Discover how simple breathing exercises can help children feel calmer, more focused, and in control of their emotions. Learn fun and effective breathing strategies for kids, from ‘butterfly breaths’ to Navy SEAL box breathing.
Your breath – it’s absolutely amazing!
Apart from the fact it keeps us alive (and that’s pretty miraculous!) – it also has the power to change how we think and feel.
You see, when stress takes over, our breathing becomes quick and shallow. But if we consciously slow it down and take deeper breaths – our bodies and minds start to relax.
And the best part? Kids can learn this too. Teaching children how to control their breathing gives them a simple tool to to manage strong emotions, reduce anxiety, and even think more clearly in tense moments.
Research shows that when kids feel more worried than usual, doing slow diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) helps them feel more relaxed.
So, from playful “balloon breaths” to Navy SEAL strategies, here’s a quick look at the calming techniques we’ll cover.
Take a Deep Breath: Here’s What’s Inside
Scroll through these strategies and pick the ones that click with your child—you don’t need them all, just a few favorites.
Calming Breathing Strategies for Kids
There’s a lot of breathing techniques taught for adults. But let’s be honest – things like counting as you breathe, is not the most fun thing in the world for kids. That’s why these strategies tap into kids’ imaginations to make breathing techniques enjoyable.
(Want even more tools like this? You might love 21 play therapy techniques anyone can use.)
Here are 7 favorite breathing strategies I use in play therapy:
1 Balloon Breathing Exercise for Kids:
Encourage your child to imagine their belly is a balloon. Then ask them to breathe in deeply through their nose and as their belly rises, imagine the balloon filling. Next, exhale slowly through the mouth to let it deflate.
This rhythmic breathing helps calm the nervous system.
2 Teddy Bear Belly Breathing:
Invite your child to lie down and place their favorite teddy bear or soft toy on their tummy. As they breathe in and out, they will see the toy rise and fall.
This helps them to recognize the connection between breath and body.
3 Elephant Breathing Exercise for Kids:
Encourage children to hold their arms straight out in front of them and clasp their hands together like an elephant’s trunk. Then get them to inhale as they raise their trunk up and exhale while lowering it – all the way down to their toes! Do this several times and then finish with an imaginary shower of water, as they shake their trunk over their head.
I love how this exercise incorporates the use of movement and makes kids giggle.
4 Hot Chocolate Breathing Exercise for Kids:
This one is lovely for winter. Start by inviting the child to cup their hands together and imagine they’re holding a lovely big mug of hot chocolate. Then ask them to inhale and smell the sweet chocolate, and hold. Next, exhale very slowly out through the lips, as if blowing to cool it down.
The lengthened exhale should help children feel calmer. In fact, better still, join in and feel yourself relax!
5 Butterfly Breathing Exercise for Kids:
Invite your child to stand with their feet slightly apart and relax their hands by their sides. Then like the movement of beautiful butterfly wings, encourage them to slowly take a deep breath in for a count of 3, as they raise their arms up. Next, breathe out, counting backwards from 3, as they raise them down.
Encourage them to link the movement of their arms to their breath. Repeat and notice the calm.
6 Navy SEALs Box Breathing Technique for Kids:
Sometimes kids aren’t keen on breathing exercises—and I totally get that! There was a time when I was really skeptical myself. I thought it was all too fluffy to be effective, until I learned how Navy SEALs use Box Breathing to help them stay calm and think clearly, under extreme stress. That changed my mind, and it might change your child’s too—especially if they love adventure.
So, for reluctant recruits here’s the SEALs go-to technique. Have your child picture or trace a square in the air. Inhale for 4 counts up one side, hold for 4 across the top, exhale for 4 down the other side, and hold for 4 along the bottom. Repeat a few times—it’s simple, powerful, and great for focus and calm.
7 High Five Breathing Technique for Children:
Have your child hold their hand out in front of them as if about to do a high five. (Or if they prefer they can just imagine their hand in their mind). Then breath in as they trace up their thumb, pause at the top, and breathe out as they trace down the other side, and pause there. Repeat this for fingers as well.
This is a great visual aid for encouraging breathing.
Breathing Strategies For Kids: Tips For Daily Practice
Practicing breathing strategies for kids every day, not only naturally lowers their stress but it also lets you have a few techniques up your sleeve, should they come up against a crisis.
Try to:
- Make it playful: Kids are more likely to engage when it’s fun.
- Be consistent: Practice a few minutes daily, or during moments of stress.
- Mix and match: Different exercises work better for different moods and personalities.
(Want more on how breathing-patterns affect mood? Check out Eric Barker’s ‘How to Be Healthier Without Really Trying’ — for a fun take on intriguing, science-inspired tips.)
Closing Thoughts on Breathing Strategies for Kids
Breathing is powerful. Teaching kids these techniques gives them a tool to regulate emotions, reduce anxiety, and handle stress—both in everyday life and in bigger challenges.
So, take a deep breath together, try a few of these exercises, and notice how calm and focused everyone feels!
You might want to explore other fun ways to help kids manage anxiety, right here on the blog:
- Externalize Anxiety – a creative art activity that helps kids confront their worries and figure out how to deal with them.
- Interoception – uncover this hidden sense and help kids understand how anxiety shows up in their bodies.
- The Worry Box Technique – a neuroscience-backed tool that teaches kids to manage anxiety and build resilience, one worry at a time.
- 21 play therapy techniques parents can use – practical, fun activities that help kids express feelings, build coping skills, and strengthen your parent–child connection.
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