✦ Explorer Breathing

The goal is to listen, not to watch. The star is for eyes that need somewhere to go. Your job is to breathe where they can see you.

Print or save the one-page handout (PDF) for the classroom, the fridge, or the car.

Narrated by Nancy Richmond, Digital Creator of Keep Shining World. Nothing is recorded or collected; this page just plays.

Before

"Want to take a star break with me?" Pick an explorer together. Shake it out, make a star, hands on bellies. Then press Start.

First time? Read this aloud

"Shake it out. Hands, feet, whole self… and stop. Now make a star: stand tall, feet wide, arms wide. You're a star! Sit down comfy. Hands on your belly. Breathe in, belly big like a balloon. Breathe out, belly small, and hum like the wind in the trees. Mmmm. That's explorer breathing. Belly big on the way down, rest at the corner, hum on the way up."

During

Say nothing. Breathe along, slowly. If someone looks lost, point and whisper, "follow the bear." Wiggles and giggles are fine. Watching counts.

After

"What did you notice?" Then wait. Whatever they say is right. End the same way every time: hands together, "keep shining." The ritual is what makes them reach for it on their own.

Keep it gentle

• Small, comfortable breaths. Never "as deep as you can."
• If a child feels dizzy, stop and breathe normally.
• It's a pause they choose, not a way to make them calm down.

Explorer Breathing is a playful breathing activity, not medical advice or treatment. Grown-ups decide what’s right for their child.