Helena Weedon, co-ordinator from the Northants Study Centres’ projects team is a qualified and experienced ‘Relaxed Kids’ practitioner. She has been introducing some of the activities into PfS projects such as ‘PfS on the Road’. Children have reacted very positively and enjoyed the activities.
As PfS is all about learning in different ways, ‘Relax Kids’ fits the bill by promoting a relaxed atmosphere and aiding concentration levels. Helena has been delivering activities in between longer PfS sessions which are proving beneficial and provide well earned ‘brain breaks’ for both staff and students. When children return to their literacy and numeracy lessons, they are well refreshed and ‘up for’ PfS challenges.
To see Helena in action, visit the PfS on the Road pages
General overview
Relax kids: where kids believe and parents and teachers can breathe.
It’s a way of helping kids learn what no one ever teaches them, which is how to be peaceful wherever and whenever they want, how to concentrate their mind, how to use their imagination in a focussed and positive way and how to push the pause button and consider options before action.
Aids concentration and imagination, reduces hyperactivity, muscle/body relaxation, teaches breathing techniques, helps lack of confidence and self esteem, tackles anger and temper issues.
It’s essential for a child to know how to relax their mind and body, but it doesn’t help when they go home to a stressed parent always rushing and always worrying. That’s why Relax Kids is for both parent and child. One of the most frequent kinds of feedback received is when people use any of the visualisations, stories or exercises. The parents say, ‘I enjoyed doing that exercise for my child so much. I felt so relaxed, so peaceful within myself.’
Benefits of relaxation for children
Regular relaxation is vital for children, no matter how old they are. Setting some time each day for relaxation can bring a host of benefits for a child’s body, mind and spirit.
Benefits for the body
1 helps release endorphins, a natural chemical that makes you feel happy
2 helps relax muscles and calm the nervous system
3 helps boost the immune system
4 helps promote general good health
5 helps children sleep
Benefits for the mind
6 helps calm and clear your child’s mind
7 sharpens concentration
8 helps promote positive thinking
9 helps memory retention
10 decreases mental tension
11 reduces stress and anxiety in children
Benefits for emotional wellbeing
12 helps develop children’s self- confidence
13 helps develop children’s self- esteem
14 improves emotional health and literacy
15 helps develop children’s imagination creativity and self-expression
Using Relax kids in school.
You can fit Relax Kids into anytime of the school day
Class time
Allow children to sit at their desk with their head in their hands and play 1 x 3min track
Assembly
Children can sit cross legged and listen quietly to a 3 min meditation that fits in with the assembly theme
After break-time and Lunch-time
Children can lie down for 3-4 minutes after lunch to help prepare the for the afternoon session
Chill-Out Club
You may like to set up a Chill Out Club during lunch times
Play a couple of tracks and ask children what they experienced
Children could draw what they saw in their imagination
Before Going Home
Prepare children for going home, by letting them relax to a track for 3 mins
To find out more about the “Relax Kids” programme, visit their website: http://www.relaxkids.com/
Example activities can be downloaded here. (Taken from the website above)
