Hot cocoa breathing sensory art activity

You may have already heard of the technique to help children learn deep breathing by allowing them to imagine smelling hot cocoa then blowing on it to cool it off. I have used this technique with children of all ages and find it particularly helpful for children who need the more tangible image to remind them of the skill. 
  
I recently started having children draw their own good morning mug that would remind them of something positive in the morning. I then allow them to use chocolate SCENTED marker to color the hot cocoa and use cotton balls for marshmallows. This allows the child to experience multiple senses during the activity and can help them better remember the skill by integrating the experience! Children really enjoy learning deep breathing this way and it can help them remember to breathe in their nose and out their mouth (smelling hot cocoa in their nose and blowing out their mouth to “cool it off”). You can also have them design a positive affirmation mug in this activity and create a morning routine! This can be done by having the child practice deep breathing in the morning while imagining their positive affirmation mug and hot cocoa breathing technique! We call need to start mornings off right and sometimes all we need is a little positive and fun reminder. 🙂