5 Breathing Techniques for Kids With Anxiety

Kids feel anxiety too — before school, at bedtime, after a scare — and 'calm down' helps them about as much as it helps adults. Breathing exercises give a child something concrete to do. The trick is making them playful.

Keep it simple and fun

Children respond to breathing when it feels like a game, not a chore. Turn each technique into an image they can picture.

1. Balloon breaths

Hands on the belly, imagine inflating a balloon on the in-breath, then slowly letting the air out. Big belly in, slow deflate out.

2. Smell the flower, blow the candle

Breathe in through the nose like smelling a flower, out through the mouth like gently blowing out a candle. Simple, and the long exhale does the calming.

3. Bunny breaths

Three quick sniffs in through the nose, one long breath out. Kids love the bunny part, and it resets a worked-up breath.

4. Star breathing

Trace a star, or their own hand, with a finger — breathe in going up a point, out going down. A visual path keeps them engaged.

5. Teddy on the tummy

At bedtime, lie down with a stuffed animal on the belly and watch it rise and fall slowly. Great for winding down.

A note for parents

Practise these when your child is calm, not only mid-meltdown, so the tool is familiar when they need it. Breathe along with them — your calm is contagious. If anxiety is persistent or intense, check in with a paediatrician or counsellor.

Need it right now? Open the quick-start page: The best breathing exercise for anxiety.