Abstract
Mindfulness can help children improve their focus, manage their stress, and better regulate their emotional responses and behaviors. Exercise can also be beneficial in supporting children’s cognitive health and functioning. The purpose of this project is to provide educators with a curriculum that can be utilized to incorporate mindfulness lessons and practices into physical education minutes, and to ultimately foster sustainable mindful and exercise practices in elementary school-age children. The Mindful Movement Curriculum is aimed for elementary school students and is differentiated into two developmental levels: K-3rd grade and 4th-6th grade. The first section consists of 8 activities aimed for K-3rd grade students and the second section consists of 8 activities aimed for 4th-6th grade students. This project contains a literature review on the research supporting the benefits of mindfulness, the benefits of exercise, along with the potential benefits of integrating the two in schools. The literature reviewed was used to develop The Mindful Movement Curriculum, a research-informed resource for teachers to use, specifically during state-mandated Physical Education (PE) minutes. It was designed to introduce elementary students to mindful exercise practices and contribute to sustainable overall physical and mental well-being for students in schools.