Relaxation Activities to Do at Home with Kids
School closings, sick friends and family members, isolation at home – these and other factors can cause anxiety and stress for children during this coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As the world’s leading expert on childhood, we’re sharing these drama-based relaxation exercises that are part of our global Healing and Education through the Arts (HEART) program for children living in stressful situations.
Getting Started
- Find a quiet space away from distractions.
- If you're trying these exercises with a child or a group of children, make sure your instructions are clear and engaging.
- You don't have to do them all. Keep an eye on how long the children are engaged and try again another time.
Flower and Candle
This is a simple exercise that encourages deep breathing – a way to relax.
Pretend you have a nice smelling flower in one hand and a slow burning candle in the other.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose as you smell the flower.
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth as you blow out the candle.
- Repeat a few times.
Lemon
This exercise releases muscle tension. Pretend you have a lemon in your hand.
- Reach up to the tree and pick a lemon with each hand.
- Squeeze the lemons hard to get all the juice out – squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.
- Throw the lemons on the floor and relax your hands.
- Then repeat, until you have enough juice for a glass of lemonade!
- After your last squeeze and throw, shake out your hands to relax!
Lazy Cat
This exercise releases muscle tension.
Pretend you are a lazy cat that just woke up from a lovely long nap.
- Have a big yawn.
- And a meow.
- Now stretch out your arms, legs and back – slowly like a cat – and relax.
Feather/Statue
This exercise releases muscle tension.
Pretend you are a feather floating through the air for about ten seconds.
- Suddenly you freeze and transform into a statue. Don’t move!
- Then slowly relax as you transform back into the floating feather again.
- Repeat, making sure to finish as a floaty feather in a relaxed state.
Stress Balls
This exercise releases muscle tension and massages your hands.
Make your own stress ball(s) by filling balloons with dry lentils or rice.
- Take the ball(s) in one or both hands and squeeze and release.
- Experiment with squeezing the ball. Find a way that is right for you, adjusting the speed, pressure, and timing of your squeezes to whatever way you like.
Turtle
This exercise releases muscle tension.
Pretend you are a turtle going for a slow, relaxed turtle walk.
- Oh no, it’s started to rain!
- Curl up tight under your shell for about ten seconds.
- The sun’s out again, so come out of your shell and return to your relaxing walk.
- Repeat a few times, making sure to finish with a walk so that your body is relaxed.