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Mindful Minutes

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Lesson Plan

Mindful Minutes Guide

Guide 4th graders through a 10-minute daily mindfulness routine using simple breathing and focus activities to build self-management and emotional regulation skills.

Regular mindfulness practice helps students calm their minds, improve attention, and develop lifelong strategies for managing stress and strong emotions.

Audience

4th Grade Students

Time

10 minutes

Approach

Short guided exercises with visual and tactile supports.

Materials

Breathing Techniques Slides, Five-Finger Breathing Warm-Up, and Mindful Reflection Prompt

Prep

Teacher Preparation

5 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up

1 minute

  • Invite students to sit comfortably with feet flat and hands resting on their laps.
  • Show the Five-Finger Breathing Warm-Up and model tracing each finger as you inhale and exhale slowly.

Step 2

Introduce Techniques

2 minutes

  • Display the first slide of Breathing Techniques Slides.
  • Briefly explain diaphragmatic breathing: inhaling through the nose, expanding the belly, exhaling through the mouth.
  • Highlight the slide’s key steps with clear, calm language.

Step 3

Guided Practice

4 minutes

  • Lead students through three rounds of belly breathing:
    • Inhale 4 seconds (count aloud).
    • Hold 2 seconds.
    • Exhale 6 seconds.
  • Pause between rounds to check in: “How does your body feel?” to reinforce awareness.

Step 4

Mindful Reflection

2 minutes

  • Distribute the Mindful Reflection Prompt.
  • Ask students to write or sketch one word or image describing how they feel after the exercise.
  • Encourage sharing a few responses aloud, if time allows.

Step 5

Transition

1 minute

  • Invite students to take one final deep breath together.
  • Remind them to carry calm focus into the next lesson.
  • Collect journals or have students store them in their desks.
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Slide Deck

Breathing Techniques

Learning how to use our breath to find calm and focus.

Welcome students! Today, we’ll learn a simple breathing technique called belly breathing to help us feel calm and focused before class activities.

What is Belly Breathing?

• Also called diaphragmatic breathing
• Fill your belly with air, not just your chest
• Helps slow down your heart and quiet your mind

Explain that our diaphragm is a muscle under the lungs. When we breathe deeply, our belly rises and falls like a balloon.

Step 1: Inhale

• Breathe in slowly through your nose for 4 seconds
• Feel your belly expand like a balloon

Model this step slowly. Count aloud “1–2–3–4” as you breathe in. Encourage students to place a hand on their belly.

Step 2: Hold

• Keep the air in your belly for 2 seconds
• Notice the stillness

Demonstrate holding your breath lightly—no tightness. Count “1–2” on your fingers.

Step 3: Exhale

• Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds
• Feel your belly soften and relax

Exhale gently through your mouth. Show how your belly deflates. Count “1–2–3–4–5–6.”

Let’s Practice Together

• Inhale 4 seconds (1-2-3-4)
• Hold 2 seconds (1-2)
• Exhale 6 seconds (1-2-3-4-5-6)

Repeat 3 times.

Lead students through three full cycles. Offer gentle reminders of counts. Ask: “How do you feel now?”

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Warm Up

Five-Finger Breathing Warm-Up Handout

Instructions:

  1. Place your non-writing hand in front of you with fingers spread wide.
  2. Using the index finger of your other hand, trace slowly around the outline of each finger:
    • As you trace up the side of the finger, inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4.
    • When you reach the fingertip, hold your breath for a count of 2.
    • As you trace down the other side of the finger, exhale gently through your mouth for a count of 6.
  3. Move to the next finger and repeat until you have traced all five fingers.
  4. Notice how your body feels when you finish the full sequence.

Use this warm-up to bring awareness to your breath and body before starting our Mindful Minutes session.

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Journal

Mindful Reflection Prompt

Now that we've practiced Five-Finger Breathing Warm-Up and followed the steps in Breathing Techniques Slides, take a few minutes to reflect:

  1. How does your body feel right now? Describe any changes you notice (e.g., heart rate, muscle tension).






  1. What went through your mind during the breathing practice? Did any thoughts or feelings stand out?






  1. Draw or sketch an image that shows your feelings after the exercise.











  1. When could you use this breathing exercise in your day? Write a short plan or example.






Be honest and creative—there’s no right or wrong answer!

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