help kids focus and relax with the buddha board

If you have not yet met the Buddha Board, today is your lucky day.

The Buddha Board is the ideal way to help kids find focus and to relax, and honestly every family could use one.

I would do anything some days to bring a little big of peace and calm–and zen–to our home. With a Buddha Board always out on a shelf, we are always just minutes away from unplugged focus and relaxation.

Remember way back when I told you about how we practiced letters by painting with water? Little did I know that years later I would be getting my kids back on drawing board with water painting–this time with a side of meditation and zen.

Here’s a quick overview to understanding the Buddha Board and how you can use it to help kids focus and relax.

1: What is a “Buddha Board”?

Buddha Board is a screen-free tool that allows you to create unlimited designs while calming the mind, one brushstroke at a time! Think: Etch-a-Sketch, but with water!

You simply paint on the surface of the board with water, and your creation comes to life in bold strokes. Then as the water slowly evaporates, your art will magically disappear leaving you with a brand new canvas each time.

Buddha Board is inspired by the zen idea of living in the moment.

And really, living in the moment is something that we all must do more consciously and more regularly. We all may be masters at multi-tasking, but it’s the art of letting go that we need to practice.

How Does It work?

It’s simple.

You dip your brush in water, then “paint” on the Buddha Board. Your design appears on the canvas, and then, as the water slowly evaporates, your art will magically disappear. You are left with a clean slate and a clear mind, ready to create a whole new masterpiece.

Buddha Board is environmentally friendly as it only uses water – no ink, no paint, no chemicals – and it will last for years with proper care.

2: Select A Focus Object

If you want to help your kids to practice mindfulness and focus, have them first select one focus object.

Something that is inanimate, or non-living (or non-moving!), is best.

Consider:

• a piece of fruit
• a backpack
• a vase with flowers
• a pile of books
• a pillow or blanket

Make sure the child is close enough to really get a good look at the object. This focus object will be the item that the child paints on the Buddha Board with the bamboo brush.

3: Breathe And Visualize

Encourage the child to take five deep breaths, close his eyes, and relax.

If the child wants to practice bringing the object to life on the canvas without looking back and forth, that’s fine. He can simply create beautiful images from memory.

However, if the child wants to draw a few strokes on the canvas, then look back at the object, that’s fine too. Really the idea is to simply clear your mind, have fun, and focus.

By focusing on one item and trying to recreate that object on the blank canvas in the short time it takes for it to disappear, kids are really clearing their minds. They’re finding a place of peace and calm.

4: Practice Focus and relax

Be forewarned: focusing like this is not easy, and it will take practice for any person to focus on an object, clear their mind, and create that object quickly before it disappears.

However, with time, this mindfulness work will become easier, and it will be a great place to unplug, unwind, and relax.

Think about how bombarded our kids are these days–tablets, mobile devices, music, television–you name it. All at once, all while they’re trying to complete homework or tell you about their day.

It’s not easy to flex their brain this way, but it will help in so many ways.

Where To Get A Buddha Board

Buddha Boards come in many shapes and sizes, and you can find them just about anywhere.

The Buddha Board website is incredibly relaxing in itself, so it’s worth checking out.

You can also find them on Amazon.

The Original Buddha Board

Click HERE to check out the Original Buddha Board on Amazon.

All that you need is Included: This drawing board for artists includes a 12″ x 9.5″ water painting board that will return to its blank slate without flaws, bubbles, or peeling. The water board set includes an authentic bamboo water brush and a stand with a roomy reservoir for water & separate grooves for holding both the board and brush. Just add water and artistic expression.

• Buddha Board “canvas” (12″ high x 9″ wide x 1/4″ thick)
• Sturdy waterproof stand, complete with a roomy reservoir for water & separate grooves for holding both the board & brush
• Premium bamboo paintbrush with thick, ultra-soft bristles

Buddha Board Enso: Portable

Click HERE to check out the Buddha Board Enso on Amazon.

Enso (en-so) comes from Japanese word ‘circle’ and is a simple, single brush-stroke that represents infinity and the flow of life. It is an artistic ‘expression of the moment’.

Enso is environmentally friendly as it only uses water – no ink, no paint, no chemicals – and it will last for years with proper care.

• Enso (10″ high x 10″ wide x 1″ thick)
• Portable Enso that folds into its own small easel stand
• Premium refillable handle with thick, ultra-soft bristles

The Mini Buddha Board

Click HERE to check out the Mini Buddha Board on Amazon.

The Mini Buddha Board is an elegantly packaged, 5-inch square portable Buddha Board that folds into its own small easel stand. It has a little trough for water if desired, and comes with a small paint brush. Enjoy!

• Mini Buddha Board (5″ high x 5″ wide x 0.5″ thick)
• Portable Mini Buddha Board that folds into its own small easel stand
• Premium mini paintbrush with thick, ultra-soft bristles

My Buddha Board Advice

With three busy teens and a dog, life over here can be loud, chaotic, and crazy.

So when I first saw a Buddha Board and learned about how they can bring peace, calm, and zen to your life, I was ALL IN. I mean, I am totally here for anything that can get a person unplugged.

Sign me up for any activity that helps a person be more mindful.

Three cheers for any product that allows a person to feel peace and calm.

So my Buddha Board advice is this:

• have one always set up on the main floor of your home;
• have it ready to use at any moment;
• let it become something that your kids move to when they are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or frazzled;
• praise anyone in your family who uses it as a strategy to find peace and calm;
• practice mindfulness yourself and model for your kids how to use the Buddha Board;
• have a mini-Buddha Board in your purse or bag to use on the go, in times of waiting or on the sidelines.

Let me know what you think!

How do you practice mindfulness at home with your kids?

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy.