Starry Night Breathing
What you need
- a big star drawn on paper
- a window, or fairy lights already up high
How to do it
- At bedtime, bring out the star you drew earlier.
- Look out of the window together for real stars or twinkly lights, and count any you can see.
- Trace the star together with one finger: breathe in slowly going up a point, and out slowly going down.
- Go all the way round the five points, then do it once more, even slower.
- Whisper goodnight to the stars and snuggle down.
Why it matters
Matching slow breaths to tracing a star gives them an easy way to calm their body, and stars are something gentle to look at before sleep.
What they're learning
- Slow breathing
- Breathing in and out with each point is a calming tool they can keep.
- Counting
- Five points, five breaths: counting keeps the breathing steady.
- Settling
- Stars, a soft voice and slow breaths all say sleep is coming.
What to look for
Watch for their breathing slowing to match their finger, and their body going still.
A tip
Leave the star by the bed so they can trace it on their own another night. Fairy lights and their cable stay up high and out of reach, for looking at, not touching. Plug-in lights, or a battery pack with a screw-shut cover, only.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: trace just one point together, in and out
Harder: let them trace the star on their own and count the breaths
