Unless you live in the tropics, and it is warm year around, finding activities to satisfy our little ones during the winter months can be rather difficult. Add Covid and social distancing, mask wearing and general concern, and it's a whole additional layer of issues to factor in.
We know your pain and we are sharing our tips for family-friendly self-care activities for the whole family.
1. Yoga and Meditation for the Family.
One of the best activities you can do indoors and at home for your littles is beginning a mindfulness activity. Meditation and yoga are both wonderful mindful activities with a ton of health benefits for our kiddos. The benefits of both are below:
- Meditation - Meditation helps with emotional regulation and promotes peace and calm. Studies have shown that children 12 and under have been showing signs of increased anxiety and nervousness due to the pandemic. Helping your little ones learn to keep calm, regulate their emotions, and build skills to reduce stress and anxiety are imperative for them to be balanced children and negate the chances of additional issues down the road. It's also a great chance to unplug and connect with the body.
- Yoga - Our kids often have very busy schedules with school and activities, and Yoga is a great opportunity to slow down and get in touch with their bodies and emotions. Yoga helps kids to relax, relieve stress and anxiety, and improve cognitive function. It's also a great way to demonstrate a healthy lifestyle activity that can be practiced alone or in a group setting.
Not sure where to start with meditation practices? I highly suggest going to Village Center for Holistic Therapy website and sitting in on a class with Kristy, who leads the InJoy Meditation Center. Here is a link to learn more.
YouTube has a ton of videos and channels specific to yoga for kids --- Cosmic Kids is our favorite! Also, Target currently has kids yoga mats on sale for $5 in the Bullet's Playground. We got a super cute orange tiger one for my son.
2. Hiking/walking/riding bikes
If it is not frigid, bundle the babes up and head outside. Grounding, which is connecting our bodies to the Earth is a wonderful tool for emotional regulation and a free calming activity. If you live near a park, this is a great place to go and create a sense of adventure; I like to write down on a paper for my son three things we need to find when we go to the park. This is great way to set a goal to promote movement, and also a sense of adventure so it doesn't seem so boring, especially to really young kids. If you have a background in hiking or biking, getting your kids started early with that hobby is a wonderful way to get their bodies moving, and sharing family time together.
3. Making something from a family recipe