Summary
A guided Sanford fit exercise that walks children through tensing and then relaxing muscles from head to toe -- scrunch the face, squeeze the hands, then let go. Feeling the difference between tight and loose helps kids notice tension and learn to let it drain away.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Try the exercise together, then talk it over.
- How did your muscles feel when you squeezed them tight? How about when you let go?
- Which part of your body felt the most relaxed at the end?
- How is your body a clue that you might be stressed or worried?
- When could you use this squeeze-and-release trick to calm down?
Quick work-a-long
Words to know: muscle, tense, relax, release, tension
Try it: Make a tight fist and count to five, then open your hand slowly. Write one sentence about how the two feelings were different.