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Led by For All Seasons’ Chief Clinical Officer Lesa Mulcahy and mindfulness educator Karen M. Kaludis, the program uses developmentally appropriate techniques to help young learners build emotional vocabulary, recognize body cues, and practice self-regulation through creative expression and movement.

“Mindfulness can be beneficial at any age, and the earlier we introduce these skills, the more they support long-term emotional and self-regulation development. With younger children, especially those aged 2 to 3 years old, mindfulness often looks like co-regulation—where an adult helps the child manage emotions and attention by staying calm, present, and connected,� Mulcahy said.

Mulcahy explained that at this stage, children are just beginning to understand and respond to internal cues. They often need an adult’s support, not only to model mindfulness but to practice it with them. Repetition and consistency are key. Many young children pick up these skills after several practice sessions, especially when the adult maintains a nurturing presence.

“In our 2-year-old classroom, for example, we observed children initiating practice by moving our hands or guiding us to move theirs. This kind of physical, shared learning shows how young children naturally engage in mindfulness through connection. By calmly repeating these actions together, they begin to internalize the skills in a developmentally appropriate way,� she said.

Each week, trained facilitators deliver back-to-back sessions in every participating classroom. The lessons incorporate sensory activities, stories and breathwork games that support empathy, connection and self-awareness — all grounded in a consistent, predictable structure that supports young children’s learning.

“It has been a real privilege to work with the children and staff at the Critchlow Atkins Preschool Site. The children have embraced and utilized the breathing and mindfulness exercises that we have taught them in their day-to-day lives. They have used their creativity and imagination to design their unique calming exercises, many of which we have used in the classroom. It is a true delight and source of satisfaction to see how quickly and earnestly they have taken to learning how to calm themselves,� Kaludis said.