Practice mindful listening
Sit quietly for five minutes and practice mindful listening: name and write or draw each sound you hear, noting how it makes you feel.
Step-by-step guide to practice mindful listening
Mindful Listening Practice for Families with our adorable guide Moon!
Step 1
Choose a quiet comfortable spot where you can sit without being rushed.
Step 2
Gather your paper pencil coloring materials and place them where you can reach them.
Step 3
Set a timer for five minutes.
Step 4
Sit down with good posture and put your paper in front of you.
Step 5
Close your eyes or soften your gaze so your ears can listen better.
Step 6
Take three slow deep breaths to help your body and mind relax.
Step 7
Start the timer.
Step 8
Listen carefully to the sounds around you and notice each one.
Step 9
When you hear a sound quietly say its name in your head or out loud.
Step 10
Write or draw that sound on your paper.
Step 11
Next to each drawing or word write or draw how that sound makes you feel.
Step 12
Keep naming and writing or drawing each new sound until the timer rings.
Step 13
Open your eyes look at your page and share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a kitchen timer, paper, or coloring materials if we don't have them?
If you don't have a timer use a phone, watch, or clock and if you lack paper or coloring materials use a notebook, plain printer paper, a whiteboard, or a tablet/drawing app to follow the 'Set a timer for five minutes' and 'Gather your paper pencil coloring materials' steps.
What should we do if the child gets distracted or can't hear well during the listening time?
If the child gets distracted during 'Listen carefully to the sounds around you,' pause and take three slow deep breaths again, move to a quieter or more comfortable spot from 'Choose a quiet comfortable spot,' then restart the five-minute timer.
How can this activity be changed for younger or older children?
For younger children shorten the 'Set a timer for five minutes' step to 1–2 minutes and let them use stickers or single-word labels instead of writing, while older children can extend the timer to 10–15 minutes and add detailed descriptive words or comparisons next to each drawing.
How can we extend or personalize the activity after finishing and sharing on DIY.org?
To extend the activity, record sounds with a phone during 'Start the timer' to replay and add new drawings, create a color-coded feelings key with your coloring materials, or assemble the drawings into a themed sound collage before you 'share your finished creation on DIY.org'.
Watch videos on how to practice mindful listening
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Discover the POWER of Mindful Listening in Just 3 Minutes a Day!
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Facts about mindfulness for kids
🧘 Just five minutes of mindful listening can help lower stress and sharpen your focus—a quick calm for your brain.
👂 Most people hear between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, but that top range usually shrinks as we get older.
🔊 Sound travels about 4.3 times faster in water than in air, so whales talk across the ocean like long-distance friends.
🤫 The world's quietest room (an anechoic chamber) can measure below 0 dB and makes you notice tiny sounds like your own heartbeat.
🧠Your brain can pinpoint where a sound comes from using tiny time differences between your ears—sometimes less than a millisecond!
How do I practice mindful listening with my child?
What materials do I need for mindful listening?
What ages is mindful listening suitable for?
What are the benefits of mindful listening for children?
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