The idea of Bunny Breath comes from Yoga Pretzels, which is a book of yoga poses for kids and adults. We’ve taken the idea and have used it as a breathing activity you can do with an individual or group of children. This is a great tool to use when you need a group to clear their minds or become more alert, such as during a transition period in your classroom, or during that after-lunch comatose phase.

Have the children sit tall on their shins with their backs straight, like a bunny. Tell the students that they’re pretending to be a bunny sniffing the air for other bunnies, or for carrots to eat. Model taking three quick sniffs in the nose and one long exhale out the nose. Repeat several times: sniff, sniff, sniff, b-r-e-a-t-h-e.

Giving kids the opportunity to notice the difference between long and short breaths is important. If a kid can identify when she’s experiencing short breaths, and can understand how to slow her breath down on her own, she can be better prepared for those inevitable high-anxiety situations. Of course, what kid doesn’t love pretending to be an animal? Bunny breath is a fun, and very useful, activity for the kids in your life. Give it a shot!