Emma Watkins has designed a DIY xylophone for kids to promote mindfulness

Young or old, everyone can benefit from mindfulness. It is the practice of being aware of what is happening in the present moment and allowing thoughts and emotions to come and go.

Mindfulness can also help to alleviate anxiety and increase happiness. To promote mindfulness for children, Yellow Wiggle, Emma Watkins has designed a DIY xylophone with the aim of engaging kids in 15 minutes of mindful activity.

Emma says children are instinctively mindful from an early age and they often feel stressed.

“It is really important to foster and nurture mindfulness in every way possible,” explains Emma, 30.

“Children are often under heightened stress, making it difficult for them to stay in tune with their senses, inner thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness balances this stress, helping to develop their minds and achieve happiness.”

For Emma, music is a powerful way to enhance her mindfulness, helping her to calm down, relax and even heal and she says children can also benefit from the power of rhythm and beats.

“Xylophones are a great percussive instrument for children to learn, understand and create different tones and rhythms that promote mindfulness,” she says.

“Rhythm can relax and centre the mind, allowing your little ones to focus and help them to connect better with others and the spaces they are in. Using rhythms and beats like the ones that can be created on a xylophone, children can experience many of the same benefits as meditation like an increase in positive emotions, social connectedness and mindful awareness whilst helping to reduce anxiety, fatigue and overall negative moods.”

The DIY xylophone is one of the limited-edition mini-flatpacks, called ‘Mindsets’ available from IKEA.

The ‘Mindsets’ range include:

• A DIY Xylophone from Yellow Wiggle, Emma Watkins
• A bird box from one of Australia’s favourite gardeners, Jason Hodges
• A pet treat puzzle for our furry friends, courtesy of Instagram sensation, Mr Chuck
• A 3D representation of art from street artist, Fintan Magee, and
• A series of 4 coasters that double up as a jigsaw puzzle as designed by the Head of Interior Design for IKEA, Christine Gough

Each collaborator has created a Spotify Playlist that can be listened to while constructing the flatpacks through a DIY phone speaker, made using the contents of the box the Mindset arrives in.

Plus, each collaborator has also recorded a mindfully inspired podcast episode, linked to their area of expertise, so you can join Emma for a percussive podcast lesson using sounds from around the home.