Mindful Breathing Cards

Objective: To introduce mindful breathing as a calming strategy and prepare students for the lesson.

Card 1: Take a Belly Breath

• Place one hand on your belly, and one hand on your chest.
• As you breathe in slowly through your nose, feel your belly rise.
• As you breathe out slowly through your mouth, feel your belly fall.
• Repeat 3 times. What did you notice?

Card 2: The Five-Finger Breath

• Hold one hand up, fingers spread.
• Use the pointer finger of your other hand to trace up one finger, then down the other side.
• Breathe in as you trace up, and breathe out as you trace down.
• Repeat for all five fingers, slowly and mindfully.
• How does your body feel now?

Card 3: Count Your Breath

• Close your eyes gently or look at a spot on the floor.
• Breathe in for a count of 4.
• Hold your breath for a count of 2.
• Breathe out for a count of 6.
• Repeat 3 times. Did you feel any changes?

Calm Clay Creations Script

Introduction (Connecting Mindfulness to Clay)

(Teacher): "Good morning/afternoon everyone! Today, we're going to explore a really cool way to help our brains and bodies feel calm and focused, especially when things get a little tricky or overwhelming. We're going to use something fun: clay!"

"Has anyone ever heard of something called 'mindfulness'?


(Pause for student responses. Guide them if needed.)"

"That's right! Mindfulness is all about paying attention to what's happening right now – what we're seeing, hearing, feeling, and even smelling, without getting caught up in worries about the past or future. It's like pressing a 'pause button' for our brains, giving us a chance to notice things and choose how we react. And guess what? Working with clay can be a fantastic way to practice mindfulness!"

Warm-Up: Mindful Breathing (Using Mindful Breathing Cards)

(Teacher): "Before we dive into our clay, let's start with a quick mindful breathing exercise to help us get centered. We'll use these Mindful Breathing Cards to guide us. Remember, your breath is a powerful tool you always carry with you to help you feel calm."

"Let's try the 'Belly Breath' first. Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest. As you breathe in through your nose, feel your belly rise. As you breathe out through your mouth, feel it fall. Let's do that together three times. What did you notice about your belly?"

"(After 1-2 breathing exercises from the cards): How does everyone feel after those few breaths? A little more settled?"

Introducing the Clay as a Mindfulness Tool

(Teacher): "Now, for the exciting part! You each have a piece of clay in front of you. This isn't just any clay today; it's our 'Calm Clay.' When we work with this clay, we're going to try to be super mindful. That means we're going to pay close attention to all the sensations and how our bodies feel."

"There's no 'right' or 'wrong' thing to make today. The goal isn't to create a masterpiece, but to simply experience the clay and use it to help us focus and feel calm. It’s about the process, not the product."

Activity: Sensory Clay Exploration (Referring to Activity: Sensory Clay Exploration)

(Teacher): "Let's start by just exploring the clay. Take it in your hands. What do you notice?


(Pause for responses)"

"Is it cool or warm? Soft or firm? What does it feel like to squeeze it? Roll it? Pull it apart?


(Allow time for exploration, encouraging students to describe sensations)."

"As you're working with the clay, notice how your body feels. Are your shoulders relaxed? Is your jaw loose? Are you just focusing on the clay in your hands? This is mindfulness in action!"

Game: Emotion Charades with Clay (Referring to Game: Emotion Charades with Clay)

(Teacher): "Now that we've explored the clay, let's use it to think about our emotions. Sometimes our emotions can feel big and overwhelming. Using clay can help us understand them a little better."

"We're going to play 'Emotion Charades with Clay.' I'm going to give you an emotion, and I want you to try and sculpt something with your clay that represents that emotion. It doesn't have to be perfect, just what comes to mind when you think of that feeling."

"Let's start with... 'Happy!' What would 'happy' look like in clay?


(Allow time for sculpting and sharing. Discuss what 'happy' feels like in their bodies.)"

"Now try 'Frustrated.' This is a big one. What does frustration look like or feel like when you sculpt it?


(Allow time, discuss where frustration is felt in the body and healthy ways to respond.)"

"(Continue with 1-2 more emotions as time allows, like 'Calm' or 'Surprised.')"

Discussion: My Calm Clay Tools (Referring to Discussion: My Calm Clay Tools)

(Teacher): "Fantastic work everyone! Let's bring our clay explorations to a pause for a moment and have a quick discussion about what we've learned."

"What did you notice about how you felt while working with the clay? Did anyone feel calmer or more focused?


"

"How could using something like clay, or even just focusing on your breathing, help you when you start to feel frustrated or overwhelmed in class or at home?


"

"What's one new 'calm tool' you learned today that you might try next time you need a break or to refocus?


"

Cool-Down: Mindful Moment Reflection (Referring to Cool-Down: Mindful Moment Reflection)

(Teacher): "To wrap up our session, let's take one last mindful moment together. Put your clay gently down. Close your eyes if you feel comfortable, or just look softly at the floor."

"Take a deep breath in, and slowly let it out. Think about one thing you learned today, or one way you felt calmer during our clay activity."

"Remember, these tools – mindful breathing, focusing on your senses, and even just taking a moment to calm down – are always with you. You can use them anytime you need to hit that 'pause button' and refocus your amazing brains. Thank you for a wonderful mindful clay session!"

Sensory Clay Exploration

Objective: To engage students in mindful sensory exploration using clay, focusing on present moment awareness.

Instructions:

1. Observe Your Clay: Hold your piece of clay in your hands. Don't do anything with it yet, just look at it. What color is it? Does it have any marks or imperfections?

2. Feel the Texture: Gently squeeze the clay. Is it soft or hard? Smooth or lumpy? Roll it between your palms. What does that feel like?
   
   
   

3. Notice the Temperature: Is the clay warm or cool against your skin?
   
   
   

4. Explore the Scent (if any): Bring the clay close to your nose. Does it have a smell? What does it remind you of?
   
   
   

5. Manipulate Mindfully: Now, you can start to squish, roll, pinch, and pull your clay. As you do, pay attention to:

   • The sounds it makes: Does it squish quietly? Does it crackle?
   • How it changes: What happens to its shape? Does it become softer or warmer as you work it?
   • Your hands: How do your fingers and palms feel as you shape the clay? Do you notice any tension in your hands or arms?

6. No Goal, Just Process: Remember, you don't need to make anything specific. The goal is to simply experience the clay. Let your hands explore and your mind focus only on what you are doing in this moment.
   
   
   

Reflection Prompts (Teacher-led):

• What was the most interesting thing you noticed about the clay?
• How did focusing on the clay make your mind feel?
• Did you feel more calm or focused while doing this activity?

Emotion Charades with Clay

Objective: To help students identify and express emotions through a creative, tactile medium, and to discuss healthy responses.

How to Play:

1. Clear Your Canvas: Each student should have a fresh or re-rolled ball of clay in front of them.

2. Teacher Calls an Emotion: The teacher will say an emotion (e.g., Happy, Sad, Frustrated, Calm, Excited, Worried, Surprised).

3. Sculpt the Emotion: Students will have 1-2 minutes to quickly sculpt something with their clay that represents that emotion.

   • It doesn't have to be a person or a face! It could be a shape, a texture, or even an abstract representation of how that emotion feels.
   • Encourage students to think:

My Calm Clay Tools: Group Discussion

Objective: To facilitate reflection on the mindfulness activity and connect it to personal emotional regulation strategies.

Discussion Questions:

1. Sensory Experience: What was one thing you really noticed or enjoyed about touching and shaping the clay? What did it feel like in your hands?
   
   
   

2. Mindful Focus: How did focusing on the clay make your mind feel? Did you notice your thoughts slowing down, or your body feeling more relaxed?
   
   
   

3. Clay and Emotions: When we sculpted emotions, which emotion was easiest to show with clay? Which was the hardest, and why?
   
   
   

4. Connecting to Feelings: Thinking about feelings like frustration or feeling overwhelmed, how might playing with clay or doing something similar help you in those moments?
   
   
   

5. New Calm Tools: Besides the clay, what's another

Mindful Moment Reflection

Objective: To provide a brief, reflective closure to the lesson, reinforcing the key learning about mindfulness and self-regulation.

Instructions:

1. Stillness: Gently place your clay down. Find a comfortable position in your seat. You can close your eyes softly or look at a spot on the floor.

2. Deep Breath: Take one slow, deep breath in through your nose, and let it out slowly through your mouth. Feel your body settle.

3. Inner Reflection: Think quietly to yourself about our lesson today. Consider these questions:

   • What is one new thing you learned about mindfulness or about how you can calm down?
   • What is one feeling you had today during our clay activity?
   • What is one way you could use a