5 Five-Minute Nature Regulation Activities for School Age Kids
Combine movement, sensory exploration and mindfulness to support students to reset and refocus with this collection of simple nature regulation activities.
Perfect as whole-class regulation breaks, these simple nature-based activities each take no more than five to ten minutes and are great for use with groups of school-age children across the primary grades.
5 Five-Minute Nature Regulation Activities
1. Nature Colour Hunt
Invite students to search a designated outdoor area for one natural item in a chosen colour (green, yellow, brown, white, etc.). Once everyone returns, compare the different shades and discuss the similarities and differences – are any of the collected objects exactly alike? If time allows, challenge smaller groups of 8-10 students to place their items in order from the lightest to darkest shades of the chosen colour.
Why it works: Provides a calming opportunity for students to pause, focus their attention and connect with the natural world.
Extension: Invite each student to describe their collected item in three words.
Before you begin, remind students to look after nature as they explore. When children collect natural objects, establish simple guidelines, such as only collecting items that have already fallen to the ground (e.g. leaves, twigs and gum nuts).
2. Leaf Sorting Challenge
Group students into small groups of three or four. Provide each group with a collection of leaves. Challenge students to work together to sort the leaves in as many different ways as they can – for example, by size, colour, shape, texture or number of points.
Why it works: Encourages focus through close observation and sorting.
Extension: If you have the time available before commencing the activity, invite students to collect 3-5 different leaves each for use in the activity.
3. Pebble Breathing
Invite students to sit quietly, giving them each a small, smooth stone to hold.
As they breathe in, students slowly trace the edge of the pebble with their thumb in one direction.
As they breathe out, students trace the edge back again in the opposite direction. Depending upon the age of students, you might use the terms clockwise and anti-clockwise to describe the movement.
Repeat for one or two minutes before quietly collecting the pebbles.
Why it works: The combination of slow, mindful breathing and the soothing texture of the pebble can help students feel more calm and settled.
4. Nature Pattern Makers
Invite students to use loose natural materials to create a repeating pattern. For example:
- leaf, stick, leaf, stick
- stone, gum nut, flower
- small leaf, large leaf
Older students can create increasingly complex sequences.
Why it works: Supports mindfulness by inviting students to arrange natural materials with care and intention.
Extension: Working individually or with a partner, students arrange leaves, sticks, stones, seed pods or flowers into a circular pattern to create a nature mandala.
5. Sit Spot Sensory Scan
Direct students to find a quiet spot to sit outdoors and, once settled, to spend five minutes noticing:
- Five things they can see
- Four things they can hear
- Three things they can feel
- Two things they can smell, and
- Taking one slow, deep breath.
Why it works: Creates a calming pause in the day, helping students connect with nature to feel more grounded.
More About Sit Spots
A sit spot is a quiet outdoor space where children can sit and observe nature with their senses, practice mindfulness, and feel a sense of calm and connection.
When choosing an outdoor area for sit spots for your class, choose an area that is easy to access, where students can sit comfortably and, preferably, with low levels of distraction. If possible, choose a space with plants and trees for students to sit under, against or near. The space should be large enough for children to spread out to sit without distracting each other.
If possible, revisit your sit spots for five to ten minutes once a week, adding a quiet moment to the busy routine of school. Regular sit spot time can be used in many ways, including:
- Sensory exploration: Invite students to list or draw what they can smell, see, hear and feel within reach of their sit spot.
- Movement check: Encourage students to look specifically around them for what is moving and what is still.
- Nature fidget: Give each student a natural object to hold with an invitation to observe its colour, texture, size, smell and shape. Ask students to use three words to describe their object.
- Sizing nature up: Encourage students to look closely to determine the smallest thing they can see without moving from their spot, and the biggest.
- Nature journalling: Invite students to draw or describe something alive that they can see from their spot.
- Sound mapping: Have students close their eyes and focus on the sounds they can hear, considering which sounds are near and which are further away. If time allows, students can draw a map with themselves in the middle and a note of where each sound is coming from in relation to their own location.
Suggestions for Adapting Sit Spots for Inclusivity
- Include a short movement activity before pausing to sit.
- Allow students to choose their own sit spot location.
- Keep sit spot sessions short, starting with just 30 seconds, and then slowly extending the time.
- Provide small foam mats for students to sit on.
- For students who need to stand, offer a stand spot. They might even like to lean against a tree.
- Consider other tools that may assist a student to focus, such as paper and drawing materials, a magnifying glass or the use of a natural item (pebble, gumnut, small banksia pod) as a fidget.
