Introduction
Self-awareness Mindfulness is becoming more and more important in this fast-paced world. This game is about teaching meditation, self-awareness, and how the mind can “slow down” time.
Target group and Time
This exercise needs one instructor and can be done with any age group from grade 2 to 12. It is best done outside, preferably in a park or forest. It takes up to 12 minutes.
Learning objectives
The learners should feel connected to themselves and to their surroundings. For younger children, this is a good way to learn what different body parts are called and also how to express their feelings and thoughts.
Instructions to set up the activity
- First, each person should sit down, leaving a little space for between them and the next person.
- Then all the students should close their eyes and slowly breath in and breath out for 10 seconds, counting down from 10 to 1 and concentrating on their breath.
- Now each student should take their index finger, place it on their forehead and run it down their face, nose, lips, chin, neck, left shoulder, left elbow, the palm of their hand, and run their index finger over all their left fingers.
- The teacher can add the right side of the body or more body parts like legs and feet or the right side as well. This depends on how much time is left.
- Now the students can slowly move their fingers back to their necks.
- Then the students take both of their index fingers and place them on their ears. They should feel their ears about 5 seconds.
- Then they listen to what they hear in their surroundings. Can they hear wind, birds, cars, or people?
- Then the students try to imagine they are melting into their surroundings. (Let the learners listen quietly for 2 to 3 minutes.)
- After that they can slowly come back to themselves and open their eyes. Now the learners may speak about their experiences. For many, it might be the first time having done something like meditation. If there is time, the learners can go explore their surroundings and observe the things they could hear.
