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Peaceful Little Minds

Lesson Plan

Peaceful Little Minds Lesson Plan

Introduce Pre-K students to mindful awareness and a simple breathing strategy. By lesson's end, students will recognize their breath and practice the starfish breathing technique to help calm themselves.

Young children benefit from early self-regulation tools. This quick, interactive lesson gives Pre-Kers an easy, physical way to notice stress and use breathing to feel calm and focused.

Audience

Pre-K Students

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Demonstration, guided practice, and reflection.

Materials

Mindful Breathing Visual Cue, Starfish Breathing Hand Poster, and Comfortable Floor Spots

Prep

Gather Materials and Setup

5 minutes

Step 1

Welcome Circle

2 minutes

  • Invite students to sit on their floor spots in a circle
  • Greet everyone and explain, “Today we’re learning a special way to feel calm.”
  • Use a calm, gentle voice and model settled posture

Step 2

Mindful Awareness Introduction

3 minutes

  • Show the Mindful Breathing Visual Cue
  • Explain: “Mindful awareness means paying attention right now. We can notice our breath.”
  • Ask children to place hands gently on their bellies and feel the rise and fall as they breathe quietly

Step 3

Teach Starfish Breathing Technique

4 minutes

  • Display the Starfish Breathing Hand Poster
  • Model: place one hand flat like the starfish, trace fingers with the other hand
  • Inhale slowly as you trace up a starfish arm; exhale as you trace down
  • Demonstrate the full tracing once, counting softly “1–2–3–4” for in and out breaths

Step 4

Guided Practice

4 minutes

  • Give each child an imaginary starfish hand in front of them
  • Lead the group: “Trace up with your finger, breathe in… Trace down, breathe out.”
  • Repeat the starfish tracing and breathing cycle 3 times together, using soft counting

Step 5

Closing Reflection

2 minutes

  • Ask: “How do you feel after our breathing?” Invite 1–2 students to share
  • Praise their listening and calm bodies
  • Remind: “You can use starfish breathing anytime you feel upset or wiggly.”
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Slide Deck

Peaceful Little Minds

Welcome! Today we’ll learn a way to feel calm.

Invite students to sit on their floor spots in a circle. Use a calm, gentle voice and model a settled posture. Greet each child by name briefly.
Script: “Hello friends! Today we’re going to learn a special way to feel calm and happy.”

Notice Your Breath

  1. Place hands on your belly.
  2. Feel it rise and fall as you breathe.

Show the Mindful Breathing Visual Cue poster to the class.
Script: “Mindful breathing means paying attention to our breath right now. Let’s feel our belly go up and down.”

Starfish Breathing

• Trace a starfish arm up – breathe in
• Trace down – breathe out

Display the Starfish Breathing Hand Poster.
Demonstrate tracing each finger slowly, inhaling on the way up and exhaling on the way down.
Script: “We will trace the starfish with one hand and breathe with the other.”

Let’s Practice

  1. Trace up – breathe in (1-2-3-4)
  2. Trace down – breathe out (1-2-3-4)
    Repeat 3 times

Lead the class through three rounds of starfish breathing. Count softly “1-2-3-4” on each inhale and exhale.
Use a calm, rhythmic pace.

How Do You Feel?

Share one word about how you feel.

Ask 1–2 children to share how they feel. Praise all answers and remind them they can use this breathing anytime.
Script: “Great listening! How do you feel after our breathing?”

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