Top Tips for Making Your School’s Mindfulness Program a Success: Engaging Staff and Parents

[Charlean G.]

I think a fun activity to do that would include staff and parents would be to have a yoga party it would consist of parent volunteers coming into the classroom teaching the students as well as your teachers different yoga poses and to make it interactive for the students it could be your proposes that focuses on outer space or going through the jungle.

[Colleen]

I would incorporate the fun breathing exercises when we start the day off and let the children choose which ones they’d like to lead.

[Janeth Ruiz]

Share a short, simple mindfulness activity (like “Flower Breath”) on a bulletin board or via a quick email/text so staff and parents can try it with children at home too.

[Layna Rogers]

The activity I think would be fun is having children express their feelings to parents by using arts and crafts. This can help parents understand how their child is feeling in this moment or in the future.

[Lisa]

We do daily logs home and we usually give a run down of what we did. As we practice mindfulness it will be included in their message so parents are aware of what we are doing and what their children have accomplished throughout the day.

[Stephanie]

I really like the idea of nature walks they can do them at daycare and at home the walks themselves are calming but you can also work in an activity related to the walk or practice breathing exercises while doing it

[Sun Ryu]

Take-home “mindfulness challenge cards” : each week send a little card with a palyful practice. ex) “Pretend to blow up a balloon with your breath.” Kids can teach parents.

[Melissa McKinney]

I would like to do a group breathing technique next time that we have a bring your parent to school night. I would show star breathing, and ask parents to participate with the children and myself.

[Riley Longwill]

build relationships with everyone in the community to help ensure that you are building a mindful classroom environment.

[pam]

I like to go on walks and talk about things in nature like birds, trees, clouds. etc.

[Sarah Guenther]

I will teach the children and parents mindfulness breathing as they join us for story time in the afternoons. I will make it a daily practice for all of us. I think it will help us all focus on the story being read.

[Blythe]

My kids love doing projects especially painting! Sometimes it gets really messy but the kids enjoy it, so it’s worth it!

[Gwyndolyn]

One-minute Monday: start each week with a 60 second breathing or senses game at drop-off. Parents can try it too. Sticker passport: kids get a small sticker after each classroom mindfulness minute. Parents see progress on a passport card that goes home Fridays. Family fridge cards: send home a tiny set of picture cue cards for 3 calm-down moves. Ask families to post a photo of their favorite on the class app.

[Lauren Hansen]

I believe it would be beneficial to add different mindfulness tips and techniques into our classroom’s monthly newsletter. Adding a mindfulness section to the daily report/lesson plan that is sent home everyday would also be beneficial. Parents would have the opportunity to see what their children are working on and doing at school!

[Tara]

We use an app to communicate with our parents and staff. I would love to post a weekly update on ideas for that weeks mindfulness activities that we can use in the classrooms across the whole center and then also invite the parents to also do the same ones at home.