This is the newest activity in our home, and it has been a huge success in so many ways.
Affirmations are short, positive statements that describe a goal in its completed state. So for example, if you are experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety and you would like to use an affirmation to help feel more at peace, your affirmation could be I FEEL AT PEACE. By wording your affirmation in a way that describes your goal as already being completed (saying I FEEL at peace instead of I wish I were at peace) you are working on reframing your beliefs (the belief that you are not at peace already) as well as putting out the energy that will attract more peace to you. Affirmations can be used to help create the reality that you want. Have you ever heard the quote, where your thoughts go, energy flows? By creating and repeating affirmations, you are giving energy to positive thoughts so they grow into your beliefs, your words, your actions and your reality.
Affirmations aren't just for us adults. Kids can use affirmations, too. And why not introduce them to affirmations while they are young so that they can learn the power of positive thinking and positive energy early?
Years ago I was introduced to a book called Praying In Color, an alternative to traditional prayer. It involves expressing your prayer through coloring. I recently began doing this with my affirmations as a way to deepen my experience and feel more connected to the affirmation. When my 5-year old daughter noticed that some pages in my journal were written on and some were colored, she and about it and that's how I began teaching her about coloring affirmations.
Coloring affirmations is a fun activity for both kids and adults. You write your affirmations in the center, and use crayons, markers or colored pencils to decorate all around them. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just let your creativity flow! I usually write my affirmation inside of a circle and then draw and color designs around it, almost like a mandala. You can also write out several affirmations and connect them with your drawings. Writing out the affirmation and coloring around it allows us to stay focused on the affirmation for a longer period of time because we are actively engaged in creating and decorating it. For kids who aren't writing yet, you can write an affirmation for them or they can draw pictures of their affirmations. When I taught my daughter how to do this, she began creating her own affirmations and asking me to write them for her. She has come up with some beautiful ones: You get what you believe in, stay yourself, be happy, be healthy. While I like to say my affirmation silently to myself several times while I am coloring around it, I don't give her any other instruction about what to do, I enjoy seeing how she makes this her own project and does it in her own way. I gave her her own affirmation notebook which makes it even more special for her.
So, why should kids color affirmations instead of just saying them?
1. Sometimes sitting still or quietly focusing on an affirmation is a challenge for kids
2. This is a visual, concrete way for them to create affirmations
3. They can express their affirmation with creativity
4. Coloring is a fun, relaxing & meditative experience
5. The physical action allows them to stay focused on the affirmation longer
Here are some examples of affirmations you can teach to your kids to get started.
* I am happy to be ME
* I am an amazing person
* I choose happiness
* Today is going to be a great day
* I believe in my goals and my dreams
When you first begin using affirmations, it might be hard to remember them or make them a regular part of our day. That's one of the reasons I am loving coloring affirmations with my daughter - we recently began making coloring a regular part of our day so remembering our affirmations has become a lot easier. Give this a try at home with your kids! Start creating and sharing positive affirmations together. Happy coloring :)
Affirmations are short, positive statements that describe a goal in its completed state. So for example, if you are experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety and you would like to use an affirmation to help feel more at peace, your affirmation could be I FEEL AT PEACE. By wording your affirmation in a way that describes your goal as already being completed (saying I FEEL at peace instead of I wish I were at peace) you are working on reframing your beliefs (the belief that you are not at peace already) as well as putting out the energy that will attract more peace to you. Affirmations can be used to help create the reality that you want. Have you ever heard the quote, where your thoughts go, energy flows? By creating and repeating affirmations, you are giving energy to positive thoughts so they grow into your beliefs, your words, your actions and your reality.
Affirmations aren't just for us adults. Kids can use affirmations, too. And why not introduce them to affirmations while they are young so that they can learn the power of positive thinking and positive energy early?
Years ago I was introduced to a book called Praying In Color, an alternative to traditional prayer. It involves expressing your prayer through coloring. I recently began doing this with my affirmations as a way to deepen my experience and feel more connected to the affirmation. When my 5-year old daughter noticed that some pages in my journal were written on and some were colored, she and about it and that's how I began teaching her about coloring affirmations.
Coloring affirmations is a fun activity for both kids and adults. You write your affirmations in the center, and use crayons, markers or colored pencils to decorate all around them. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just let your creativity flow! I usually write my affirmation inside of a circle and then draw and color designs around it, almost like a mandala. You can also write out several affirmations and connect them with your drawings. Writing out the affirmation and coloring around it allows us to stay focused on the affirmation for a longer period of time because we are actively engaged in creating and decorating it. For kids who aren't writing yet, you can write an affirmation for them or they can draw pictures of their affirmations. When I taught my daughter how to do this, she began creating her own affirmations and asking me to write them for her. She has come up with some beautiful ones: You get what you believe in, stay yourself, be happy, be healthy. While I like to say my affirmation silently to myself several times while I am coloring around it, I don't give her any other instruction about what to do, I enjoy seeing how she makes this her own project and does it in her own way. I gave her her own affirmation notebook which makes it even more special for her.
So, why should kids color affirmations instead of just saying them?
1. Sometimes sitting still or quietly focusing on an affirmation is a challenge for kids
2. This is a visual, concrete way for them to create affirmations
3. They can express their affirmation with creativity
4. Coloring is a fun, relaxing & meditative experience
5. The physical action allows them to stay focused on the affirmation longer
Here are some examples of affirmations you can teach to your kids to get started.
* I am happy to be ME
* I am an amazing person
* I choose happiness
* Today is going to be a great day
* I believe in my goals and my dreams
When you first begin using affirmations, it might be hard to remember them or make them a regular part of our day. That's one of the reasons I am loving coloring affirmations with my daughter - we recently began making coloring a regular part of our day so remembering our affirmations has become a lot easier. Give this a try at home with your kids! Start creating and sharing positive affirmations together. Happy coloring :)
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