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Mindful Moments

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Sierra Savage

Tier 3
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Mindfulness in Minutes

Guide a 6th grader through a 15-minute one-on-one mindfulness session to practice a quick breathing warm-up, explore calm-down visuals, and apply a hands-on breathing exercise for immediate focus and anxiety reduction.

Many middle schoolers experience anxiety and distractibility; this lesson equips your student with simple, research-backed mindfulness tactics they can use independently in stressful moments to boost focus and self-regulation.

Audience

6th Grade Student

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Stepwise warm-up, visual prompts, and hands-on practice to internalize quick mindfulness routines.

Materials

  • Five-Count Breathe Warm-Up, * Quick Calm Techniques Slide Deck, and * Breathing Buddy Exercise Activity

Prep

Review and Setup

5 minutes

  • Review the Five-Count Breathe Warm-Up steps and practice aloud.
  • Scan through the Quick Calm Techniques Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with visuals and talking points.
  • Read the Breathing Buddy Exercise Activity instructions; gather a small plush or stress ball if available.
  • Prepare a timer or countdown app for precise time-keeping.

Step 1

Warm-Up Breathing

1 minute

  • Invite the student to sit comfortably and relax shoulders.
  • Lead them through 5-Count Breathe:
    • Inhale quietly through the nose for a count of five.
    • Hold for two counts.
    • Exhale slowly through the mouth for five counts.
  • Repeat twice to settle into the practice.

Step 2

Introduce Calm Techniques

2 minutes

  • Explain that simple routines can quickly reduce tension and sharpen focus.
  • Share the session’s goals: learn a warm-up, explore visuals, and do a hands-on drill.
  • Confirm they’re ready to try the next steps.

Step 3

Visual Prompt Walk-Through

4 minutes

  • Display the Quick Calm Techniques Slide Deck.
  • Click through slides showing:
    • Guided hand-on-belly breathing.
    • Grounding scavenger hunt (5-4-3-2-1 sense check).
    • Mini-body scan for tension release.
  • Pause on each slide to ask how they might use the tool in class or at home.

Step 4

Breathing Buddy Drill

5 minutes

  • Give the student a plush toy or stress ball as their “Breathing Buddy.”
  • Model wrapping hands around the buddy to cue inhaling deeply through the nose and exhaling onto the buddy.
  • Practice three full breaths together.
  • Invite the student to close eyes, visualize the buddy, and self-guide two more cycles independently.
  • Provide gentle feedback on pace and posture.

Step 5

Reflection & Next Steps

3 minutes

  • Ask the student to rate their calmness from 1–5 before and after the session.
  • Discuss which technique felt easiest or most helpful.
  • Encourage daily quick check-ins: three breath warm-up and one buddy drill when feeling stressed.
  • Remind them they can reuse these tools anytime they need a focus boost.
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Slide Deck

Quick Calm Techniques

In just moments, you can reset and refocus using one of these simple tools:

• Five-Count Breathe
• Grounding Scavenger Hunt (5-4-3-2-1)
• Mini Body Scan

Introduce the three quick techniques your student can use anytime they feel anxious or distracted. Ask them to focus on one tool at a time and practice noticing sensations.

1. Five-Count Breathe

• Inhale through the nose for a count of 5
• Hold for 2 counts
• Exhale slowly through the mouth for 5

Repeat twice more.

Guide the student through the Five-Count Breathe step-by-step. Demonstrate slowly and count aloud. Emphasize quiet inhales and gentle exhales.

2. Grounding Scavenger Hunt

Engage all 5 senses to anchor attention:

  1. Name 5 things you see
  2. Name 4 things you can touch
  3. Name 3 things you hear
  4. Name 2 things you smell
  5. Name 1 thing you taste

Explain how tuning into the environment can ground them. Encourage naming as they go to sharpen focus.

3. Mini Body Scan

  1. Close eyes and take a deep breath
  2. Notice your toes → feet → legs → hips
  3. Move up through torso, shoulders, arms, hands
  4. Finally, scan neck and head
  5. Exhale and release any tension

Lead a quick head-to-toe scan. Stop at each area and invite the student to notice tension. Breathe into each spot to release tightness.

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Activity

Breathing Buddy Exercise

Objective: Practice deep, mindful breathing using a tactile cue to reduce anxiety and boost focus.

Materials:

  • A small plush toy or stress ball
  • Timer (optional)

Instructions

  1. Gather Your Buddy (1 minute)
  • Give the student their “Breathing Buddy” (plush toy or stress ball).
  • Explain: “We’re going to use this buddy to help us feel our breath and calm our minds.”
  1. Demonstration (2 minutes)
  • Model the exercise:
    • Hold the buddy gently against your belly.
    • Inhale slowly through the nose, feeling the buddy rise for a count of 5.
    • Exhale through the mouth for a count of 5, feeling the buddy lower.
  • Repeat once more while counting aloud.
  1. Guided Practice (4 minutes)
  • Invite the student to hold the buddy in the same way.
  • Lead them through three full breaths together:
    • “Breathe in … 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Breathe out … 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”
  • Offer gentle cues on pace (“Nice and slow!”) and posture (“Relax your shoulders.”).
  1. Independent Practice (3 minutes)
  • Ask the student to close their eyes and guide themselves through two more buddy breaths on their own.
  • Observe and provide quiet encouragement if their pace speeds up or posture changes.
  1. Reflection & Next Steps (1 minute)
  • Ask: “How did that feel? Did you notice your belly moving the buddy?”


  • Encourage: “You can use this Breathing Buddy anytime you feel worried or distracted.”

Student Work Space:

How calm do you feel right now? (1=not calm, 5=very calm)

Before: _____ After: _____





Which part felt most helpful? _______________________________________





When will you try this again? ________________________________________

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Warm Up

Five-Count Breathe Warm-Up

Objective: Engage the student in a quick, 1-minute breathing routine to center attention and reduce immediate stress.



Materials: None (hands free)

Steps (1 minute)

  1. Settle In (10 seconds)
    • Invite the student to sit upright with feet flat and shoulders relaxed.
  2. Inhale (5 seconds)
    • Breathe in quietly through the nose for a count of 1-2-3-4-5.
  3. Hold (2 seconds)
    • Gently hold the breath for 1-2.
  4. Exhale (5 seconds)
    • Release air slowly through the mouth for 1-2-3-4-5.
  5. Repeat (40 seconds)
    • Complete three full cycles, guiding counts out loud on the first two and then allowing the student to lead the final one.

Reflection (5 seconds)

  • Ask: “How do you feel now—calm, focused, or something else?”





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