Today we’re going to practice a mindfulness activity that uses all of our senses. Your job is to see what you can notice with your senses as you are instructed by your teacher to move from one to another. Try to be patient and share only when asked to by your teacher.

We will begin by finding a comfortable seat, with the tippy top of your head reaching up to the ceiling. Once your spine is long and tall, place your hands on your knees with your palms facing up to the sky.

We will start with our eyes open. Let your eyes wander around the room, keeping your head as it is. In your mind, think of five things that you see in the room around you, without turning your head or moving your body. Keep these thoughts inside your head until your teacher asks you to share.

Teachers: may ask a handful of kids to recall one thing they saw in the room

Next, we will close the eyes. Now it is time for the other four senses that don’t use our eyes. Begin to bring your attention to your ears. Notice any sounds inside or outside of the room. If you can, try to name four sounds that you hear.

Teachers: may ask a handful of kids to recall one thing they heard in the room

The third sense we will pay attention to is touch. Notice the placement of your hands on your knees. Do your hands feel heavy or light? What does the material of your pants (or legs if you’re wearing shorts) feel like on your hands? Can you think of three things that your body can feel?

Teachers: may ask a handful of kids to recall one thing they felt

After touch, we will move on to smell. Are there any smells that you notice in the room right now? Try to come up with two smells that are in the room. If you can’t think of two, pick one real smell and one smell you wish was in the room.

Teachers: may ask a handful of kids to recall one smell they experienced

The last sense is taste. This one is tricky because you may not have eaten anything recently. For our exercise with taste, try to think of the last thing you tasted today. See if you can think of it so well, that you can almost taste it here in class.

Teachers: may ask a handful of kids to recall one taste they experienced

Students: This is a great practice to use when you want to notice the way that your body is connecting to the world around you.

Teachers: This is a great way to get kids into the body, and begin to turn their focus internally. You can ask students to write down the things they experienced with their senses, or make it a drawing activity.