Mindmasters Positive-Living Skills Program Activities Level 1 Activities Relaxation and Stress Management Basic Spaghetti Toes # 1 Basic Jelly Belly # 2 Special Place Relaxation # 3 Positive Perspectives Treasure Hunting for Highlights # 4 Umbalakiki # 5 Changing Channels # 6 Listening and Focusing The Great Little Listener # 7 Level 2 Activities Relaxation and Stress Management Muscle Relaxation # 8 Quiet Lake # 9 One Breath Relaxation # 10 Positive Perspectives Finding Joy and Highlights # 11 Tree It and Changing Channels # 12 Listening and Focusing Focusing Through Distractions # 13 Level 1 activities are simpler and use a more concrete, playful approach. They are often easiest for younger children, aged 4 to 8. Level 2 activities are more complex with more mature topics and ideas. They are generally easier for children aged 9 to 12.
Mindmasters # 1 Level 1 Basic Spaghetti Toes A relaxation exercise that uses the concept of uncooked and cooked spaghetti to teach the difference between tension and relaxation. Children learn to relax different parts of their bodies. Resources CD Track # 1 Feeling Great pages 69 72 Cat Relaxation Scale (Mindmasters Worksheets) Teaching point Present the concept of stress and relaxation by talking about uncooked and cooked spaghetti. When you feel stressed-out your muscles or body often get tense or hard, like, stiff, uncooked spaghetti. When you feel relaxed your body feels more like warm, soft, cooked spaghetti. Other ideas If possible, distribute a piece of uncooked and cooked spaghetti for each child to explore. You can microwave already cooked spaghetti to make it feel warm. It s also fun to have children pretend to be like hard, uncooked spaghetti. Ask them to tense their muscles, their arms, legs and neck and to keep holding their muscles tight for 10 20 seconds. Then, instruct the children to let go, to let all their muscles go soft like cooked spaghetti. This is a great way to help children feel the difference between stress and relaxation and to appreciate how good it feels to be relaxed. Does anyone know what it feels like to be scared or tense or afraid or worried? Do you know what it feels like to relax? What s the difference between feeling worried and feeling relaxed? Before they listen to the CD, ask children to circle or colour the cat that they feel like. After they ve listened, ask children to circle or colour the cat that they feel like. How did you feel doing Spaghetti Toes? When could you use Spaghetti Toes? Practice Spaghetti Toes on your own, in bed tonight or anytime you want to relax. Try using Spaghetti Toes when you fi nd that something is painful or stressful. The more you practice making your muscles go soft, the better you ll get at relaxing when you want to. Stress is like something is bottled up inside. Relaxation is like opening the bottle and letting all the tension pour out. (10 year-old)
Mindmasters # 2 Level 1 Jelly Belly A relaxation exercise that teaches children to relax by controlling their own breathing. This is a simple form of diaphragm or abdominal breathing. Resources CD Track # 2 Feeling Great pages 73 75 Teaching point When you are worried or stressed your heart beats faster and you breathe in and out faster. When you slow down your breathing and breathe deeply from your belly (diaphragm breathing), you relax. Most great athletes and singers do Jelly Belly Breathing even when they are running or swimming or singing because it helps them to relax. Other ideas Before listening to the Jelly Belly track, ask children to demonstrate how little children or babies breathe when they are crying (quick, shallow breaths, often gasping in between sobs, hyperventilating). Then, ask them to show you how they breathe when they are sleeping. This will help children understand how breathing patterns change and can affect them. Talk about situations in which you and the children might use Jelly Belly at school, at home, in the car, at the hospital. Did anyone try Spaghetti Toes at home to relax or help you to go to sleep? How do you know when you are feeling worried or scared? How do you know when you are relaxed? How did you feel doing Jelly Belly? Did you feel tense or relaxed? When could you use Jelly Belly? Could you use Jelly Belly to feel better if you are worried or to relax if you are feeling tense? Practice Jelly Belly or Spaghetti Toes on your own whenever you feel worried or stressed, or just for the fun of taking charge of your body and making your breathing slow down and muscles relax. Relaxation is when you lie down and breathe slowly. Memories of bad stuff go away. Your troubles disappear. You just feel calm and good like you re free. (9 ye ar-old)
Mindmasters # 3 Level 1 Special Place Relaxation A relaxation exercise that teaches children how to relax their minds and bodies by imagining a beautiful, calm and relaxing special place. Resources CD Track # 3 Feeling Great page 82 Special Place Relaxation Sheet (Mindmasters Worksheets) Teaching point The more you learn to relax, the happier and less stressed you will be. A great way to relax is to think of your own Special Place, a place that is very beautiful and very relaxing. Other ideas Remind children, especially children who have trouble creating a Special Place, to continue to look for special places wherever they go. They ll know it s a Special Place if it helps them to feel calm and relaxed. Then, they can remember these images and put them in their own Special Place. Did anyone try Jelly Belly on your own? Ask children to share the details what, where and how it worked. Ask children to draw or paint their Special Place. For younger children, write their description of the place on their drawing. Show and share by giving each child the opportunity to show their drawing or share something about their Special Place. Did you feel relaxed or tense in your Special Place? When would it be good to go to your Special Place? (probe for positive opportunities) Practice Special Place Relaxation, Jelly Belly or Spaghetti Toes any time you are worried or stressed or just because you want to enjoy a little relaxation. Alice laughed. There s no use trying, she said. One can t believe impossible things. I daresay you haven t had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes, I ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. Lewis Carrol, Through the Looking Glass
Mindmasters # 4 Level 1 Treasure Hunting for Highlights A story for children that teaches them how to find more joy and happiness in their lives by looking for simple joys and Highlights. Resources CD Track # 4 Feeling Great pages 17 24 Highlight Sheet (Mindmasters Worksheets) Words to the Highlight song(s) (Mindmasters Worksheets) Teaching point Introduce the concepts of Highlights looking for simple joys and enjoying each day to the fullest. Share a few of your own recent Highlights. Other ideas Children enjoy sharing Highlights. Encourage them to share their Highlights with each other and with all the important people in their lives: friends, family members, teachers or counsellors. For children who have difficulty identifying Highlights, listening to others talk about their Highlights is a good way for them to learn to recognize and appreciate the special moments in their own lives. Did anyone try Special Place Relaxation or anything else to relax? Probe for details. What kinds of things make you feel really good or happy? Ask children to draw, or write down, one or more of their Highlights. For younger children, write their description of the Highlight on their drawing. Listen to the Highlight song(s) on the CD. Do the children want to learn the words? Can you share one of your Highlights? Look for simple Highlights today, tonight and tomorrow, so that you can enjoy them and then share some of your Highlights with others. Those who wish to sing always find a song. Swedish Proverb
Mindmasters # 5 Level 1 Umbalakiki An exercise that teaches children how to put away worries or negative feelings and to free themselves to live and perform more joyfully. Resources CD Track # 5 Feeling Great pages 52 55 Teaching point We can make ourselves happier and get rid of bad feelings or worries by looking for good things or Highlights; by doing something happy every day; and by putting our worries away somewhere like in a tree or in a jar or in an envelope. Other ideas Use props such as a worry jar, worry tree or garbage can where children can place angry feelings, worries or frustrations. Does anyone have a Highlight to share? Did anyone use a relaxation exercise on your own yesterday or today, for example, Spaghetti Toes, Jelly Belly, Special Place Relaxation? Probe for details. What did the story called Umbalakiki talk about? What was the voice saying? Probe for details. How can you use what you heard in this story? Probe for examples of when and how children could use Umbalakiki or Tree It. If something worries you or makes you feel unhappy today or tomorrow, see if you can Umbalakiki it. Tree It. If you have a really big worry or something has made you very unhappy, it may be too big to put on the tree. The best way to deal with really big worries or troubles is to talk about them with someone you trust, like your parents, a teacher, a counsellor, a doctor, or me. Put your troubles in a pocket with a hole in it. Old Postcard
Mindmasters # 6 Level 1 Changing Channels An exercise that teaches children how to Change Channels in their mind, by changing their focus from negative to positive, from stressed to relaxed. Resources CD Track # 6 Feeling Great pages 57 60 Words to the Changing Channels Song (Mindmasters Worksheets) Teaching point We can change to a happier mood, or a less grumpy mood, or a less stressed mood, by Changing Channels in our minds, like Changing Channels on the TV. Other ideas Before listening to the CD, ask children to describe some of their favourite TV shows (maybe, cartoons, comedies, action adventures). What do they like about them? How do they feel when they watch them? Then, switch to a new conversation. Ask children to describe shows they don t like (maybe, news, soap operas, documentaries). Point out how just thinking about the shows they like makes them feel happy or excited, while thinking about the shows they don t like as much makes them feel less happy and excited. Children could draw or construct their own channel changers to use for practice. Younger children could draw a different face at each channel, for example, a happy face channel, a sad face channel, a laughing face channel, a grumpy face channel. Older children could label the channels with numbers, words or colours that represent different feelings. Does anyone have a highlight to share? Did anyone try Umbalakiki or Tree It? Did anyone try to relax on your own to feel better or less stressed out? Probe for details. Listen to the Changing Channels song on the CD. Do the children want to learn the words? What did the story about changing channels talk about? Probe for details. How can you use changing channels? Probe for specific examples of how and when the children feel they can use changing channels. Try Changing Channels to a happier channel or a more relaxed channel sometime today. You just think lovely wonderful thoughts and they lift you up in the air. Peter Pan
Mindmasters # 7 Level 1 The Great Little Listener A story that teaches children why it is important to listen closely and how they can become better at listening. Resources CD Track # 7 Feeling Great pages 122 123 Teaching point Introduce the concept of listening closely so that we can really hear what people say and feel. Other ideas Ask children to describe some of their favourite sounds and noises, for example songs, animal sounds, computer game noises, their friends voices, laughing, etc. Ask children what it would be like if they were unable to hear any of these sounds and noises. Discuss why listening is important to them and to you. Did anyone try Changing Channels yesterday or today? Probe for details. Does anyone have a Highlight to share? Did anyone try to relax on your own to feel better or less stressed or to go to sleep? What did the story on the Great Little Listener talk about? Probe for details. What could you do to be a Great Listener? Ask children to share their ideas for listening well. Listen very closely today, tonight and tomorrow so that you can hear some wonderful sounds and the good things people often say. Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. Mother Teresa
Mindmasters # 8 Level 2 Muscle Relaxation An exercise that teaches children how to relax by relaxing different muscle groups in their bodies. Resources CD Track # 8 Feeling Great pages 69-72 and 80 81 Cat Relaxation Scale (Mindmasters Worksheets) Teaching point One of the best ways to relax your whole body and mind is to focus on relaxing different muscles in your body. Other ideas An effective way to help children locate and relax different muscles is to encourage them to first tense up or flex their muscles. Ask them to tense up different muscle groups: their arms, their legs, their necks. Ask them to keep their whole body tense and stiff for 10 20 seconds. Then, instruct them to let go, letting all the tension leave their muscles. This is a great way to understand the difference between tense muscles and relaxed muscles and to appreciate how it feels to be relaxed. What do you feel like when you are stressed or worried or scared? What do you feel like when you are relaxed? What s the difference between feeling stressed and feeling relaxed? Before they listen to the CD, ask children to circle or colour the cat that they feel like. After they ve listened, ask children to circle or colour the cat they feel like. Were you able to focus on relaxing the different muscles in your body? Did you feel relaxed during Muscle Relaxation? When could you use Muscle Relaxation? Practice Muscle Relaxation on you own before you go to sleep tonight. Stress: It s like a rubber band that s pulled to the very end and it s ready to snap. (10-year old)
Mindmasters # 9 Level 2 Quiet Lake A relaxation exercise that teaches children how to use imagery to relax their minds and bodies by imagining a relaxing outdoor setting with a beautiful, calm lake. Resources CD Track # 9 Feeling Great pages 90 92 Teaching point Spending quiet time in nature or imagining the beautiful sounds and sights of nature provides much enjoyment and is a great way to relax. Other ideas After listening to the CD, ask children to describe some of their favourite outdoor places, places they have visited, seen or heard about. Suggest one or two situations where you think the children could imagine this relaxing place or use Quiet Lake or Muscle Relaxation, for example, while waiting in a doctor s office or for their turn to play at a concert or speak to the class. Did anyone try Muscle Relaxation to relax or go to sleep? Probe for positive examples. How did you feel while you were listening to Quiet Lake? What was going through your mind and body? Did you breathing and heart rate slow down? When would using your imagination to imagine relaxing nature sights and sounds, like Quiet Lake, be helpful? Try to imagine your own Quiet Lake, or relaxing nature scene, sometime today or tonight on your own. See how real the sights and sounds of your Quiet Lake or nature scene can feel in your mind and see how relaxed you can become. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein
Mindmasters # 10 Level 2 One Breath Relaxation A relaxation exercise that teaches children how to relax themselves quickly in a stressful situation, by taking one long, slow, deep breath, in and out. Resources CD Track # 10 Feeling Great pages 83 84 Teaching point The better you learn to relax, the less stressed and the happier you ll be. It is important to be able to learn to relax quickly if you need to. For example, if you are taking a test, performing a sport, speaking in front of the class or undergoing a medical procedure or if someone yells at you or you feel angry or frustrated, you ll be in charge and feel strong if you are able to relax yourself in one or two breaths. Other ideas Before doing One Breath Relaxation ask children to demonstrate how they breathe during hard physical activity, for example, when they run really fast, and to talk about how they feel when they are breathing hard and fast. Then, ask them to demonstrate how they breathe when they are sleeping or when they are very relaxed, for example, if they are lying in the sun or relaxing on the couch. This helps children understand different breathing patterns and how these breathing patterns can affect them. Did anyone try Quiet Lake or Muscle Relaxation to relax? Ask for someone to share details what, when, where and how it worked. Does anyone else have an experience to share? When could you use One Breath Relaxation? Probe for specific examples. Remember to use One Breath Relaxation whenever you start to feel nervous or worried or stressed or angry; at home, in school, with friends or siblings; when taking tests, playing sports or during painful or stressful medical procedures. When the breathing is disturbed, the mind is disturbed. When the breath is calmed, the mind becomes steady. Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Mindmasters # 11 Level 2 Finding Joy and Highlights An exercise that teaches children how to find more joy and happiness in every aspect of their lives by looking for simple joys and Highlights. Resources CD Track # 11 Feeling Great pages 17 24 Highlight List (Mindmasters Worksheets) Teaching point Introduce the concepts of Highlights, looking for the simple joys, and enjoying each day to the fullest. We can feel better and reduce stress by doing something we like to do and by thinking about things we like. Looking for Highlights and remembering Highlights is a good way to Change Channels in your mind from negative to positive and from stressed to relaxed. Other ideas Children enjoy discussing sports or movie Highlights: the most exciting play of the game or the funniest line in the movie. Ask children to describe some of these special moments in sports or movies and discuss why these moments are so memorable. Ask children if they can think of any special moments in their own lives, maybe they have an exciting sports experience or maybe they were with friends when something funny happened. Help them to understand that special moments do happen in their lives and that these are Highlights. Did anyone try One Breath Relaxation? Probe for positive examples what they did, when and how it worked. What kinds of things make you feel really good or happy? What are some things that you love to do or things that make your day feel worthwhile? Ask each child to write out ten Highlights from the last week on the Highlight List. Can you share one of your Highlights? With a group of children, encourage each child to share at least one Highlight. Look for simple Highlights today, tonight and tomorrow so that you can enjoy them and then share more of your Highlights with others. There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein
Mindmasters # 12 Level 2 Tree It and Changing Channels A dual-focusing activity which encourages children to listen closely to one of two stories that are told at the same time. Each story contains a lesson about how to maintain a more positive focus. The activity builds both focusing and positive perspective skills. Resources CD Track # 12 Feeling Great pages 52 60 Teaching point This is an exercise in focusing, listening and remembering. Two stories will be told at the same time Tree It in a man s voice and Changing Channels in a woman s voice. Listeners will chose to listen to only one of the voices. Other ideas Use props such as a garbage can or a drawer where children can place angry feelings, worries or frustrations. Does anyone have a Highlight to share? Did anyone use a relaxation exercise on your own yesterday or today, for example, One Breath Relaxation, Quiet Lake or Muscle Relaxation? Does anyone have any thought to share on how to really listen? Explain that there will be two voices and that children should decide to listen to either the man s voice or the woman s voice. Challenge listeners to listen very closely to one story and remember as much as they can. Ask children to recount the story they heard, giving as much detail as possible. This can be done in small groups or in the larger group. Were you able to listen to one story completely? What did you do that helped you listen effectively? Was there anything that would have helped you listen more effectively? What did the story about Tree It/Changing Channels talk about? Probe for details. How could you use what you heard in the Tree It/Changing Channels story? Probe for positive examples of when and how children think that they could use Tree It/Changing Channels. If you feel angry, mad, worried or stressed this week see if you can use Tree It to put those feeling aside or try to use Changing Channels to focus on something more positive. Troubles are like babies. They only grow bigger by nursing. Old Postcard
Mindmasters # 13 Level 2 Focusing Through Distractions A focusing exercise that requires children to listen closely in spite of distractions to solve a mathematical challenge. Resources CD Track # 13 Feeling Great pages 152 155 Teaching point You need to have a strong focus on what you are doing or what you are listening to so that you can learn things and solve problems. Other ideas Give children the opportunity to practice focusing or paying close attention by playing Focus on Flakes ( Feeling Great, pages 115 116). Give each child a flake of cereal. Encourage the children to look very closely at their flakes, memorizing all the tiny details and features that make it different from the other flakes. Once children have memorized their flakes, ask them to place them in a pile. Then, let children attempt to find their own flake using their memory of its appearance. At first children might want to use a pencil and paper to help them answer the mathematical challenge. As their focusing and listening abilities improve challenge them to try the activity without the pencil and paper. Does anyone have a Highlight to share? Did anyone try Tree It or Changing Channels? Probe for details. Did anyone try to relax on your own to feel better or more focused or less stressed? Explain that to get a right answer to the question on today s CD children will have to focus on listening completely. Be sure to remind children what day of the week it is (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) as they will need to know this to solve the mathematical challenge. How did you feel doing the Focusing Through Distractions activity? Were you able to stay focused on listening to the instructions so that you could add and subtract the numbers even though there were lots of distractions? When you were able to stay focused on listening, how did you do it? Do you think you could focus more fully now when you are in class or doing homework or playing sports or listening to people who are talking to you? Practice focusing fully on listening every day. See how good you can get. When you re reading, it s like stepping into the book and being there. (11 year-old)