NEW BOOK

Meet Simon – an imaginative boy filled with adventure who loves to move.  Everyone is always telling Simon to slow down, but he doesn’t understand why. Slowing down is so boring! Having adventures like explorers, superheroes, ninjas, master chefs and pirates seem like so much fun going full speed, but sometimes he misses the opportunity to see, hear, touch, smell and taste the wonderful world around him. With the help of Simon’s mom, he learns that slowing down isn’t so boring after all. 

This story is the perfect springboard for talking to children about being present and taking in the world around them. 

• Mindful Surroundings - Have children sit with you in a room or outside, take 3 deep belly breaths, then have them look around and name 5 things they see, 4 things they feel/touch, 3 things they hear, 2 things they smell, and 1 thing they taste.
• Take a Mindful walk outside – have children identify things in nature that they see, touch, hear, smell and taste. Use art supplies to allow them to draw what they encountered on their walk.
• Take a Mindful Rainbow walk outside – have children identify objects that are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
• Mindful snack - During snack or using a piece of fruit, cracker, chocolate – before taking a bite, have children describe what they see (discuss shape, color, etc.), describe what they feel (heavy/light, smooth, bumpy, describe what they hear (wrapper, squishy sound), describe what they smell, and lastly describe what they taste as they chew. 
• Create sensory bins/stations focusing on the 5 senses - allow children to share what they see, hear, touch, smell, and taste.