What is a stress ball? Let’s find out what stress balls are used for and why you should make one!
Squeezing and playing with stress balls can help us be mindful. Taking a moment to pause and squeeze them helps us release tension and feel more relaxed. When we pause and squeeze, we do two things; we concentrate on our emotions and feelings, and then when we release the tension we feel more relaxed and at ease.
Making a stress ball is a great way to be present and focus on developing mindfulness. It’s a great form of self-care for children too!
Being mindful is all about taking a minute to pause and reflect on your emotions, feelings and surroundings. Concentrating on these things for a moment can help us feel relaxed. It could be a good idea to explain this to your child before your start this activity!
Be warned – this activity is a messy one. Place down a tablecloth or a sheet so that the flour is easy to catch and tidying up shouldn’t be too difficult, and make sure to have a bin near you to reduce the amount of flour that ends up on the floor rather than in the balloon!
Here’s how to make a Stress Ball!
Material
What you’ll need:
- Flour
- Balloons
- Cup
- Funnel
- Pens/ Pencils
Let’s start making some stress balls!
Step 1: Workstation!
Set up your workstation by laying down a tablecloth, or going outside if the weather’s nice! This will help make cleaning up so easy!
Once your tablecloth is down, it’s time to fill up your cup with flour – you’ll only need one cup of flour for each stress ball you make.
Step 2: Fill It Up!
Place the tip of the funnel at the balloon opening and use it to gently guide the flour from the cup inside the balloon until full.
You can use a pen or pencil to gently push the flour into the balloon. Repeat this until balloon is full.
Step 3: Tie and Decorate!
You’re nearly there! All you have to do is tie a knot in the balloon and tighten with a plastic band. Adult supervision is advised with this step!
Feel free to decorate your stress ball however you want! A fun suggestion would be to draw a face and maybe draw your favourite emotion!
Step 4: Squeeze!
You’ve done it! Now try it out – give it a big squeeze and feel the stress leave your body!
The next time your child is feeling anxious or nervous, remind them about their stress ball, and encourage them to think about the movement and calmness of squeezing it gently in their hand.
