Best books for emotional regulation, managing behaviors, and developing body-awareness skills!
With more and more WONDERFUL books about Mindfulness coming out every day. It can be hard to find the best ones to suite your classroom needs.
Whether you are looking for books about self-regulation, yoga, meditation, or relaxation techniques, we've got you covered with this list of delightfully engaging Mindfulness Books for kids!
This post may contain affiliate links to materials I recommend. If you purchase something using these links I may receive a small commission.
- Bunny Breaths
- Mind Bubbles
- Puppy Mind
- Breath Like a Bear
- The Grateful Giraffe
- Listening to My Body
- Good Night Yoga
- Mindful Moments at Bedtime
- When Sophie Gets Angry–Really, Really Angry
- Bee Still
1. Bunny Breaths:
This book focuses a specific, easy-to-use breathing technique called bunny breaths, which children can use to regain energy and focus. Throughout the book, children will follow the bunny along, as she practices this breathing exercise and becomes more connected to and aware of her world.
2. Mind Bubbles:
The author speaks directly to the reader, letting them know that everyone has feelings and thoughts, which can be called 'mind bubbles'. Some of these bubbles are good and some aren’t. This simple, clear explanation helps provide children a concrete way to visualize these bubbles, so they can begin to respond to their feelings and thoughts with successful strategies (like breathing techniques!)
3. Puppy Mind:
This sweet book allows young, concrete minds to connect their behaviors and emotions with something often quite relatable: a puppy! When you learn how your mind is like a puppy, you start to understand why it may wander through different thoughts, memories, distractions, or fears.
The books provides strategies to train your puppy mind to become more present, as well as other tips for parents and teachers to use in establishing basic mindfulness techniques.
4. Breath Like a Bear:
This is book provides a HUGE collection of mindfulness exercises, which teach children a wide-variety of techniques for managing their bodies, breath, and emotions. The illustrations are engaging and useful in how they illustrate the various exercises.
There are 30 easy-to-use, short breathing practices and movements in this book! Most of them are easy enough to be performed anytime! Topics include listening, being calm, breathing techniques, imagining, and the list goes on!
5. The Grateful Giraffe:
This is a fun book illustrating simple yoga poses for children. Each animal, from various places around the world, emphasizes a feeling while using expressive animal sounds making it fun for little ones.
6. Listening to My Body:
This book is great for teaching children to recognize and name their feelings. They learn how to identify the sensations they feel in their body, as they are noticing various emotions. There are also mindfulness lessons incorporated throughout the text.
7. Good Night Yoga:
This is a soothing, lullaby-like tale that tells about different yoga moves. Each character connects to a different element of the natural world, as they take on their pose. Children will learn how to relax and prepare for rest, while they learn about and move through each yoga pose.
8. Mindful Moments at Bedtime:
This is a sweet, interactive book, which allows child and reader to practice soothing moments together. There are 12 reflective mindful moments you can practice at bedtime, nap time, or any other restful reflection times! The elements include practicing gratitude, learning zen trails, and sending love.
9. When Sophie Gets Angry–Really, Really Angry:
(One of my all-time favorites!) This narrative is about an easy-to-relate-to young girl, Sophie, who gets very upset when she has to share with her sibling. Molly Bang uses intense color to express the ranges of emotions Sophie goes through.
This is a great book to use to help young children identify those big emotions and to come up with coping strategies. In the book, Sophie runs outside to her tree and calms down. You can use this book to pick a safe spot with your child to “run” to–one that is soothing and offers your child space and time, rather than punishment.
10. Bee Still:
This adorable narrative is about a busy hive of bees who live in a tall oak tree. The rhyming text tells about how one calm bee, Bently, chooses to meditate while the other bees scramble around.
This is a great book for helping children to manage stress in their busy worlds, by beginning to practice stillness.
Thank you for reading along!
I wish you joy and luck on journey of Mindfulness.
Be sure to share with anyone you think may enjoy this!
What Mindfulness topic do you struggle finding resources for? Comment below:
