Mind Jar
In Lesson 11 of the Kindness Curriculum, children create a “mind jar” filled with water and glitter. Whenever a child feels upset—angry, sad, or frustrated—they can shake the mind jar and watch glitter gradually settle, just as our minds and emotions gradually settle after feeling distressed.
Watch this short video to see a mind jar in action…
MIND JAR INGREDIENTS
Clear plastic bottle (or glass jar, for adults), 5-10 ounces
Glitter: regular glitter, white or iridescent glitter (for extra shimmer), and/or extra-fine colored glitter
Clear glue (slows the glitter)
Clear liquid dish soap (helps the glitter settle)
Super glue
MIND JAR INSTRUCTIONS
Fill jar 1/4 full with clear glue.
Add warm water to fill the jar 1/2 way. (This makes adding the glitter easier.)
Add 1 heaping tsp. course/regular glitter, 1/2 tsp. white glitter, 1 tsp. extra-fine glitter (use more glitter if using a bottle larger than 5 ounces). It’s fine to change the amounts based on the glitter you choose.
Add warm water to the top.
Add 1-2 drops of liquid dish soap.
Put the cap on the bottle/jar and shake it up. Add more glitter as needed.
Use super glue around the rim to seal the cap.
This recipe isn’t an exact science! Add more glue if you’d like the glitter to settle slowly, less if you’d like it to settle quickly. Try different colors and kinds of glitter. Making mind jars is fun and sometimes messy. Let yourself and your kids play around and experiment. Then put the mind jar in a special “quiet place” within your home. When anyone—child or adult—is feeling angry, sad, frustrated, worried, or over-excited, they can shake the mind jar and watch it settle.