Mindfulness activity presented by M.L. King in the 5th teacher training held in Ljubljana (Slovenia) in May 2019

1. BALLOONS TO LET GO
Children (ages 6-7) are in a circle, close their eyes and breathe deeply. The teacher
invites the children to listen to the external sounds and then their own breath ...
Itis said to the children that they are safe, protected and that nothing can happen
to them. They must feel good ...
They are invited to remember a time when they felt a negative emotion becausean
unpleasant thing happened to them and they still remember it.
A balloon was placed next to them, the children take it and look at it trying to find a
word or a shortphrasethat reminds them of the negative emotion they wantto get
rid of. They write it on the balloon to which they entrust the thought to let go. Then
they are invited to throw the balloon and so let go of all the negative.
This game serves to let go of negative emotions. The exercise is very usefulin case
of need: when somethought disturbs us, wemust not cling, but as with the balloon,
better let it go.
At the end of the activity the children announced that they felt much better and
lighter ... like a balloon!