Relaxation Classes for Children

Why Relax?

Like their parents, children are often engulfed in a world of busyness. From school to play, it’s rush, rush, rush. And such stresses can cause physical disorders, sleep problems and anger issues. Teaching our kids to relax is a truly valuable skill and simple techniques can help children face challenges with a little more ease.

Nowadays, more schools than ever include non-competitive activities that are just for fun – such as movement, relaxation and dance. While football, netball and other competitive sports are essential for well-being, non-competitive sports also play a role in children’s health. Such activities exercise the mind, while relaxing the body, plus they suit all shapes, sizes and fitness levels.

Teaching Children to Relax

There are many different ways children can be taught to relax. Breathing, stretching and visualisation are all great techniques to use. To start your little ones off at home, follow the examples below, saying the visualisations out loud to help your child.

Learn to Breathe

Lie back and put your hands on your stomachs. On the ‘in’ breath, the tummy will rise and as they breathe out it will fall. Concentrate on this movement, let go and feel calm and quiet.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Lie back in a comfortable chair. Starting at the feet, relax and squeeze each limb. Move through the body, relaxing the muscles.

Visualisation (read the words to your child)

Close your eyes and imagine you are floating on a cloud or down a river. Feel the warmth on your body and take yourself on an imaginary journey.

Meditation (read the words to your child)

Close your eyes, be very still and imagine that there is a little room inside your head. This is a very private room that you can come to whenever you want. This is your own quiet room. You are free to decorate the room just as you wish. Paint the walls with your favourite colour: introduce posters and pictures. You may have a very bright room with lots of sunshine pouring through the windows or a cosy soft lit room? What furniture have you put in your room. There is a very comfy chair in the room. Sit down on it and relax on the soft cushions and just be very still. Enjoy sitting down quietly for a few minutes, and spend some time admiring your room. Spend some time thinking about all the wonderful people and things in your life. How lucky you are.You can say to yourself in your mind, I am lucky, I am lucky, I am lucky. You start to feel a wave of happiness through your mind as you appreciate all the good things in your life.

And now, when you are ready, wiggle your fingers and toes, have a big stretch and open your eyes

Relax Kids – Classes and CDs

Marneta Viegas is the founder of Relax Kids. She runs Relaxation Classes for children throughout the UK, has written 2 books of children’s visualisations and has also produced a range of children’s relaxation CDs. The CDs help kids with anger, anxiety and self-esteem issues – and are great for unwinding at bedtimes. The Relax Kids products are popular with teachers, Ofsted inspectors, therapists, nurses and most importantly, children.

For more information, (including becoming a Relax Kids teacher),
please visit www.relaxkids.com

Books and CDs are available on Amazon: