Flower Breathing for Kids

Smell the flower for 3, then blow out the candle for 4. The flower opens as your child breathes in and closes as they breathe out, and a calm voice says each step.

Flower Breathing for Kids timer

Ready 3 Smell 3, blow 4 · press Start
Round 1 0:00

The session keeps going if you open another page; pause or end it from the player at the bottom of the screen.

Pattern (seconds)
Length
Guide

Listen as an audio session (1:13)

Smell 3 · Blow 4 for about 1 minute, with the same voice as the timer, as one recording: press play and close your eyes.

Download MP3 (0.6 MB)

How to do flower breathing

Flower breathing is a simple breathing game for children: breathe in slowly through the nose as if smelling a flower, then breathe out slowly through the mouth as if blowing out a candle. The pictures replace counting, and the out-breath is a little longer than the in-breath. There are no holds.

  1. Sit together comfortably. Hold up a pretend flower in one hand and a pretend candle in the other.
  2. Smell the flower: breathe in slowly through the nose for a count of 3.
  3. Blow out the candle: breathe out slowly through the mouth for a count of 4, a gentle, steady blow rather than a big puff.
  4. Watch the flower on the screen open on the in-breath and close on the out-breath.
  5. Repeat 5 to 10 times, about a minute, or for as long as it stays fun.
  6. Finish by asking how their body feels now.

How to use this timer

  • Do it together and breathe along: children copy what they see.
  • A slow, gentle blow works better than a big puff. If they puff hard and fast, pick "Smell 2, blow 3".
  • Keep it short. One minute is plenty for young children.
  • Turn the voice on so they can close their eyes, or choose "Silent" and say the words yourself.

When to use it

  • When feelings are big, after a cry or an argument, once the worst has passed.
  • At bedtime, as part of winding down.
  • Before something new or a bit scary, like a test, a doctor's visit or a first day.

Go easy, or ask your doctor first, if

  • Your child has asthma or another breathing condition (follow their care plan, and stop if breathing feels harder)
  • They feel dizzy or tingly, a sign of breathing too hard (stop and breathe normally together, and use a softer blow next time)
  • They don't want to do it right now (keep it a game, never a punishment)

Stop and breathe normally if you feel dizzy, short of breath or anxious.

Questions

What is flower breathing?

A breathing game for kids: smell a pretend flower (breathe in through the nose), then blow out a pretend candle (breathe out through the mouth). The pictures make slow breathing easy to explain.

What age is it for?

It is simple enough for preschoolers and still useful for older children. Use the shorter counts, 2 and 3, for little ones.

Does it help kids calm down?

Slow breathing is linked with feeling calmer in studies of adults, but research in children is limited, and there is none on flower breathing itself. Think of it as a simple, low-risk tool to practise when your child is calm, so it is familiar when feelings are big.

What if my child feels dizzy?

Stop and breathe normally together. Dizziness or tingling usually means breathing too hard. Next time use the shorter counts and a softer blow.

Should we use it in the middle of a meltdown?

It may be too much to ask in the moment. Practise when things are calm, and offer it once the worst has passed.

Sources

  1. Zaccaro et al., How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing (Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018) (opens in a new tab)
  2. NCCIH: Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know (opens in a new tab)
  3. Cleveland Clinic: Hyperventilation Syndrome (opens in a new tab)