Teaching PreK Students to Manage Stress with Deep Breathing Techniques
Introduction
In today’s fast-paced world, even young children can experience stress and anxiety. As educators, we can help them develop healthy coping strategies to manage these emotions. One such technique is deep breathing, which can be easily incorporated into the classroom. This blog post will discuss an easy no-prep activity for teaching PreK students how to use deep breathing to manage stress and anxiety. We will also provide discussion questions and related skills to further enhance social-emotional learning.
No-Prep Activity: Deep Breathing Circle
This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. Simply gather your students in a circle and follow these steps:
- Explain to students that when we feel upset or overwhelmed, taking deep breaths can help us feel calmer and more in control.
- Model the deep breathing technique for your students by taking a deep breath in while counting to five, and then exhaling slowly while counting down from five.
- Invite students to practice the deep breathing technique together. Repeat the process a few times, encouraging students to focus on their breath and counting.
- After practicing, ask students how they feel and if they think deep breathing could help them when they are feeling upset or stressed.
Discussion Questions
- How did you feel before and after practicing deep breathing? Did you notice any changes in your emotions or physical sensations?
- When might you use deep breathing to help you manage your emotions? Can you think of any situations where this technique could be helpful?
- What are some other strategies we can use to help us feel calmer and more in control when we are feeling upset or overwhelmed?
- How can we support our friends or classmates when they are feeling stressed or anxious?
- Why is it important to learn healthy ways to manage our emotions?
Related Skills
Teaching deep breathing techniques to PreK students is just one way to promote social-emotional learning. Other related skills that can be incorporated into classroom activities include:
- Recognizing and labeling emotions
- Practicing mindfulness and meditation
- Developing self-awareness and self-regulation
- Building resilience and coping skills
- Encouraging empathy and understanding of others’ emotions
Next Steps
If you found this deep breathing activity helpful and would like to access more resources to support social-emotional learning in your PreK classroom, sign up for free samples at Everyday Speech. These samples include activities, videos, and other materials designed to help educators teach valuable social-emotional skills to their students.
