Thursday, October 03, 2019

Traffic Light Mindfulness Exercise {Free Printable Poster Included!}

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Looking for mindfulness exercises for kids? Well, you'll want to try this traffic light mindfulness exercise and grab a copy of the free mindfulness printable poster.

We went through a traffic light phase with my oldest son that lasted for years. He absolutely adored traffic lights. Drew them, pointed them out, counted them...probably dreamt about them too, I don't know.

But every so often his love for traffic lights return and I'll find him drawing intersections and traffic lights everywhere.

So this traffic light mindfulness exercise for kids obviously appeals to him too. It's a simple strategy that he can use to regulate his body that just happens to let him further embrace his interests. Win, win, right?

Mindfulness exercises for kids - traffic light technique

How to Do this Traffic Light Mindfulness Exercise

This mindfulness strategy is similar to the STOP mindfulness exercise, just with different traffic related imagery. It's a quick and easy mindfulness strategy that will certainly appeal to kids who love traffic lights, like my son did for the loooooongest time.

Red = Stop

Much like you would do at a real traffic light, you need to stop. Pause and notice your body's sensations, what you're thinking, what you're feeling, and even what you're doing. Just pause and feel the emotion. Try to identify the emotion you are feeling and name it, either out loud or in your head.

Yellow/Amber = Take Care & Calm Down

This step is all about acknowledging whatever it is you're feeling and then helping your body slow down by using coping strategies that you find helpful. You can take a few slow deep breaths and then use your logic to remind yourself of what you can and cannot control. You can also try saying positive affirmations, if you find that helpful.

Green = Go

Finally, it's time to let those feelings go. Whether it's for good or until it's worry time, that's up to you to decide. But this step is all about focusing on the present moment and choosing how to react. It's about deciding what to do next.

Learn the traffic light mindfulness technique with this free printable mindfulness poster

Download the Free Printable Traffic Light Mindfulness Poster

This one page printable features a traffic light with the words stop, take care, and go, as well as specific strategies to try for each of those "lights."

I highly recommend laminating for durability and hanging it up in your child's calm down corner or placing it in a calm down kit.

To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

A simple traffic light mindfulness exercise for kids with free printable PDF poster