Bubble Breathing
What you need
- a pot of bubbles with a wand
How to do it
- Sit together and show your child that a hard, fast blow just pops the bubble mix, but a slow, long breath out makes a bubble.
- Take a big breath in through your noses together, then blow out slowly through the wand.
- Follow the bubble with your eyes until it pops, then breathe in again.
- Try for the biggest bubble you can make, with the slowest breath you can do.
Why it matters
A bubble only comes from a slow, steady breath out, so the wand shows them how to breathe calmly without anyone needing to explain it.
What they're learning
- Slow breaths
- In through the nose, out long and gentle.
- Settling
- A way to slow down when feelings get big.
- Watching closely
- Following one bubble until it pops.
What to look for
Notice their shoulders dropping as their breaths get longer.
A tip
When things feel big later, "Shall we do a bubble breath?" works even with no bubbles.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: you blow, and they breathe in and out with you while they watch
Harder: count to three on the breath in and to five on the breath out
