Open Leaves Books is an Australian owned and operated business with 30+ years experience focusing on counselling and mental health books.
There is an emerging body of research that indicates mindfulness can help children improve their abilities to pay attention, to calm down when they are upset, and to make better decisions. It helps with emotional regulation and cognitive focus. Our collection of books on mindfulness for children has grown exponentially as have related topics on meditation, self-esteem, resilience, expressive arts and positive education.
One of our favourite items in our collection of resources is Yoga Pretzels. It is a fifty card deck that offers a playful and easy way to teach and learn yoga. The cards are divided into nine sections so that teachers can create the yoga that is right for their students. Activities included how to breathe, how to balance, and how to twist and stretch. The illustrations are coloured and the cards are laminated.
Also popular is the book, Mindfulness Skills for Kids and Teens by Debra Burdick. This workbook features a collection of more than 150 mindfulness tools and techniques, presented in a simple, step-by-step skill building format. It contains tools for explaining mindfulness and neurobiology in children’s language; activities, games and meditations that build basic through advanced mindfulness skills; and step-by-step instruction on teaching and practising mindfulness, meditation and reflection.
Thirty years ago, when Janet Tubbs began working with children who had low self-esteem and behavioural problems, she developed a successful program using art, music and movement. Believing that unconventional children required unconventional therapies, she applied the therapies to children who had autism, ADD/ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome.
In her book, Creative Therapy for Children with Autism, Janet Tubbs has put together a powerful teaching tool to help parents, therapists and teachers work with their children.
The most popular book for working with anxious children is What to Do When You Worry Too Much. This manual is aimed at children aged 6-12 years and contains lively metaphors and illustrations. Clear, how-to steps and prompts to draw and write help children acquire new skills related to reducing anxiety.
The most recent book in our collection is Wendy Moss’ Bounce Back: How to Be a Resilient Kid. The book provides strategies to teach children how to be resilient – how to bounce back – through self-talk, calming techniques and other specific strategies for dealing with conflicts and challenges. There are quizzes, lots of advice in point form, and personal stories.
The book is aimed at children aged 8-12 years of age.
All of the books referred to in this article, and more, are available from the Open Leaves Books’ website www.openleaves.com.au
