Breathing Exercises for Kids: 10 Fun Ways to Breathe Slowly

"Take a deep breath" is good advice, but to a four-year-old it can sound like one more instruction. Breathing exercises go down much better as a game: something to blow, trace, hum or watch. Here are ten playful ways to take a slow breath, and most of them need nothing more than your hands.

Why teach kids breathing exercises?

A slow breath is one of the few calming tools a child can take anywhere: the dentist's chair, the school gate, the back seat of the car. There's nothing to pack, and nobody else needs to notice.

Breathing won't make a big feeling vanish, and it isn't meant to. It gives your child a pause and something to do with their body while the feeling settles. With practice, some children start to reach for it on their own.

How do you teach a child to breathe slowly?

• Practise when calm. Try a breathing game at bath time or before a story, not only when things are already hard.
• Make the out-breath the star. Blowing is easier for young children than breathing in on purpose. Candles, bubbles and pinwheels all put the focus on a long, gentle blow.
• Keep it short. Three or four breaths is plenty. Some children get dizzy with more, so stop and breathe normally if they feel funny.
• Breathe together. Get down to their level and do it with them. You might find it helps you too.
• Give them something to follow. Tracing, blowing or watching something move is much easier than "breathe in for four".

10 fun breathing exercises for kids

1. Smell the flower, blow out the candle

Breatho's card, Big slow breath, says "Smell the flower, blow out the candle." Hold up one hand as the flower and one finger as the candle. Sniff the flower slowly, then blow so the candle flickers rather than going out in one puff. It suits children from about three.

2. Bubble breaths

Bubblo's move is "Blow slow bubbles, big and round." Real bubble mixture is perfect for this, because a fast puff pops the bubble and a slow blow makes a big one. In the bath, blowing bubbles through a straw works too. Bubblo is one of the Calmlings that tames Splashgrump, the bath and hair wash Wobble, so bath time is a natural place to start.

3. Hum a tune

Hummingbee's move is "Hum a favourite song nice and low." Humming is a sneaky breathing exercise, because a long hum needs a long, steady out-breath. Hum a nursery rhyme as slowly as you can and see who runs out of breath first.

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4. Rainbow breathing

Prismpuff's card, Rainbow breath, says "Breathe in each colour of the rainbow." Name one colour on each breath in: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. On each breath out, think of something that colour, like a red strawberry or a blue sky. It takes longer than you'd think, which makes it a good one for car trips.

5. Finger breathing

Tracetail's move is "Trace your fingers, breathe in and out." Spread one hand out like a starfish. With a finger from the other hand, trace up the side of the thumb as you breathe in, then down the other side as you breathe out. Carry on until you've traced all five fingers. You might have heard it called five-finger breathing. Tracetail helps tame Stethosquirm, the doctor Wobble, so it's a handy one for waiting rooms.

6. Star breathing

Starfishy's move is "Trace a star as you breathe slowly." Draw a big five-pointed star on paper, or in the air with a finger. Breathe in as you trace up to a point and out as you trace down, until you're back where you started. Starfishy helps tame Thunderthump, the thunderstorm Wobble, so it's worth practising before storm season.

7. Pinwheel breath

Whirlywind's move is "Blow a pinwheel round and round." A paper pinwheel shows your child exactly what a slow breath does. A gentle, steady blow keeps it turning, while a big puff spins it fast and then it stops. See how long you can keep it going. No pinwheel? A feather or a scrap of tissue on the table works too.

CalmlingsPrismpuffUnlock every cardUnlockCalmlingsTracetailUnlock every cardUnlockCalmlingsStarfishyUnlock every cardUnlockCalmlingsWhirlywindUnlock every cardUnlock

8. Teddy ride

No card needed for this one. Have your child lie on their back with a soft toy on their tummy. Ask them to breathe slowly so teddy rides gently up and down, like a little boat on small waves. It's a lovely way to show young children where a slow breath goes.

9. Moon breathing

Moonmoth is one of our Moonlight bedtime cards, and its move is "Breathe slowly, like the moon rising." Raise your arms slowly above your head as you breathe in, like the moon climbing the sky, then lower them as you breathe out. It's small and quiet enough to do sitting up in bed. Moonmoth's card pairs it with two night-time moments: Frightflit (bad dreams) and Blinkabout (waking at night).

Moonlight✦✦MoonmothUnlock every cardUnlockMoonlight✦✦FrightflitUnlock every cardUnlockMoonlight✦✦BlinkaboutUnlock every cardUnlock

10. Breathe along with Breatho

Some children find it easier to follow something they can watch. Our free Breathe with Breatho page is an interactive breathing page you can open on a phone or tablet and breathe along with together. It's handy in a waiting room or at the end of a long day.

What is the best breathing exercise for bedtime?

At night, slow and quiet is the goal. Moon breathing, the teddy ride and a soft hum all suit bedtime, because they're gentle and can be done lying down. Save the pinwheel for daytime unless you're after giggles. A steady bedtime routine is worth setting up too, and the Bedtime Bundle has a routine workbook and 20 bedtime task cards if you'd like some help with that.

What if my child won't do breathing exercises?

That's really common, so don't worry. A few things to try:

• Do it yourself, out loud. "I'm feeling cross, so I'm going to blow out my candle." Children watch far more than they listen.
• Give a choice. "Candle or bubbles?" feels less like an order.
• Move first. In a big moment, stomping or shaking it out can come before any breathing. Try the slow breath once your child's body has had a chance to settle.
• Try again later. If it doesn't take today, come back to it on a calm afternoon. Playful practice is what makes it familiar.

For younger children, our post on a calm-down corner for 3-year-olds has ideas for a cosy spot to practise in. And if fears or worries are big or seem to hang around for a long time, it's worth a chat with your GP or child's doctor.

Breathing cards for the fridge

Every card-based breathing exercise above is a Calmlings card you can print at home. Breatho, Bubblo and Hummingbee are in the Calmlings Starter Set (US$5). For rainbow, finger, star, pinwheel and moon breathing as well, the Calmlings Complete Collection (US$29.99) has every card, 1000 in all. Stick a few by the front door or in the car, so a slow breath is always close at hand. You can see every card in the Calmlings gallery.