Month: December 2024

Activities to celebrate the last year and bring in the New Year.

Activities to celebrate the last year and bring in the New Year.

It is an exciting time of year when we have the opportunity to ponder the last year and think about all the wonderful things we want to achieve this year.

Here are some ideas and activities you might like to try with all the family or class.&nbsp;<br />

1. New Year Hopes and Dreams

Ask everyone to write down all their hopes and dreams and wishes for 2014. &nbsp;You might like to put them away with the Xmas decorations and bring them out and read them next Christmas Eve or New Years Eve. If you are in school, you could hand them to the next form teacher to read out to the children at the end of the Winter term.

2. Make a Dream board.

Vision boards are made by sticking pictures and words on a paper or cardboard. Each word or picture represents that person’s goals for that year. Get everyone a big piece of paper or card and ask them to make a vision board or picture for 2025. They can cut out pictures and words from magazines and newspapers. &nbsp;Encourage children to add things that don’t require money such as love, friendship, happiness. &nbsp;You could make a vision board for the whole class or family.

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3. Happy Parcel

Make some cards with some questions written on each one. Here are some suggestions.

What was your proudest moment in 2024

What was your happiness moment in 2024

What was your greatest achievement in 2024

Who helped you the most in 2024

What is your greatest memory from 2024

Wrap up a pass the parcel and put the cards in between each layer.

4. Quiet Reflections

Spend a few moments together reflecting on the last year and having some fantastic positive thoughts and dreams for the new year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

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What children REALLY want!

Have you ever given a child a toy and noticed that they are more interested in playing with the box than the colourful gadget?

In credit crunch times, it seems that we are all stepping back to basics and the best selling toys this year are set to be the same ones that adults used to enjoy in the 70s and 80s.

Classic toys like Monopoly, Meccano and Lego expected to be best sellers as they are creative, social and good for learning.

It is great that we are moving away from heavy commercialised gadgets and moving toward interaction, creativity and family fun.

I doubt that the Relax Kids relaxation MP3’s will ever hit Xmas no 1, but if you are looking for some good old fashioned quality family time where you are all in the same room and focussed on the same thing (ie not individuals on playstations, mobiles and ipads), the Relax Kids albums might just be the thing for you this Christmas.

My personal recommendation for quality family relaxation is Quiet Spaces!

Here’s to peaceful Christmas preparations and a restful, creative Christmas full of family fun and interaction

In today’s world, children are increasingly showing signs of suffering from stress. School, falling out with friends, arguments between parents, homework and being bullied all contribute. Christmas can be particularly stressful.

Stress can affect sleep, make a child irritable, weepy, anxious and emotional, as well as cause headaches and muscle aches.

Consider introducing simple relaxation exercises¬†into their routine. It’s great way to spend quality time together, and you’ll be sowing seeds for the future: your child will learn how alleviate their own stress symptoms. Try not to over-extend your child with activities, allow time for daydreaming and doodling.

Consider limiting TV and video games, which can stimulate rather than relax. Plan at least one healthy meal a day, so that children don’t miss out on vital nutrients, while still enjoying Christmas treats. Try to stick to family routines, where children can’t spend quality time decorating the tree, baking cakes or writing cards. This helps them feel safe and secure. Often when routines are broken, stress results. Check your own stress levels and plan ahead, so you don’t run around doing everything last minute. Laughter is a great way to beat stress, so find some joke books and play games that encourage plenty of family laughter.

Here’s a relaxation exercise for the whole family:

Beautiful Balloon – Close your eyes, be very still and imagine that you are holding a big balloon. It is very light. It feels very smooth. The balloon is in your favourite colour. Now hold the bottom of your balloon, and feel the balloon gently rising into the sky. Each time you breathe in and out, you gently glide further and further into the warm summer sky. The deeper your breath is, the further you can travel. Enjoy this feeling of weightlessness.

Enjoy the feeling of being completely free. Your body feels weightless and free and your mind feels totally free. Repeat to yourself quietly, “I am light, I am light.”

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1. Christmas Cards – Make a list of people you would like to send a Christmas card to. Don’t feel obliged to send cards to people who you feel you have to send to. This year, I made a list of all the people who are close and make me smile and I made each one a handmade card. You might like to save money and stress, by getting your children to make all your Christmas cards this year.

2. Shopping – Plan your shopping trips and make plenty of lists and go shopping before it gets too busy. Try to make shopping a pleasure instead of a chore and give yourself little treats on the way. Have an express manicure, coffee break or stop and listen to the Christmas buskers! Don’t forget to listen to some relaxation music to help keep you calm and refreshed before and after shopping.

3. On-line shopping – This is definitely the way forward! It is easy and quite stress free. It does lack the buzz and atmosphere though, so try to find the time to nip into town to get an injection of Christmassy spirit.

4. A perfect Christmas – There really is no such thing as a perfect Christmas and so many people stress unnecessarily by trying to create a Christmas that competes with Good Housekeeping magazine. Just Relax and do your best. Your family would much prefer you to be happy and relaxed than stressed and uptight trying to do everything perfectly.

5. Emergency Presents – Wrap up a few extra boxes of chocolates etc for any unexpected visitors. This will save any last minute panics! 6 Family Fun – Try to involve the children as much as possible and set aside times where they can help make gift tags or help cook gingerbread men. Although this may seem more stressful than getting on with it yourself, it will bring the real spirit of Christmas to your home.

7. Relaxation – Make sure you take time out to de-stress. Quiet reflection, meditation or going to church or your place of prayer, will give you vital chill time. You might like to try one of our fabulous MP3’s!

8. Charity – Try to spend a few moments in thought, prayer or action for those you are less fortunate than yourself. For many people, Christmas is a fun family time, for others it is the loneliest time of the year. Doing something for others is a sure fast way to make you feel valued and content.

9. Take a break if it is all getting too much on Christmas day and go for a walk as you take time out for some quiet reflection.

10 Relaxing Kids at Christmas – The seasonal build up can be so exciting for children and make them hyper and over exhausted. Make sure the children get plenty of relaxing time during the run up to Christmas.

Please pass it on and tell all your friends

If you have found this blog helpful please pass it on to your friends, colleagues, schools and nurseries and help us help more families and schools. Download your FREE Wellbeing Pack

We’ve had another packed year filled with Relax Kids classes for children of all ages. Our team of incredible coaches have worked so hard to provide a first class service in a variety of settings to help children manage their anxiety and feel more confident and happy. It is such a joy to see the happy faces of all the children in our classes. Looking forward to supporting more children in 2025.

If you would like to make a difference to the children in your community find out more about becoming a Relax Kids coach here.

When everyone gets together!

Christmas can be so much fun as it is the one time where everyone gets together. Children love party games, so you might like to make your Christmas day into a real party. Instead of turning on the TV this Christmas, keep the festive spirit with some fun family games that will keep everyone laughing and releasing those all important endorphins.

Christmas Pass the Parcel – Wrap a small gift with lots of wrappers and have a sweet or forfeit in between each layer. You could have forfeits such as: Give grandma a big hug and a kiss. Say the alphabet backwards.¬† Talk about Christmas for 30 seconds. Sing a Christmas song. Name Santa’s 8 reindeers. Hop around the circle. Bark like a dog to the tune of Jingle Bells. Hum/ la/ sing ‚ding dong merrily on high‚ as fast as you can‚ Be inventive!!

Pin the Carrot on the Snowman – Draw a big picture of a snowman and get everyone in turn to put the carrot nose on the snowman. Don’t forget that they have to be blindfolded.

Christmas A-Z – One person starts the game saying a Christmassy word beginning with the letter A, and the next person B and the next person C and so on until someone can’t think of anything. i.e. Advent, Baubles, Christmas cake etc

Guess who I am? – Under everyone’s plate, place cards with the name of a famous person or Christmas character written on it. The person sitting to the side of that person will stick the card with tape to that person‚Äôs forehead making sure they don’t see the name. Everyone else but the person who is wearing the card can see the name. Everyone asks each other questions to see if they can guess who they are. ..

Hum a Tune – Give everyone sitting round the Christmas dinner table a Christmas Carol or song. They then have to hum the tune to that song/carol for others to guess. This game is always lots of fun.

Christmas Stories – One person starts the game off by making up a story about Christmas and stop after two or three sentences. The person sitting next to them has to continue the story and so on.

Christmas I Spy – Everyone loves I spy! Why not play Christmas I Spy and list things related to Christmas.

The Big Wrap – Wrap up a present with lots of wrappers and make it as hard as possible to unwrap. Each person rolls the dice. When a person gets a 6, they put on gloves and try and unwrap the present until someone else gets a 6 and takes the gloves and starts to unwrap the present. The person who unwraps the final layer wins the present.

Why not try our Relax Kids Magical Christmas pack with lots of printout activities and Christmas MP3’s for a relaxing family Xmas.

Please pass it on and tell all your friends

If you have found this blog helpful please pass it on to your friends, colleagues, schools and nurseries and help us help more families and schools.

What do you love about Christmas?

What are your favourite Xmas activities? Here are some of ours.

1. Making homemade presents

2. Giving homemade presents

3 . Smelling vanilla and cinnamon candles

4. Watching the lights on the tree twinkle

5. LIstening to Christmas carols on the radio

6. Making Christmas cards

7. Opening stockings in bed

8. Roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings

9. Sitting by the fire wearing snuggly PJs.

10. Relaxing and dreaming of a white christmas

What are your favourite Christmas things?

Why not snuggle up with our Silent Nights MP3 for a cosy Christmas!

Christmas is great fun but for many it can be a stressful time with shopping, parties, concerts and festive preparations!

Christmas is great fun but for many it can be a stressful time with shopping, parties, concerts and festive preparations. All the preparations can play havoc on our energy levels, digestion and immune system.

Here are some top tips for keeping the family healthy this Christmas.

1. Rich foods can play havoc with the digestion system, which in turn can weaken the immune system. Make sure the family are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need with fresh fruit, porridge for breakfast and warming soups.

2 . Make sure you drink plenty of water.  Hot water with some lemon juice is great to get the digestion going in the morning.

3. Try to exercise for 10 or 15 mins a day. Wrap up warm and take the family out for an invigorating walk around the block.

4. Spend a few minutes resting and relaxing together. Cosy up warm with blankets and hot water bottles, close your eyes and enjoy listening to some relaxing Christmas music. Try some Relax Kids exercises or listen to our MP3’s.

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Learning to slow down, hibernate and nourish your family’s soul

As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, nature whispers a gentle invitation to slow down, rest, and recharge. 

I love winter as give us a good reminder to stop, take a break when we can, rest more, eat more and relax. I heard recently that if we don’t rest during the wintertime, we don’t have the full energy we need to spring into action in spring.

As we move toward winter, it is great to talk the chance to embrace hibernation, find warmth in togetherness, and nurture both body and mind. For families, this is a precious opportunity to deepen connections and create cosy, memorable moments.

🌙 The Beauty of Winter Hibernation

Nature shows us the power of rest. Just like animals hibernate and trees stand bare, we, too, benefit from pausing. Winter reminds us to embrace quiet, simple joys and savor the stillness. Slowing down helps children (and adults!) recharge emotionally and physically. Get some blanket and cushions, make a hibernating den and roll children up like blanket burritos and take some deep rest.

🔥 Hygge at Home

Hygge—the Danish concept of cosiness—teaches us to find warmth in life’s simple pleasures. Create a cosy hygge atmosphere with candles and soft lights, get out some warming aromatherapy candles or oils and read, daydream or doodlennnnnn.

Soft Spaces: Pile up blankets, pillows, and warm throws. Create a cozy nook for reading or daydreaming. Make hot chocolate or herbal tea and share what you’re grateful for while sipping.

Winter Rituals

 Embrace the magic of the season, nourish your spirits, and create memories that will last a lifetime with some lovely winter rituals. Reading evenings, movie nights in and home spas can help you all come together and enjoy the long dark nights.

🎨 Creative and Calm

Get crafting with some winter crafts such as snowflake making, painting winter scenes, vision boards or make nature art with found objects from your family winter walks.

Winter Crafts: Make snowflakes, paint winter scenes, or create a family vision board for the new year.

Journaling: Encourage kids to write or draw about their feelings and winter dreams.

Nature Art: Collect pinecones or twigs and make simple crafts. Nature has a calming influence.

🍵 Comfort Foods

There is nothing better than warm comfort foods to get you through the winter nights. Winter foods don’t have to be expensive at all – think warming spicy soups, homemade bread or potluck dinners where the family russle up culnery delights with whatever is in the fridge.

So this winter, make it a commitment to slow down and lean into the stillness, embrace the cosiness inside and feel a sense of deep connection.

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When we think about helping children relax, we use techniques such as deep breathing, relaxing massage, soft music, or a cosy bedtime story. In this blog post, we wanted to share some more unexpected methods that can be surprisingly effective! 

Hope you enjoy these unusual and creative ways to help children unwind. Which ones will you try?

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Laughter Yoga

It might sound crazy, but laughter is a powerful stress reliever. Encourage your child to laugh out loud. No comedy, no jokes, just a fake laugh that continues until it becomes real. Start with a giggle and let it grow. Laughter is so good for releasing tension, boosting their mood and toning the vagus nerve which helps relaxation. Soon they’re releasing tension and boosting their mood.  

Finger Labyrinth

A labyrinth is like a maze with one path to the center and back out again. Print or draw a finger labyrinth and let your child trace the path slowly with their finger. This help focus their mind.

Ice Cube Play  

Give your child an ice cube to hold it in their hands. Let them focus on the cold sensation. This helps shift their attention away from worries and is a lovely technique that can help manage anxiety or strong emotions.  

Animal Walks

This is a great one for the younger children – get them to move like different animals – slither like a snake, hop like a frog, or waddle like a penguin. These playful movements release energy and tension in their body.

Looking for more exercises to help children manage their anxiety and emotions?

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