14 Relaxation Exercises For Children (step By Step)
Childhood is the initial stage and one of the most important stages of development, largely marking the way a human being sees and experiences the world. Beginning with birth and ending in adolescence, at this stage the new being begins to bond with the world, a world full of new sensations, emotions and things to discover
But this does not mean that it is an easy stage. In fact, during this period there are a large number of things that we are not able to understand and that frustrate us and/or alter our behavior and relationship with the environment.. When this happens it is advisable to be able to make the children able to relax which is why in this article we are going to propose eleven relaxation exercises for children.
In a society like ours, being able to relax is necessary to preserve our well-being. Family, partner, work, friends… we have many variables to take into account in our lives, which can easily overwhelm us if we are not able to put things in perspective, prioritize them and reduce the level of tension they cause us.
Childhood is a vital stage characterized by a high level of energy and excitement to discover But while it may seem that the responsibilities that most children have are not too stressful, the fact is that the lack of understanding of how the world works and the presence of some stressors (family, school and peer group) and frustrated desires can upset them. greatly and make them suffer. They must be able to manage their sensations, a management that is not biologically imprinted but must be learned. Within this management would come the ability to relax.
The practice of relaxation techniques from childhood not only serves to deal with a specific stressful situation, but also It helps the child adopt a more focused and realistic position on the world through meditation and relativization of problems It helps them to be better able to deal with various situations in the future and to be able to visualize things from different points of view. In addition, it also promotes introspection, self-control and physical and mental self-knowledge by becoming more aware of your own reactions to the world and circumstances.
Activities and relaxation exercises for children
Given the importance for children of learning to relax and manage stress and frustration, it is important to teach them some techniques to reduce their tension.
Some activities that can facilitate this are the following Of course, it must be taken into account that some of them can only be applied from certain ages, since they may require a more or less advanced level of intellectual development.
1. Breathing techniques
Some of the simplest and most common relaxation techniques for children and adults are based solely on breathing It is helpful to have them sit in a comfortable position and, in silence or with soft music, breathe deeply through their nose and slowly exhale through their mouth. The boy or girl can put one hand on her chest and another on her stomach, to observe which of the two moves. With younger children it can be useful to use analogies, such as imagining that it is an accordion or a balloon.
This technique is used in subjects of all ages , both in clinical practice and outside of it, to reduce the level of stress and tension. It is based on the tension and relaxation of different muscle groups while controlling breathing. They begin at the most distal ends of the body (first feet and legs, then hands and arms) to gradually progress towards the center (abdomen, torso) and later towards the head.
Each muscle group will be asked to tense for a few seconds and then relax them for three times as long as they were tense, doing this process up to three times in a row with each muscle group.
This technique should not be used before the age of seven since in addition to requiring concentration and voluntary control of breathing, it can be complex to understand and carry out for a child of a lower developmental level.
3. Koeppen relaxation
Similar to Jacobson relaxation, this methodology is used to make relaxation exercises more enjoyable, understandable and enjoyable for younger children by making it like a game In this case, a more symbolic and playful method is used, through the imagination of various situations in which they will need to tense and relax different parts of the body.
To relax their hands they are asked to act as if they were squeezing an orange or lemon, for their arms and feet to act as if they were sinking in the mud, for their shoulders to protect themselves like a turtle would, for their arms that they stretch like a cat, for their jaw they think they are chewing gum, for their face they try to scare away a fly without using anything but their face and for their abdomen they tense it to avoid being crushed by an elephant or do something like if they had to go through a very narrow space.
4. In my safe place: Guided imagination
This technique is very useful to reduce tension and anxiety, especially in children with a high level of imagination It is about creating a safe and relaxing environment in the child’s imagination where the reason for anxiety cannot affect them. For example, a wooden house in the mountains, a jungle full of animals or a beach.
This imagination process will be guided by the therapist, teacher or parent so that an environment is provided with elements that are pleasant and calming for the child. Relaxation can be reinforced with soft music and a calm, deep tone of voice.
5. Sing
When we think about calming a child, one of the typical images that comes to mind is a mother or father singing to their child while rocking them. Music is a very important element for human beings, which throughout the entire life cycle can accompany our emotional state and even relieve our discomfort.
Sing to them or have them sing together a simple, short song that they like and know well and that requires a slight effort to control the tone and rhythm will help improve the state of tension and relax the infant
6. We are puppets
A relaxation exercise in the form of a game that children of all ages can enjoy It is based on the fact that they are told that they are puppets that are being controlled by a puppeteer, having a thread or rope on each limb, on the back, and the head. They will be told that the puppeteer is pulling the different strings in order for them to make different gestures and actions.
However, after a while they are told that the puppeteer in question is clumsy and from time to time drops one of the strings, so they must leave the corresponding part of the body completely dead for a few seconds. This second part continues for several minutes. The game ends by saying that the puppeteer drops all the strings at once and/or leaves the puppets, having to relax his entire body.
7. The snowman/ice cube
This relaxation exercise for children is based on going from a state of tension to one of muscle relaxation , in a symbolic and playful way. It is proposed to the minor(s) that they are snowmen or ice cubes, completely frozen during the winter.
In this initial state they must tense their muscles as much as they can and be still and contracted. However, spring is coming and with the sun, which is gradually melting them. With this, the child must progressively relax the muscles, stretch and relax.
8. Resist laughter
This is something that we have probably all done at some point. It is based on asking the child to look at another person, remaining still at all times and maintaining composure while trying not to laugh , while the other person must do everything possible to make you laugh. It works from trying to hold your gaze, making jokes and even tickling.
For both those who try to resist laughter and those who try to make them laugh, this relaxation exercise will allow them to focus on the other person or on the situation itself.
9. Massage
A hug, a caress… although it does not occur in all situations or for all people, physical contact with another person tends to be a calming element for human beings
One way to use this fact in relaxation is to perform massages. In addition to the muscle relaxation itself, this activity contributes to improving the relationship between those involved, which is why it is recommended that it be used in the school context to improve the relationship between peers or siblings.
10. Symbolic drawing
Although it may seem obvious to express emotions in some way, whatever type they are, it helps release frustration and anxiety. One way to do this is through art. Asking them to draw a drawing of what they want will make them let their imagination flow while they concentrate on creating the work, which allows them to redirect their attention and reduce their stress level. A very relaxing type of drawing that is usually used in these cases is the creation of a mandala, a circular representation of oriental origin in which different facets of the life, thoughts and emotions of each person are represented.
In addition to relaxing, Contemplating the type of drawings and their characteristics allows us to obtain clues about needs, desires, fears and experiences that either the minor is not able to explain or does not dare to do so.
11. Karunesh or dance of the heart
Dance is an art form that allows the expression of feelings and emotions , releasing blockages and repressed elements within us. Although most dances are really useful for releasing energy and relaxing, some types of dance can also serve as a meditation method.
An example of this is the dance of the heart or Karunesh, based on Yoga and Eastern philosophy. Due to its simplicity and because it allows us to connect with our body, thoughts and emotions, it is frequently used as a mindfulness technique. It is based on dancing, controlling your breathing and focusing on your heartbeat while visualizing your own emotions.
After placing yourself in a comfortable position, place both hands on your heart and proceed to focus on its beat, seeing each inhalation as the arrival of positive energy and each exhalation as the release of tension. The dance begins by stretching the right arm and leg forward while exhaling, with the palm of the hand facing out to symbolize the expulsion of discomfort. When you inhale, the limbs are returned to their initial position. Repeated twice with both arms
Later the same exercise is performed, but this time towards both sides , and finally a third couple of times backwards. At all times the axis of the body remains in the same place, only the position of the legs and hands varies. After a few repetitions, finish the exercise by sitting down and focusing for a few minutes just on normal breathing.
12. Hug the stuffed animal
This relaxation exercise is indicated for girls and boys up to 7 years of age. It consists of using a stuffed animal and giving instructions for the child to hug it, increasing and decreasing the force little by little, gradually, in time with breathing. In this way the muscles tense and relax without much effort being made at any time, so that a feeling of relaxation remains.
13. The chameleon
In this exercise, the boy or girl plays to imitate the movements of the chameleon. In this way, the little one lies on the ground and must grab an object located about two or three meters away, moving towards it crawling very slowly.
14. Textures
For this exercise you need to use a large cork board and pin a circuit of different textures on it to form a route. With this material, the boy or girl follows this circuit slowly with his or her hand until reaching the end point. You can use cord, different fabrics, soft plastic pieces, etc.
