Guest Post by Shira Ackerman, Director of Education and Research for GoNoodle

With Thanksgiving approaching and the holiday season coming soon after, we at GoNoodle know that many parents and teachers seek ways to help their children and students give thanks, offer gratitude, and find time to reflect on the gifts that really matter. As such, we encourage families and teachers to take some time this season for moments of movement, mindfulness and social and emotional learning, in order to help kids focus on the season in meaningful and enjoyable ways. In fact, movement is a great way to do this; as explained by a recent study highlighted by Edutopia: “The most successful social and emotional learning (SEL) programs use active forms of learning to teach students, and evidence suggests that dance outpaces other forms of physical activity and other forms of arts learning when it comes to improving SEL outcomes.”

Below are some tips, suggestions and recommended GoNoodle videos for infusing moments of gratitude, reflection and of course, fun and movement into your kids’ lives this holiday season: 

Show Thanks: Take the time to say thank you for the big and small gifts you receive every day. Consider implementing a weekly moment for you and your kids to show appreciation for someone and why you appreciate that person. 

Recommended GoNoodle Video: Be Grateful 

Recognize Your Own Strength: Appreciating others begins with appreciating yourself. Have kids name, use and share their strengths and talents so they can feel empowered and share all they have to offer with the world!

Recommended GoNoodle Video: Own Your Power

Give the Gift of Movement and Fun: Put aside material gifts and give your kids (and you!) what they really want and need: quality moments of fun, love, and bonding. A short family dance party with kid-friendly music and dance videos from GoNoodle will get your whole family, laughing, letting loose and enjoying your time together. 

Recommended GoNoodle Video: Footloose

Press Pause: Amidst our always busy lives, especially during this time of year, a moment of mindfulness can help everyone relieve stress, feel calm and regulate their emotions. Practice mindfulness as a family or give your child a mindfulness video to do when he/she seems overexcited or overwhelmed. 

Recommended GoNoodle Video: From Mindless to Mindful

GoNoodle provides 100s of free movement and mindfulness videos to help kids to be their best. To get moving at home, visit GoNoodle.com or download the free GoNoodle app for Android, iOS, Roku, and Amazon.

Thanks GoNoodle for these outstanding resources many educators already use in schools and that can be easily accessed and utilized by families. Parents, these videos are short and packed with helpful content. Use them to change the tone in a household, build connection between family members, and support transition times.

At Confident Parents, Confident Kids, we are so grateful for your participation in this global dialogue on parenting for and with social and emotional learning. If you celebrate in the U.S., happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! May you feel a sense of gratitude for your safety, health and happiness over the coming weeks.