Top Resources for SEL at Home
As time spent learning at home continues to grow for many children across the U.S., concern about their social and emotional well-being has become a critical concern for parents and teachers. Stress levels are up across the nation among adults and children. Resources and activities that foster characteristics of emotional understanding, empathy, and self-awareness, and that teach children how to de-stress and manage their emotions are much needed. The Nora Project has addressed those topics and skills in our school curricula, but what can parents do at home, on their own? Here are the top 6 resources that TNP recommends for parents and their children!
Mindfulness
Wondering where to start? Try some information that explains the concept of mindfulness and the steps to follow at home to foster skills such as calmness, positivity, and emotional intelligence. Check out Blissful Kids, a website with multiple resources, including a free e-book with 12 mindfulness activities for kids, as well as blog posts that lead to free resources and activities (who wouldn’t love Baby Shark breathing! “Breathe in. Doo doo doo doo doo doo.” “Breathe out. Doo doo doo doo doo doo.”) and information about online courses designed for children.
Mindful Schools has created a set of ten free mindfulness classes available online. Explore the concept of mindfulness with your children, joining in the activities, movement, and read-alouds as a family. You will need to provide your email, then you will receive a link to the set of ten lessons. They are pre-recorded, and you will be notified when new classes are released.
Yoga
One of the most popular mindfulness techniques for people of all ages is yoga. This is a well-researched and documented practice for incorporating mindfulness into daily routines. A terrific resource to introduce yoga to your children is Kids Yoga Stories. Materials include free posters, monthly theme-based yoga activities, and e-books to share with your children. They even have holiday themed lesson plans and activities for every month of the year! Start your New Year off right with New Year Yoga.
If you’re looking for a more interactive experience to share with your children, take a look at Cosmic Kids. The website offers resources including some free videos, a blog, a Yoga Club for kids, and information on their app (available for iOS and Android). This is a subscription based app ($10 monthly or $65 per year), so try it out free for 2 weeks if you think your family might enjoy it. Cosmic Kids also has a Youtube Channel with free full length videos available. One type of video incorporates yoga into a familiar story such as the Three Billy Goats Gruff, it’s sure to keep your children engaged!
Brain Breaks
Many children will be familiar with popular sites that are used often by teachers to provide kids with brain breaks - a moment to regroup, move their bodies, and step away from learning for a moment. Two of the most popular are GoNoodle and MindYeti. GoNoodle can be accessed online through their website, and also via an app (available for iOS and Android). GoNoodle’s search feature allows you to quickly locate a video on a topic of your choosing. There’s so much to choose from, from fun dance routines, to yoga and mindfulness, to songs that help kids connect with their emotions and environments.
MindYeti is geared toward children in elementary school, and is available across a variety of platforms, including YouTube, Vimeo, Stitcher, and iTunes, in addition to the website. The base set of resources is free, with a subscription required to access the full digital library. (MindYeti is not taking new subscriptions at this time, but there are plenty of free resources available!). Blog posts geared toward educators as well as parents can lead you toward even more resources.
We can’t control the pandemic, but we can control our responses to the situation. Using techniques such as mindfulness, yoga, and brain breaks can help everyone manage the added stress and fear that have come with the pandemic. We hope these sources provide a first step for you! Are there other resources for SEL that you love? Share them in the comments!