Community Reading Project: Guts (In Person)

Guts: Mindful Coloring Activity

This in-house activity will entail approximately 30 minutes of mindful coloring and a book talk to promote the book Guts. The Library will provide printed templates for ‘zen coloring’ and several sets of markers and colored pencils. The budget for this activity is approximately $20 for materials and the project is geared toward all ages. The objective for a majority of the in-house activities for kids and teens is to keep the budget small. Two members of the library staff will be needed to supervise and help children as needed. One member of the library staff can assist with circulation before and after the activity. This activity will be promoted along with the book Guts and it will be advertised on the Library website.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Practicing Mindfulness is effective because it helps replace stressful thoughts and anxiety with something positive. Some of the benefits of Mindfulness for kids and teens include: improved sleep, better attention span, reduced anxiety, stress reduction and help with regulating emotions. Kids and teens who use mindfulness also develop a better understanding of how their brains work. They may even develop a sense of curiosity about how their minds work and why they feel the way they feel, which in the end may lead to a deeper understanding of who they are as a person.

Raina, the main character in the book, Guts, suffers from social anxiety and it manifests itself physically as tummy troubles. In the story she learns tools to manage her feelings, including mindful breathing. In this exercise, we will be using Mindful coloring as a way to unwind, unplug, and destress. Teens especially are bombarded by digital stimuli which prevent them from being fully present with themselves. Mindfulness coloring allows us to switch off extraneous thoughts and focus on the moment.

A sample soundtrack to play during the mindful coloring is Marconi Union's "Weightless". It's an ambient instrumental track that loops (for 10 hours!) to help encourage relaxation.