8 Easy Breathing Exercises for Kids

Deep breathing exercises are a simple way for kids to center and control their big emotions. Mindful breathing exercises provide a brain break and can calm children experiencing big emotions by calming their bodies and relieving stress. Breathing exercises benefit parents and teachers, too!

Deep breathing can be done anywhere a child can rest and sit comfortably. Breathing exercises for kids can be combined with yoga or meditation or as a solo activity. Breathing exercises for kids engage the imagination and boost children’s well-being and emotional regulation.

The Benefits of Deep Breathing Exercises

Mindful breathing exercises provide numerous benefits to our bodies. Mindful breathing increases mental health by decreasing stress and anxiety and calming the mind and body. Research shows that simply taking a few deep belly breaths activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming us down in stressful or emotional situations. 

Key benefits of mindful breathing exercises include:

• Lowering stress
• Relaxing muscles
• Increasing energy
• Improving concentration
• Decreasing anxiety or fear
• Promoting a sense of calm
• Benefiting overall mental health

Deep Breathing Techniques

There are many ways to practice deep breathing with kids. Different techniques may work better depending on the situation or the child’s interests. We’ve gathered some of the most recommended breathing exercises for kids and outlined the techniques. 

When teaching kids breathing exercises, do it during a calm, non-emotional time. When they’re calm, kids are more receptive to new information and learning new skills. 

It only takes a few minutes to teach kids a new breathing exercise. Try a few out and then practice them regularly. Yoga and breathing activities are excellent on rainy, indoor recess days or when stuck at home! 

Regular practice cements the technique into a child’s mind and makes them more likely to use breathing as a tool when needed!

Each of these exercises can be repeated three to five times as needed. 

Cupcake Breaths 

Invite the child to put their hands in front of their bodies and imagine they’re holding a cupcake with a few birthday candles. Ask them to breathe in slowly through their nose, smelling the delicious cupcake. Then, gently blow out through the mouth to blow out the candles. 

Hot Air Balloon Breathing

Have the child sit comfortably and imagine inflating a huge, colorful hot air balloon. Invite them to cup their hands around their mouths as they breathe in and expand their hands outward as they exhale, visualizing the hot air balloon growing bigger. They can also sway from side to side as they imagine riding in their hot air balloon.

Snake Breath

Ask the child to pretend they are a snake and make a hissing sound by inhaling deeply through the nose and blowing out through the mouth with a gentle hiss. Challenge them to see how slowly they can exhale and how long they can make the hissing sound last!

Bumblebee Breath

This type of deep belly breathing is called Bhramari in Pranayama and imitates the buzzing of bumblebees. Invite the child to sit comfortably and inhale through their noses. While exhaling, make a humming sound, buzzing the lips together, resembling a bumblebee. Placing their fingers in their ears enhances the vibration and may provide a calming and soothing effect.

4-7-8 Breathing 

Ask the child to Inhale quietly through the nose for a count of 4. They can count silently in their head, or you can count aloud. Next, ask them to hold their breath for a count of 7. Lately, ask them to exhale through the mouth, making a hissing sound, for 8 seconds. 

Rainbow Breathing 

Invite the child to hold their index finger in front of them and imagine the rainbow’s shape and colors. They can close their eyes if they wish. Using their finger, encourage them to imagine tracing a rainbow back and forth as they breathe in and out. Starting on the left side, breathe in as they trace an arch to the right using their index finger. Hold for a few seconds, and then trace the arch backward from right to left while breathing out.

Blowing Bubbles

Give the child a small bottle of bubbles and invite them to practice blowing bubbles. Encourage the child to focus on blowing slowly to create giant bubbles. 

Feather Breathing 

Hand the child a large feather and invite them to hold it in front of their mouth. Show them how to slowly breathe in through the nose and gently blow out through their mouth, making the feather move. Encourage them to experiment with how slowly they can make the feather move.

Additional Calming Activities for Kids

In addition to breathing exercises, you can teach or provide other calming activities that offer soothing effects and increase emotional regulation. 

• Calming Sensory bins
• A cozy area with cushions
• Hugging a stuffed animal
• Listening to calming sounds like white noise, ocean waves, or rain sounds
• Listening to scripted meditations or mindfulness stories for kids
• Yoga 
• Listening to music
• Stretching 
• Visual sand or liquid timers
• Sensory fidgets

Final Thoughts

Breathing exercises are an excellent tool for teaching children to promote their self-care and mental well-being. Deep breathing calms the body and mind within a few moments and boosts energy and focus. You can use these breathing techniques to calm an upset child, help a child re-focus on an activity, or provide a moment of zen as a brain break!

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