5 Easy and Effective Breathing Exercises for Kids

Children can learn how to practice deep breathing from a very young age. When I worked in a children’s hospital, I’d often have to help children calm down and self-regulate before, during, and after painful medical procedures or fear-inducing situations. Deep breathing is not only a coping skill but also a distraction tool. When you’re in the grips of anxiety, it can seem like nothing is going to release you or work to calm you down. Deep breathing puts you back into the driver’s seat of your body and allows you to regain a sense of control.

Mixed with a little education, some child-friendly language, and a bit of humor, this teachable skill can go a long way. I often breathe with my child clients to model regulation, grounding, and noticing feelings.

Here are 5 techniques to try out!

Hot Chocolate Breathing

Invite your child into a rich visualization about having a mug of hot cocoa (or even better, make one!). Explain that they’ll need to use long, deep inhales and exhales to cool it down to drink it. Often, that takes a couple of minutes, so it takes patience. Help them imagine how the mug feels, what the cocoa smells like, or even if there’s marshmallows. Creating a detailed picture helps build excitement and a sense of wonder around this anxiety-reducing breathing technique. Encourage them to take notice of how they’re feeling after a few breaths.

Lion’s Breath

This is a really fun one that children and adults alike usually love. Encourage a big inhale, with a slight shoulder lift, sticking out the chest slightly (like a lion). Place hands on knees, fingers spread apart. Exhale with force, opening the mouth as wide as possible and sticking out the tongue. Turn eyes upwards and make an “aaaahhhhh” or ‘roar’ noise that comes from the stomach (not the throat). This is a great tension-reliever for stressful moments or when a child needs a solid boost of confidence.

Balloon Breathing

Show your child how to “breathe like a balloon” by expanding their stomach while inhaling. Exhaling, it goes back down. It’s all about slow and controlled expansion that comes from the belly, not the chest. Just the same as blowing up a balloon takes a few minutes, encourage your child to also pace themselves to go slow and get a few good, deep breaths in. Placing a stuffed animal on one’s stomach and noticing how it should be moving can be helpful when teaching this technique.

Birthday Cake Breathing

Another great breathing technique for kids where you can invite your child into an exciting visualization of candles on a birthday cake. Ask them about the flavor, who is there, what the decorations look like, what the cake smells like, even what they imagine it to taste like. Ask them to take a big, deep belly breath, taking in the smell of the cake they’re about to eat. The details of the visualization help with distraction from anxiety and calm the nervous system. Don’t celebrate birthdays? Replace the candles with your child’s favorite hot food or a dandelion in a field of flowers.

Bubble Breathing

Before the pandemic, while working within the children’s hospital, you could probably find me on any given day in a procedure room, blowing bubbles. This was a particularly effective (and fun) tool I learned to use with children who were getting their port accessed, who needed an IV placed, or who had anticipatory anxiety. I’d often pretend like I didn’t know how to blow bubbles or that I couldn’t make it work, so that they could teach me. Eventually, I’d provide education in the form of realizing that I was breathing from the wrong place (my chest and shoulders) and not my belly (like they were). The kids were always happy to correct me and show me the “right” way to breathe deep, strong, bubble-producing breaths.

Inhale Fun, Exhale Stress

Have fun with these calming breathing techniques! Using our imagination and really getting into the visualization promotes a sense of fun and magic. If you have a child, you know it’s not usually effective to tell your child to calm down, breathe, or relax, especially if they’re already upset. Instead, teaching a breathing technique is more likely to intrigue your child to learn how to engage their body to self-soothe.

Parents may also benefit from using these simple techniques when their child is upset to stay calm and grounded. Anyone and everyone can benefit from deep breathing to avoid getting lost in stress and anxiety and achieve calm.

I love teaching kids skills that can boost their confidence, empower them, and support healthy coping. If you’re interested in art therapy for your child, reach out! Art Therapy Source is located in Montclair, NJ. Virtual art therapy sessions are available in NY and NJ.