Fall Mindfulness: A Guide for Parents

As the seasons change, the natural shifts taking place in the local flora, fauna, and weather patterns provide an excellent opportunity to practice mindfulness with your child. Colorful foliage, crisp winds and evening frosts, birds migrating and squirrels gathering nuts all provide occasions for mindful observation and conversations about change and transitions with your child. In this blog post, we offer suggestions for mindful family activities well-suited to fall.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of keeping one’s attention on the moment at hand or being present, while letting go of judgement and increasing curiosity. Mindfulness can be cultivated through intentional exercises or by simply observing one’s surroundings carefully or engaging with full attention in a valued activity. Mindfulness can help children and youth develop emotion regulation skills, cope with stress, and practice sustaining attention. Current evidence suggests mindfulness may be effective in improving the well-being and health of children and youth.1

Fall Mindfulness Activities

Fall-themed mindfulness activities can help you and your children connect with the season and cultivate a sense of presence. Below is a list of fall-themed mindfulness activities:

Foliage and Leaf-based activities: Colorful foliage presents an excellent opportunity for mindfulness practice. For those in climates where the leaves don’t change color, children can still observe and collect differently shaped green leaves or engage with the interesting textures on coniferous trees. Activities include:

• Leaf Peeping/Watching – travel to a nearby park or forest to take in the colorful foliage. Go for a walk or hike and take in the view.

• Leaf Observation – encourage your child to observe the different shapes, colors, and textures of living and fallen leaves.

• Leaf Collecting and Art – go for a walk to collect fallen leaves. Use the leaves for an art activity, such as leaf tracing or arranging the leaves in a beautiful pattern.

Pumpkin Carving: Depending on their age, involve your child in carving or drawing/painting on a pumpkin. They can also help clean off the seeds to bake into a tasty snack. Encourage your child to observe the different textures of the pumpkin guts, seeds, and rind.

• Bonus activity - dry a few seeds to plant next season for some mindful gardening.

Color Walk or Scavenger Hunt: Go for a walk with the goal of finding leaves and flowers in each color of the rainbow or create a list of fall items for your child to find, such as pinecones, acorns, or leaves of a certain color.

Apple Tasting: Collect a variety of apples and have your child try a slice or two of each kind to find their favorite type. Encourage your child to eat mindfully by asking them how each apple looks, smells, and tastes. Have them observe the texture and crunch when they chew.

Outdoor yoga: Do some stretches or follow along to a YouTube yoga video outside. Have your child observe how the cool breeze feels on their skin and take in any sounds, such as rustling leaves or chirping birds.

Mindful Cooking: Involve your child in cooking fall-themed recipes with seasonal ingredients, such as squash soup or pasta, caramel apples, or pumpkin pie. Encourage your child to notice the scents, textures, and tastes of the ingredients.

How Can a Clinician Help?

Mindfulness can also be used to help your child cope with various symptoms and conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, depression, stress, and chronic pain or illness. A clinician can work with you and/or your child on ways to incorporate mindfulness practices into daily routines, help your child cultivate mindfulness skills, and provide targeted recommendations of mindfulness exercises to address your child’s specific needs and symptoms.

Source:

1. Semple, R. J., & Burke, C. (2019). State of the Research: Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Children and Adolescents. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 04(01), 001. https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.1901001