Mindful games for a young girl with trauma

A simple way to turn a childhood game into a mindful practice…

This idea was inspired by one of our qualified Connected Kids Tutors.  She was working with a 9 year old girl, K, who had experienced much trauma and abuse.

“I started a game of I Spy.  We started with I spy with my little eye, then moved onto I spy with my little ears and finally I spy with my little nose.  She was really good!  Heard a bird and correctly identified it as a crow, and smelled some pine trees.  

This is a simple yet very effective way for children to practise mindful skills without realising that’s what they are doing.  But for this young girl it was the perfect introduction.

The idea prompted some more mindful activities that gave this young person the chance to feel good and notice the moment.

“She climbed on some play structures and balanced on some wood pieces.  I asked her to stop mid climb and close her eyes.  Then I asked her to tell me how she was feeling…  “Happy”. 

A little later I asked her again…  “Happy”.  So then I asked her to close her eyes again and to tell me where she felt it in her body.  “I don’t know”  So I asked, do you feel it in your toes?  Do you feel it in your leg?   “In my heart!!” 

She wanted to pick pine cones.  She made it a race.  She won, getting more than me.  I suggested we make a picture with our pinecones.   Then I asked her to close her eyes and feel a pine cone.  Pretend I have never seen a pine cone before.  Describe it to me.  She closed her eyes and then told me it was squishy and crunchy.  I asked her to keep her eyes closed and smell the pine cone and tell me what it smelled like.  “Nothing”.  I said wait a minute and I took a big sniff.  It smells something, I just can’t tell what it is.  She smelled again.  “I know, it smells like the wood from a tree.  Like the bark.”   

@Jo-Anne Ross

In our Connected Kids programme we nurture that intuitive, creative ability so that Tutors can create a child-centered approach to teaching meditation – ensuring it works effecively with children of all ages, abilities and experiences.

Still looking for answers?

Speak to an expert…if you need to talk, please remember you can Connect to us.  Lorraine E Murray, founder of the Connected Kids programme, offers connect calls to help you find out more.