As much as kids love a good action-packed session of play, sometimes it's good to slow down and play with toys that stimulate the brain in other ways. 

What are mindful toys? 

Mindful toys are usually toys that encourage kids to use their imagination, problem-solve or focus on a task. This can be anything from balancing toys that help with concentration and hand-eye coordination, to puzzles that help kids slow down and think about what they're doing. And of course, colouring kits are always a hit with kids of all ages! 

Why is mindfulness important for kids? 

There are many benefits to incorporating mindfulness into your child's life. Some of these benefits include: 

• Improved focus and concentration: toys that involve focussing and concentrating on a task can help them practice doing this to improve their overall concentration in other tasks, like when they're at school or learning a new skill. 
• Increased patience and attention span: mindful toys aren't always super easy and require some patience. Balancing toys are a great example as your child goes through the steps to understand how to balance one toy on top of or next to another. 
• Enhanced creativity and imagination: focussing on a task and problem-solving in different situations can greatly improve creativity and imagination as kids visualise and figure out how to achieve a task while playing with a mindful toy or activity. 
• Greater clarity of thought:  with some mindfulness activities, kids are encouraged to think more deeply and clearly about what they're doing. This can lead to greater clarity of thought in other areas of their life too! 
• Improved social skills:  some mindful activities are best done with others, like puzzles or balancing toys. This means kids can share and cooperate with others as they work together to complete the task. 
• Greater self-awareness:  as kids learn to focus and concentrate on a task, they also start to become more aware of their thoughts and feelings. This can lead to greater self-awareness and self-regulation in other areas of their life. 

How can mindful toys keep your child engaged?

Mindful toys can help your child to stay engaged by providing them with a stimulating activity that is also calming and relaxing. It allows them to think outside the box and persevere through tasks that aren't always easy but are definitely achieving, and super rewarding! 

You can easily incorporate mindful playtime after busy periods, such as after-school, after running around at a park or to keep them occupied on a holiday or weekend getaway. 

So if you're looking for ways to help your kids wind down and relax, or you want to encourage them to use their imagination more, then explore our range of mindfulness activities at Alex & Moo today!