Nurturing Little Minds: Mindfulness Resources for the Early Years
The early years of a child's life are critical for brain development. From birth to three years old, a baby’s brain forms over 700 connections per second, laying the foundation for lifelong skills like communication, problem-solving, and self-control. Understanding how these connections form and are strengthened can help parents, educators, and providers nurture a child’s growth effectively.
Mindfulness for Emotional Regulation
Mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or "calm cloud" visualisations, can help children develop emotional resilience and self-regulation. These tools not only manage stress but also nurture a lifelong ability to focus and remain calm under pressure.
“We use yoga and mindfulness with children to help build their emotional awareness and understanding, aka their self-regulatory capacity, to help them acknowledge emotions, express them, and be able to breathe through all that life throws at them.” ~ Jen Armstrong, MSc, HERE Co-Founder
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Family Hubs
Why It Matters
Early brain development forms the basis for all future learning, behaviour, and health. By understanding and fostering these foundational years, we ensure children grow into resilient, capable individuals ready to navigate life's challenges.
Incorporating these practices into everyday life empowers both children and their caregivers, creating a brighter future for all.
It’s Never Too Early: Mindfulness in the Early Years
Mindfulness isn’t just for adults or older children—it’s a practice that can nurture calm, focus, and connection at any age, even in the earliest stages of life. In the Hammersmith and Fulham Family Hubs we work in, we believe that introducing mindfulness to families with babies and toddlers creates a foundation for emotional well-being that lasts a lifetime.
Through simple, interactive activities focused on calm, healing and connection, we share ways for parents and caregivers to foster mindfulness in everyday moments. Gentle breathing exercises, sensory play, and even mindful lullabies help little ones feel secure and present while strengthening bonds between parent and child.
Research shows that early mindfulness practices can support emotional regulation and resilience, making it a valuable tool for families navigating the joys and challenges of the early years. Whether it’s learning to notice the world through a baby’s eyes or taking a moment to ground yourself during a busy day, mindfulness is a gift that grows alongside your family.
Join us at our Family Hubs to explore these practices and discover how mindfulness can support your child’s early development—and your own well-being. It’s never too early to start creating mindful moments together. Contact us!
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS AND BRAIN BUILDING IN THE EARLY YEARS
Serve and Return: Building Bonds and Skills
One key to healthy brain development is the "serve and return" interaction. When a child "serves" through gestures, facial expressions, or sounds, caregivers can "return" by responding with meaningful interaction. This strengthens bonds, supports emotional growth, and builds essential communication skills.
The Role of Stress: Recognising the Impact
While some stress is normal and helps build resilience, prolonged exposure to toxic stress—such as unresponsive caregiving or high conflict environments—can hinder brain development. Creating a calm, supportive atmosphere with positive interactions can mitigate these effects.
Simple Brain-Building Practices
Engaging in activities like singing, talking, and playing with your child fosters healthy brain architecture. Programs like the NSPCC’s "Look, Say, Sing, Play" encourage these interactions, providing easy ways to build connections and enhance learning during daily routines.
Read These Master’s Papers on Emotional Development in the Early Years by HERE Co-Founder, Jen Armstrong MSc
"Parenting and Conscience:
How Disciplinary Styles Shape Children's Development"
"Influences on Emotional Development:
The Role of Attachment, Parenting Styles, and Temperament"
Discover Bunny Breath: A Fun Way for Kids to Practice Calm Breathing
~ A HERE partnership with the Johnny Carson Center For Emerging Media Arts
Bee Breath: A Fun and Gentle Breathing Practice for Toddlers and Kids
~ A HERE partnership with the Johnny Carson Center For Emerging Media Arts
More Mindful Activity Packs To Enhance Your Support Working With Children, Teens and Families
“School Refusal and Emotionally Based School Avoidance” Activity Support Pack
Our School Refusal and Emotionally Based School Avoidance Activity Support Pack provides practical, evidence-based activities to support children and teens dealing with school refusal and emotional challenges. Designed to help educators, providers, and families, this pack offers strategies to foster emotional regulation, resilience, and re-engagement in school. With an emphasis on mindfulness and self-reflection, these activities are tailored to support mental wellbeing and help improve school attendance.
"Enhancing Parent and Provider Skills: Mindfulness, Meditation, and Resilience Techniques from Our Presentations in the UK and US"
We hope you enjoy this collection of a few of our presentations from the UK and US that focus on healing, resilience, and providing essential tools for parenting and providers. These presentations by our team are from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, the London Westminster Council, Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative, and Alpha School Omaha. We have put these highlights together on one page for easy access and to help enhance your daily work, offering practical strategies and insights to support the emotional well-being and resilience of the children and families you support. By integrating these techniques into your practice, you can help create a calm, supportive environment that enhances learning, reduces stress and anxiety, and fosters deeper connections.
Mindful Moments For Calm, Healing and Connection
How can we help support you?
We are building strong, peaceful, resilient hearts through the magic of being here. Talk to us about helping your home, classroom or organisation integrate simple, mindfulness activities into your daily routine to help overloaded feelings.
