Mindfulness Game for Children: Take Notice Using Your Senses

A fun way to help children slow down, notice what is around them and practise using their senses.

This mindfulness game for children encourages pupils to focus their attention on the present moment by noticing what they can see, hear and smell around them.

The game is played using a counter and a dice. As children move around the board, they land on different sense spaces and are asked to identify something they can see, hear or smell. Other players then join in by saying whether they can notice the same thing.

This makes mindfulness feel active, playful and accessible, rather than something children simply have to sit still and do. It encourages them to pause, look around and pay attention to their surroundings.

The game can be used with an individual pupil, a small group or as a classroom activity. It is also flexible enough to use with a wide range of ages, from younger children through to teenagers.

Playing the game can help pupils to:

• practise paying attention to the present moment
• become more aware of their surroundings
• focus on their senses
• develop their ability to notice small details
• explore simple mindfulness techniques
• take a break from busy thoughts and focus their attention
• develop vocabulary linked to their senses and environment.

It can also provide a useful starting point for talking about mindfulness and being present. After playing, you could ask pupils which sense they found easiest to use, what they noticed that they had not noticed before, and how it felt to deliberately focus their attention on what was around them.

A fun, interactive way to introduce children to mindfulness through their senses, without making it feel like a formal mindfulness exercise.

Download: Take Notice Game