4 Simple Breathing Exercises To Help Kids Calm Down

Ever find yourself in a whirlwind of emotions with your child—whether it’s a sugar rush from a party or just a rough day?

As a mom of a child with severe anxiety, I’ve discovered that breathing techniques are my secret weapon for calming the storm.

If you’re looking for effective ways to help your little one manage their emotions, these top breathing exercises might be just what you need!

Think of breathing exercises as a superhero tool in your parenting toolkit. They’re quick, easy, and surprisingly powerful!

Why Breathing Techniques Work for Kids

Ok so you know how kids get really really wired sometimes. Either they had too much sugar after a Birthday party, or maybe they just got a little wild playing some rough games with other kids in the house.

Well, these kinds of situations OFTEN result in a super irritated, cranky little man – at least in my house.

Whenever I see this kind of thing start to happen, I try to prepare myself with what’s to come in the following minutes.

I think of 3 breathing exercises for my kiddo, and have them stored away for the inevitable storm that I’m about to face.

Parenting.. it’s certainly not easy.

I remember a particularly challenging evening when my child was on the verge of a meltdown after a chaotic playdate. We tried the Balloon Breathing technique, and within minutes, he was visibly calmer. It’s moments like these that reinforce the power of these simple exercises.

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Kids Breathing Exercises To Try

There are quite a few breathing techniques, but here are our top 4.

1. Box Breathing
2. Balloon Breathing
3. Bubble Breathing
4. Star Breathing

I’ll give you a short description of how each one of these works, but more importantly I’m going to teach you how to actually use this on an overwhelmed kiddo…because it’s all well and good to know the exercises but if you can’t implement them then it’s useless knowledge.

Box Breathing

This is my go to breathing exercise. I do it almost every week at Yoga class myself.

It is simple. Your child can be sitting or standing for this one. Usually we sit on the bed and do this.

Take a DEEP breath, counting to 4 while breathing in.

HOLD your deep breath for 4 counts.

Exhale your breath for 4 counts.

HOLD your breath for 4 counts.

REPEAT.

That is a box breath. I would do it 3-5 times. It gets hard to do after a while, so I wouldn’t do more than 5 on a smaller child.

Balloon Breathing

This breathing exercise is actually best done lying down. We do this one less often because of this.

Have your little one place a hand on their tummy and one on their chest. It doesn’t matter which hand goes where.

Ask your child to breathe in and out as deeply as possible. You’ll want them to exhale through the mouth and inhale through the nose.

The point of this breathing exercise is to allow your child to connect back to their breath by feeling their belly rise up and down. The hand on the chest can feel the heart beat slow down as well.

Check out this quick video on how to perform Balloon Breathing with your child—visual cues can be incredibly helpful!

Bubble Breathing

This is a fun one for kids who do not really know how to take deep breaths in and out.

Basically you’re going to get regular old bubbles with a bubble wand (I’m sure you have it if you have kids?).

Tell your kiddo to take a deep breath through the nose and exhale through the mouth, and encourage them to blow a bubble through the wand. They shuold focus on slow and steady breaths, really focusing in on the breathing.

Star Breathing

This one can be done sitting down or standing up. Have your little one sit or stand with their arms at their sides. As they take a deep breath, ask them to raise their arms above their head.

As if they were drawing a star in the sky.

Then on the exhale through the mouth, ask them to slowly and in a controlled way, bring their arms back down.

That’s it!

If you need even more ideas on breathing exercises for kids, here is a great book to check out.

How To Explain Breath Work To Your Child

I called it work because it is work! It’s HARD work to slow down and focus in on your breath, especially when in an upset state.

At school, my kids learned about the Zones of Regulation.

These are simple terms that help kids identify where they are at with their mental state.

The Green Zone is when kids are calm and happy.

The Yellow Zone is when kids are starting to develop some symptoms of anger or sadness.

The Red Zone is when they are IN the moment of their BIG emotion.

We want to introduce a breathing exercise when the child is in the yellow zone.

When the child is in the RED zone, it’s going to be a lot more difficult to get the kiddo to calm down enough to do some breathing.

When you are going to introduce a breathing exercise to your child, it’s important to get down to their level, and calmly explain that it’s time to do some box breathing (or whatever one you like best). If you’re in a loud and crowded place, go find a calm corner to do this breathing in.

Hopefully that makes sense. If you need more information on the Zones of Regulation you can click here.

If you need some books to help your child learn about breathing here is the Rainbow Breathing book and Breathing Makes It Better book for kids.

Benefits of Deep Breath Work

You can clearly see the benefits of deep breathing such as having calmer kiddo, but there’s more to it than that.

Here a few more benefits of deep breathing for kids:

1. Deep breathing activates the body’s relaxation response, helping to lower stress levels in children. By taking slow, deep breaths, kids can calm their nervous system, reduce feelings of anxiety, and promote a sense of peace and tranquility.
2. Deep breathing exercises require children to focus on their breath, which can enhance their ability to concentrate. By practicing mindfulness and paying attention to their breathing, kids can improve their attention span and stay more engaged in tasks or activities.
3. Deep breathing helps children learn to manage their emotions more effectively. By practicing deep breathing techniques, kids can develop greater self-awareness and learn to respond to challenging situations with calmness and clarity rather than reacting impulsively.
4. Deep breathing exercises strengthen the respiratory muscles and improve lung capacity in children. By taking slow, deep breaths, kids can increase the oxygen supply to their bodies, promote better circulation, and support overall respiratory health.
5. Deep breathing before bedtime can help children relax and unwind, leading to improved sleep quality. By incorporating deep breathing exercises into their bedtime routine, kids can release tension, quiet their minds, and prepare for a restful night’s sleep.

Deep Breathing Is Great For Kids

To make the most of these breathing exercises, try incorporating them into your daily routine. Start with just a few minutes each day and gradually build up. Create a calming environment—dim the lights, play soft music, or use a favorite stuffed animal to make the process more enjoyable for your child.

Whether you have a child with anxiety or just have a kiddo that’s nearing the red zone, these breathing exercises may just be your saving grace.

The best thing is…this is a FREE TOOL that can help you in your parenting journey.

And guess what…you can use these exercises yourself too if you feel a little anger creeping in.

For more in-depth techniques and resources on breath work for children, check out these books: Rainbow Breathing Book and Breathing Makes It Better Book.