Mindful Me  -  Virtual Program via ZOOM for Youth ages 5 – 8

Time: 10 AM to 11 AM

Dates:  July 16, 23, 30, Aug 6, 13, 20, 27

In this ZOOM series, 4H Youth Development Educator Susan Sloop will begin each lesson by reading aloud a story to introduce various concepts of mindfulness.  Attend all of one lesson!  After reading the story we will do an activity together, virtually of course! Once you register you will receive an email a week prior to the lesson with a list of materials that are needed for the hands-on activity. This series will cover the following:

• Lesson 1: Mindful eating is all about getting to know your food better!  By practicing mindful eating we slow down our food consumption, notice what we are eating more and how it makes us feel.   As we read “No Ordinary Apple” we will have an opportunity to practice mindful eating.
• Lesson 2: Practicing mindfulness includes how we choose to interact with others.  It is important to understand that how we choose to treat people impacts us too!  In this session, we will read “Have You Filled a Bucket Today” and create cards to learn about how affirmations can help “fill” others and make them feel good about themselves.
• Lesson 3: Being in the present means not thinking about the past or the future but just focusing on this very moment.  We will read  “What Does it Mean to be Present” and then practice being in the moment by using our observation skills!
• Lesson 4: Feelings come and go and it is helpful to be able to recognize and describe them.  In this session, we will read “Visiting Feelings” and will learn that being able to name and describe how we feel can help us feel comfortable with our feelings.
• Lesson 5: Have you ever had a visiting feeling that just will not go away?  Sometimes it is a challenge, but we can do things to help us manage our moods and feel better!  We will read “Moody Cow Meditates” and develop a tool to help us calm down and focus when we are feeling down.
• Lesson 6: We live in a loud world!  Making time to be quiet is one way to be mindful of our surroundings and thoughts.  In this session, we will read “Charlotte and the Quiet Place” and discover what our own quiet place might look like.   
• Lesson 7: Yoga is a great way to practice mindfulness because it engages our bodies and minds.  As we read “I am Yoga” we will move through some yoga poses together and pick our favorite ones!