It is never too early to start teaching children about self care and mindfulness and there is a new toy on the market to help with that, Meet the Mindful Lil Minds Breathing Meditation Koala.
Cleo is currently on the pathway to get her ASD diagnosis. At the moment, she has Global Developmental Delay and we are all sure that she has Autism too. Part of her GDD is that she gets overwhelmed. The way that this comes across can vary. She nips us when she gets overwhelmed or she could get really upset and it could end in a meltdown and this could happen anywhere.
A sensory toy like the Mindful Lil Minds Buddy is great as we can carry it round with us. It can come on holiday with us, in the car, to her school and we can use it at home. The cuddly Koala is designed to help children manage their emotions in stressful situations. Pretty much perfect for Cleo and her ASD.
The toy is very easy to use. You press his paw and a 5 minute breathing meditation begins. 5 minutes is just the right amount of time for children to calm down and reset their emotions.
The Koala has so many features that help children calm down. The toy’s belly expands and retracts with the guided meditation to provide children with a visual breathing guide to follow. It is scented with Eucalyptus which has aromatherapy properties which help reduce anxiety. It also has floppy limbs and a weighted belly to allow for further comfort especially for children that are on the Autism Spectrum.
The Mindful Lil Minds Buddy is suitable for children aged 3 years plus and there are so many different ways to use it for relaxation.
A child can sit alone with the buddy and follow the meditation. They can use it as a group – the toy can be at the front of the group and they can follow the meditation together. They can lay with the toy on their chest. This is great as the toy is weighted so great for the extra sensory experience. Lastly, Sit down and put the toy up to their face. This works well because of the Eucalyptus scent.
It doesn’t matter how a child uses it as long as it helps them with relaxation. They can find their own ways to use their new buddy.
We are going to be taking Cleo’s in to hospital appointment with her as she can get worried and anxious when we are in the hospital. So far so good!
Mindful Lil Minds Breathing Mediation Buddy is available now and is priced at £26.49
Disclaimer – We were kindly gifted this in exchange for a blog post
The Coastal Mummy 