Mind Jar or glitter jar/calming jar – whatever you want to call it is a fabulous tool for mindfulness.
I have tried many variations of recipes, but find warm water, glitter glue and glitter work the best.
It can also be fun and more meaningful to add different ingredients, like love, peace, happiness, etc. by labelling different coloured glitter– you can even turn it into a peace potion!
Start with some glitter glue, add a small amount of warm water, mix and slowly add ingredients and more water until you get the right consistency. When cool, it’s a good idea to glue the lin.
ALWAYS USE PLASTIC JARS OR BOTTLES, NEVER GLASS – safety is very important! Also, a good idea to check for leakage beforehand.
I use the coloured bottles from the party section at Kmart (4 in a pack) and clear drink bottles.
You can also add food colouring to make any colour you choose and theme your jar.
Explain to children as you shake the jar, that sometimes our minds are full of thoughts and feelings and we can’t see things clearly as everything is swirling around just like this glitter in the jar. As you put the jar down, the glitter starts to settle and eventually is still and you can see the jar much clearer. Just like our thoughts and feelings, if we take some deep breaths as we watch the jar settle, our mind can become more settled too.
