, children learn to observe their mental activity with greater equanimity and perspective.
Practicing letting thoughts come and go freely without trying to control or suppress them can help children cultivate a sense of openness and acceptance towards their inner experience. This can be particularly helpful when dealing with anxious, obsessive, or self-critical thoughts, as it allows children to disentangle from their mental chatter and find a sense of calm and spaciousness within.
The visualization of gently nudging or tilting the slippery surface when thoughts start to circle or persist can empower children to take a more active role in their own mental well-being. By learning to skillfully redirect their attention and release unhelpful thoughts, they can develop greater resilience and adaptability in the face of life’s challenges.
Overall, “The Slippery Mind Slide” game can help children foster a more lighthearted, curious, and accepting attitude towards their own minds, as they learn to ride the waves of their thoughts with greater ease and grace. This playful approach to mindfulness can set the stage for a lifetime of mental flexibility, emotional balance, and inner peace.
Hey there, young mind adventurer! Today, we're going to play a game called "The Slippery Mind Slide." In this game, we'll be using our imagination to create a super slippery surface inside our minds. Whenever a thought comes in, it won't be able to stay for long because the surface is too slippery! The thought will just slide right out the other side. If a thought tries to stick around and circle for a while, we'll give it a little nudge and watch it slip and slide away. Are you ready to turn your mind into a fun, slippery thought slide?
1. Ask the child to close their eyes and imagine their mind as a very smooth, slippery surface with no walls or fences or anything to hold onto.
2. Explain that when a thought comes into their mind, it can’t stay because the surface is too slippery, and it will just slide out the other side.
3. If a thought starts to circle around for a while before sliding out, encourage the child to imagine slightly tilting the smooth surface so the thought will slip and slide away more easily.
4. Emphasize that the child shouldn’t try to control the thoughts that come in. Instead, they should let any thought that wants to come in do so, and then let it slide out again, waiting for the next one to arrive.
5. You can share the image of the spinning disk in an old-fashioned funhouse to help the child visualize the slippery mind concept. Explain that if some thoughts seem to stick around and continue spinning, the child can give them a little mental nudge or jolt to help them slide off the slippery surface.
6. Encourage the child to practice this visualization for a few minutes, observing thoughts as they come and go without trying to hold onto them.
To further explore the concept of observing thoughts without getting caught up in them, consider introducing your child to the book “The Lemonade Hurricane: A Story of Mindfulness and Meditation” by Licia Morelli.
This engaging picture book tells the story of a young boy named Henry, whose chaotic and impulsive behavior often leaves him feeling overwhelmed and out of control. With the help of his calm and wise grandfather, Henry learns to use simple mindfulness and meditation techniques to notice his thoughts and feelings without being swept away by them.
Through Henry’s relatable struggles and triumphs, the book introduces children to the basics of mindfulness practice, including breath awareness, body scans, and the art of letting thoughts come and go like passing clouds. The book emphasizes the importance of cultivating a friendly and curious attitude towards one’s inner experience, rather than trying to control or judge it.
By engaging with this heartwarming and instructive story, children can develop a greater understanding of their own minds and the benefits of practicing mindfulness in daily life. The book’s accessible wisdom and practical tools can inspire children to approach their thoughts and emotions with greater patience, kindness, and equanimity, as they learn to navigate the ups and downs of growing up with more ease and joy.
1. Who is the “Lemonade Hurricane” in the story?
a) Emma
b) Henry
c) Mom
d) Dad
2. What does Emma teach Henry to do?
a) Make lemonade
b) Run faster
c) Meditate
d) Build a fort
3. Why is Henry called a “Lemonade Hurricane”?
a) He loves lemonade
b) He’s always moving and noisy
c) He’s afraid of storms
d) He works at a lemonade stand
4. What does Emma tell Henry to focus on when he’s sitting still?
a) His toys
b) His breath
c) The TV
d) His homework
5. What animal does Emma pretend to be to show Henry how to sit still?
a) A lion
b) An elephant
c) A turtle
d) A frog
6. What happens when Henry starts to practice being still?
a) He gets more energetic
b) He becomes calmer
c) He falls asleep
d) He runs away
7. Where does Emma suggest Henry can practice being still?
a) Only in his room
b) Only at school
c) Anywhere
d) Only when he’s in trouble
8. What does Emma teach Henry about thoughts during meditation?
a) To hold onto them tightly
b) To let them go like clouds
c) To ignore them completely
d) To write them all down
9. How does Henry feel after learning to be still?
a) Angry
b) Scared
c) More peaceful
d) Confused
10. What is the main message of the book?
a) Being noisy is always bad
b) Meditation is only for adults
c) Mindfulness can help calm busy minds
d) Kids should never sit still
1. b) Henry
2. c) Meditate
3. b) He’s always moving and noisy
4. b) His breath
5. c) A turtle
6. b) He becomes calmer
7. c) Anywhere
8. b) To let them go like clouds
9. c) More peaceful
10. c) Mindfulness can help calm busy minds
Verse 1:
In my mind there’s a place so smooth
Where thoughts come to play and groove
They can’t stay long, they slip and slide
On this playground that’s inside
Pre-Chorus:
Round and round, they might try to spin
But we’ll give them a nudge, watch them thin
Chorus:
Slip-sliding away, hey hey
Thoughts come and go, they never stay
On this slippery slope in my head
No worry or fear can make its bed
Verse 2:
Some thoughts might try to stick around
But we’ll tilt the surface, watch them bound
Out they go with a gentle push
Leaving our minds calm and lush
(Pre-Chorus)
(Chorus)
Bridge:
Let them come, let them go
Like leaves on a river’s flow
You’re not your thoughts, you’re so much more
The watcher on the slippery shore
(Chorus)
Outro:
So when your mind feels stuck or slow
Remember the place where thoughts can’t grow
Just close your eyes and visualize
Thoughts slip-sliding before your eyes
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