Follow The Breath Activity Sheet

Objective: Students will practice mindful breathing by tracing a smooth path with their finger or a crayon—breathing in as they go “up” and breathing out as they go “down.”

Materials: 1 copy per student, crayons or markers.

Instructions for Students:

1. Place your finger or crayon at the Start (smiley face).
2. Take a slow breath in while you trace up the wavy path.
3. Pause and hold your breath at the top for a count of 2.
4. Breathe out slowly as you trace down the next wavy path.
5. Continue tracing up and down the hills three times, matching your breath to your tracing.

Trace the path below:

Start 😊 ⤴️ ~~~~~~~ ⤴️ ~~~~~~~ ⤴️ ~~~~~~~ ⤵️ ~~~~~~~ ⤵️ ~~~~~~~ ⤵️ Finish 🌟

(After tracing, draw a small picture or color the path to show how you feel now.)

Bubble Breaths Game Cards

Objective: Students will practice mindful breathing through a playful bubble-blowing challenge—helping them regulate emotions, build self-awareness, and improve focus.

Materials:

• Bubble wands or straws (1 per student)
• Bubble solution in cups or trays
• Bubble Breaths Game Cards

Setup:

1. Place bubble solution and wands at each student’s spot or a central station.
2. Shuffle the game cards and stack them face down.

How to Play:

1. Students sit in a circle or around tables.
2. A volunteer draws the top card and reads the prompt aloud (or the teacher reads it).
3. The student follows the breathing instruction and blows bubbles accordingly.
4. Classmates count breaths together and cheer after each turn.
5. Return the card to the bottom of the deck.
6. Next student takes a turn until everyone has played.

Game Card Prompts

1. Slow & Steady
   • Inhale slowly for a count of 3.
   • Exhale gently to blow one big bubble.

2. Tiny Bubbles
   • Take a quick breath in.
   • Exhale five times to make five little bubbles—one per breath.

3. Bubble Train
   • Inhale twice quickly (1…2).
   • Exhale twice to blow two bubbles in a row.

4. Big Bubble Burst
   • Breathe in for a count of 4.
   • Hold at the top for 1…2.
   • Exhale fast to blow a big bubble and pop it!

5. Rainbow Swirl
   • Inhale for 2 counts.
   • As you blow, swirl your wand in a circle to create a swirling bubble.

6. Bubble Freeze
   • Breathe in and exhale to blow one bubble.
   • Watch it float and hold perfectly still for 3 seconds.

Reflection & Extension

• After all turns, gather and ask: “Which card did you like best? How did your breathing feel?”
• For ELLs and students with IEPs:
  • Add picture icons on each card to show inhale (arrow up) and exhale (arrow down).
  • Pair non-readers with buddies to act out the prompts.
  • Offer one-on-one support for counting and timing breaths.

Teachers can reuse these cards anytime students need a quick, fun breathing break!

Feather Float Activity Sheet

Objective: Students will practice mindful breathing by gently blowing a paper feather (or cotton ball) along a printed path—breathing in to ready their breath, holding briefly, and exhaling to move the feather.

Materials: 1 copy per student, 1 paper feather or cotton ball each.

Instructions for Students:

1. Place your feather or cotton ball at the Start 🪶.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose—ready your breath to be steady.
3. Hold for a count of 2 (1…2).
4. Exhale gently through your mouth to blow and move the feather along the wavy path.
5. Follow the path with your feather, keeping it on the line until you reach Finish 🌟.
6. Practice this three times, trying to keep the feather from drifting off the path.

Trace the path below with your feather:

Start 🪶 ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ Finish 🌟

(After you finish, draw or write one word about how your breathing made you feel.)

Colorful Breaths Game Cards

Objective: Students will practice different breathing styles represented by bright colors—helping them self-regulate emotions and have fun with visual cues.

Materials:

• Printed and cut Colorful Breaths Game Cards
• A small basket or stack to hold cards
• Picture icons on each card showing inhale (⬆️) and exhale (⬇️)

Setup:

1. Shuffle the Colorful Breaths cards and place them face down in a basket or stack.
2. Students sit in a circle or around a table.

How to Play:

1. A volunteer draws the top card and shows its color and prompt.
2. The class follows the breathing pattern together, using the picture icons to guide timing.
3. Count breaths aloud as a group and cheer or clap after each turn.
4. Return the card to the bottom of the deck.
5. Continue drawing until each student has had at least one turn.

Card Prompts

1. Red Spark Breather 🟥
   • ⬆️ Inhale fast and strong for 2 counts (1…2).
   • ⬇️ Exhale sharply like a quick spark (whoosh!).

2. Blue Ocean Breather 🟦
   • ⬆️ Inhale slowly for 4 counts, imagining a deep ocean wave.
   • ⬇️ Exhale slowly for 4 counts, letting the wave settle.

3. Yellow Sunshine Breather 🟨
   • ⬆️ Quick inhale for 1 count, like a bright flash of sunlight.
   • ⬇️ Slow exhale for 3 counts, smiling as you breathe out.

4. Green Leaf Breather 🟩
   • ⬆️ Inhale for 3 counts, hold for 1 (1…2…3, hold), then
   • ⬇️ Exhale softly for 3 counts, drifting like a leaf on the breeze.

5. Purple Star Breather 🟪
   • ⬆️ Inhale for 2 counts, hold for 2 (1…2, hold 1…2),
   • ⬇️ Exhale gently for 2 counts, like a soft star sparkle.

6. Orange Firefly Breather 🟧
   • ⬆️ Take two quick inhales (1…2).
   • ⬇️ Exhale two quick puffs (whoosh…whoosh), like firefly flickers.

Reflection & Extension

• Gather and ask: “Which color breath did you like best? How did it make you feel?”
• Encourage students to choose a color card when they feel strong emotions and practice that breath.

Supports for ELLs & Students with IEPs:

• Include clear picture icons (⬆️ arrow up for inhale, ⬇️ arrow down for exhale).
• Pair non-readers with a buddy to describe and act out each card.
• Use visual timers (sand timers or counting beads) for pacing breaths.

Teachers can pull out these Colorful Breaths cards whenever the class needs a quick, engaging breathing break!