As our society becomes more in touch with many facets of mental health — in regards to people of all ages, including children — we’ve learned that art and colouring can go beyond simply creating art for art’s sake.

When we introduce mindfulness to art, we become more aware of the present moment. We focus on our breathing, calm our stressors, and create playfully with full attention given to the activity we are undertaking. This is what’s known as mindful colouring, and it provides a wide range of personal, emotional and mental health benefits.

What is Mindful Colouring?

Through mindful colouring, we focus on the task at hand: the colours, the feeling of the pen or paintbrush in our hand, and our sense of calm as we make lines and brush strokes. We let go of any thoughts of the past and future, and instead focus on the present moment and how it makes us feel. This is facilitated through the act of colouring and creating art, which can be a helpful tool in keeping us focused and aware.

Benefits of Mindful Colouring

The benefits of making art mindfully are vast, and they are applicable to people of all ages. Mindful colouring:

• Improves focus and concentration
• Reduces anxiety, stress and overwhelm
• Allows for processing of under-the-surface emotions
• Enables us to understand ourselves better
• Creates moments of calm in a busy day
• Acts as an alternative to meditation
• Improves motor skills
• Provides numerous mental health benefits
• Facilitates creativity and artistic spirit

How to Teach Mindful Colouring to Kids

At first, mindful colouring can be a challenging concept for young minds to understand. Instead of asking them to understand a key meditation practice (awareness of the present moment, which can be challenging, even for us adults), we can encourage them to think about what they are doing.

This may sound like:

• “In this moment, I am colouring.”
• “I will use the colour yellow to colour the flowers and the sun.”
• “I have coloured the kangaroo blue.”
• “Colouring makes me feel happy.”
• “I like the feeling of using this marker.”
• “I think it’s funny when I colour the cow purple.” 

How to Encourage Mindful Colouring

Mindful colouring is a great practice to incorporate into daily family life. Below are some tips for encouraging and facilitating this habit:

• Make it a shared activity with the family. Adults can join in on mindful colouring, too — and this way, you can reflect on feelings and emotions that arise together.
• Invest in sets that speak to their interests and make them feel good, such as an OUTER SPACE Re-FUN-able™ Colouring Set for those who are interested in exploring the cosmos.
• Encourage kids to speak their mindful thoughts out loud.
• Try all kinds of artistic mediums. Encourage playing with colour. Consider teaching basic colour theory, so kids can become mindful of how colours mix and interact.

Mindful Colouring Kits

Little Change Creators’ Re-FUN-able™ Colouring Sets are a versatile option for kids who love to create. Each set comes with a velvety-smooth silicone placemat that is reusable and reversible for endless creative play.