Mindfulness Practices and Activities for Children Ages 6-10
Summer session is now in progress! Future dates will be announced soon.
Please click below to get on the waitlist for the next session.
One parent or caregiver must be on site at the park while their child attends each class.
Mindful Kids PDX welcomes children of all gender identities, races, ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds, and types of neurodiversity.
Did you know mindfulness is a superpower?
The goal of Mindful Kids PDX is for kids to develop mindfulness and kindness practices through engaging activities, stories, games, and art while making friends and having fun! In this six-week class for kids ages 6-10, Mindfulness Teacher Noelle Wittliff shares powerful tools to help kids with focus, emotional balance, and resilience. Participants will learn to connect with their breath and body, notice their thoughts and feelings, and engage joyfully in the present moment.
Mindful Kids PDX helps children with:
‣ Emotion Regulation
‣ Impulse Control
‣ Family or Friendship Dynamics
‣ Focus and Concentration
‣ Stress Reduction
Children are born with an inherent capacity for presence and kindness. When they’re intentional about practicing these skills (their superpowers!), these practices become more intuitive and accessible.
Mindfulness has been clinically shown to:
‣ Bring more awareness to difficult feelings
‣ Develop skillful strategies to respond to challenges
‣ Strengthen the ability to pay attention and focus
‣ Build resilience
‣ Cultivate kindness toward self and others
‣ Increase empathy within relationships
‣ Improve sleep habits
We’ll learn the essentials of mindfulness through:
❀ Meditation: short, guided, accessible sitting and walking meditations incorporating breath, sound, and visualization
❀ Mindful Play: movement activities including charades, freeze tag, balance beam, and parachute games
❀ Movement: gentle seated and standing stretching and yoga poses
❀ Arts & Crafts: we’ll make glitter jars, drawings, painted stones, lanterns, and clay creations
❀ Discussion: each class will include opening and closing circle time, sharing, and connecting
Appreciation from the Community
“Our children love Noelle’s mindfulness class and the warmth she brings to the shared space. Her class activities are creative and nourishing, and our children leave with meaningful ways to amplify kindness in our community.”
— Caroline (Mother of Two)
“Every time I’ve heard Noelle speak, I’ve felt calmer and more able to navigate big feelings or experiences. She’s got a gift and we’re very lucky she’s part of our community.”
— Kristin Lake, Village Home Education Resource Center
“Noelle taught mindfulness at our school and the students loved the story writing activity, body map, breathing exercises, and 5-4-3-2-1 shake it out activity. We all can use extra tools in our emotional learning buckets and it’s nice for students to have exposure to multiple strategies. Empowering humans is always a helpful practice. We genuinely appreciate Noelle’s tone, talent, and resources.”
— Leah Kraskoff, Village Home Education Resource Center
Meet Teacher Noelle
Noelle Wittliff, LMFT
Noelle is a Licensed Family Therapist, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and mom of two. She’s been supporting kids, teens, and families in her therapy practice for 20 years. Noelle grew up in Asia and the US and has been practicing mindfulness for three decades. She’s the Director and Lead Teacher of the children’s program at Portland Insight Meditation Center and teaches mindfulness to kids and teens through her Mindful Kids PDX and Mindful Teens PDX classes. Noelle is also a guest instructor of Cultivating a Mindfulness Practice at The People’s Yoga in NE Portland.
Her teaching style is supportive and engaging and she’s passionate about making mindfulness and compassion practices accessible to all ages.
Learn more about Noelle’s work:
Class Calendar & Themes
Each class will incorporate a story and art activity related to that week’s theme, as well as mindful games, movement, and tools for calming and relaxing. Here’s what your child will learn during the six-week class:
6/14 : What is Mindfulness and How Can it Help Us?
6/21 : Mindfulness of Thoughts
6/28 : Mindfulness of Feelings
7/05 : Grounding and Calming Tools for the Mind and Body
7/12 : Mindfulness of Friendship and Empathy
7/19 : Kindness and Compassion Practices
Mindful Kids PDX welcomes children of all gender identities, races, ethnicities, cultures, types of neurodiversity, and backgrounds. My priority in offering this class is for every child to experience a sense of belonging and inclusion. This is a core value of my teaching. I strive to be as inclusive as possible while also ensuring a safe and welcoming space for all participants. In order to create a safe space for learning, parents and caregivers are welcome to stay with their child in class if their child is in need of additional support. One parent or caregiver must be on site at the park while their child attends each class.
I hope you’ll join us!
Childhood is a time of curiosity, wonder, exploration, and big feelings! I created this class to help kids learn gentle practices to bring more ease and balance into their lives. I look forward to welcoming your child to Mindful Kids PDX, where they’ll get to connect with other kids in an inclusive and encouraging space. Let’s make the world a kinder place, one mindfulness practice at a time!
Warmly,
Noelle
Register for Mindful Kids PDX
Six Fridays
6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7/5, 7/12, 7/19
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
$300 / Student
Limited to 15 Participants
Location: Two Plum Park
4045 NE 7th Avenue Portland, OR 97212
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Refund & Cancellation Policy
Price ($300 per student) is for the entire 6-session class, regardless of how many sessions are attended. Sessions cannot be purchased individually.
If you need to cancel, please contact Noelle by June 7, 2024 to be issued a full refund. No refunds will be issued after June 7, 2024. Mindful Kids PDX begins on June 14, 2024.
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Please email Noelle at noelle@mindfulparenting.com with any questions.
