and movement on the Lincoln Park playground.
Youth in the Boys & Girls Club 4-H program have been getting outside and practicing mindfulness. One of the activities we practiced this summer utilizes a small toy called a balancing bird. The activity was adapted from the book, My Grandmother’s Hands, by Resmaa Menakem.
Using the birds, youth practiced focusing their attention on balance, keeping the bird as still as possible. Once they mastered balancing the birds on a fingertip, they practiced moving around the park, and holding the bird in different places. During the reflection, youth identified that the activity helped them feel calm. They had a lot of fun experimenting with different ways to move their body while focusing their minds.
The Boys & Girls Club 4-H program met every Thursday through the summer, and wrapped up on August 26. It will resume with a new date and time when the school year resumes this month.