Considering how active my kids are, I was surprised that they enjoyed yoga. They also enjoyed this book. The illustrations are cute and the visualizations are relatable to kids. I think it's important to teach children how to calm down. Adults could definitely benefit from this too.

“Relaxations: Big Tools for Little Warriors” by Mamen Duch reflects the excellence of children’s books by the American Psychological Association’s Magination Press. This beautiful guide for children ages 4 to 8 teaches simple mindfulness techniques focusing on breathing, relaxation, and visualization. Also includes affirmations for improving confidence, self-esteem, concentration, and creativity, as well as an instructive “Note to Parents and Caregivers.” Highly recommended!

Pub Date 04 Jun 2018

Thanks to the American Psychological Association’s Magination Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#Relaxations #NetGalley

This was such a fun little book! I can see this being a lifesaver in busy classrooms, or at home if you have rambunctious little ones. This book of mediation and relaxation methods is done so subtly that I feel like the children will be intrigued enough to follow along. The artwork is adorable, and the colors are a perfect fit! I will definitely be on the lookout for this for my teacher friends.

An interesting book of meditations/visualizations to do with your child. Not sure how old your child is supposed to be, but I can't see my 2- or 4-year-old sitting still long enough to do any of these. Maybe for an older child, or when they're winding down for naptime, some of these could be good. I personally plan to use the Colored Clouds exercise for myself at the end of my day to unload some negative emotional baggage and let it go. :)

The simple, child friendly meditations in this book look user friendly and seem like they would be simple to incorporate into daily routine. I think I'll try the spaghetti meditation during storytime at my library.

As a teacher of young children, I really enjoyed this book with its relaxation, visualization and meditation strategies that can be read for children. The only negatives that I found were that the copy that I had access to, was only a few strategies and these feel like they are exercises that can be done after a child is within a realm of reasoning and will willingly sit in a comfortable yoga pose or lay in a safe space on the ground. A lot of children that need these strategies take a while before they are ready for this, but once they can achieve that, this would be a great resource for parents or teachers.

Thank you American Psychological Association and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

This is a sweet little book aimed at short, simple relaxation and stress management techniques for children, accompanied with nice illustrations. I particularly liked the butterfly breathing exercise.

A handy starter book for teaching younger children easy ways to learn to manage stress and difficult emotions.

Relaxations: Big Tools for Little Warriors is written by Mamen Duch and illustrated by Raul Nieto Guridi, and it's an informative book that provides a fun way to learn about relaxation and meditation techniques.

This book is divided into six main techniques, which are titled as Spaghetti, A Special Tree, The Butterfly, The Four Elements, Colored Clouds, and The Stars. Each technique describes how to utilize this method for children. Also, there are additional sections: Hello, Little Warrior and Suggestion for Practice, which includes recommended poses.

Relaxations is a geared toward various ages, particularly ages four to eight. However, parents and guardians will benefit from this book, too.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Relaxations would be a wonderful book to have in all classrooms for when children need time to breathe, reflect and refocus energies. I love that this book goes beyond yoga and more into mindfulness as we help children take time to stop, think, do, reflect and repeat. The stories that accompanied each idea were perfect opportunities for children and teachers to take that special time.
I plan to purchase and share with colleagues committed to mindfulness.

Cute children's book with several relaxation exercises. I tried the cloud visualization exercise with my six year old before bed and he did seem to mellow out as a result. I'm going to try the spaghetti exercise next. It's definitely meant to be read by the parent to the child, as opposed to a book the child can read to himself. It's short and sweet, but the benefit will come with repeated practice.

Great introduction to mindfulness for little ones. Includes effective visualizations to help a child meditate without really knowing it.

This is a good guide for parents and teachers to help young children manage their stress. I could see myself using this with my students to help them calm and regulate their emotions..

This is a simple book focused on visualization for relaxation. Some of it can be parent guided, but the instructions are easy enough for a younger child in the targeted age group. For a parent who wants ideas on helping their stressed child, or a child who wants to try something new to relax, this is a good place to start.

I just used this book to help relax my daughter before she went to sleep. I plan on using it with my students tomorrow and in the future. I especially loved the image of hanging things up on the tree branches.

Recently, Mindfulness for children has been really popular. This book would fit right in at the library, offering one way to teach children about, or for children to learn about mindfulness and meditation. Practice tips and method explanations are at the back of the book, and help explain the process.