Mind Body Align

10/13/2026

“How was school?”

“Fine.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

Sound familiar?

Sometimes the problem isn't that our children don't want to talk. It's that we're asking them to summarize an entire day when they're tired, hungry, or just ready to be home.

And sometimes they simply need a little time before they're ready to share.

In her latest article, Mind Body Align educator and mom Brooke Unger shares a few better ways to start conversations after school.

Instead of “How was school?” consider asking:

• What made you smile today?
• Did anything funny happen?
• What was something that felt hard today?
• Is there anything you want to tell me about?

And sometimes the best conversation starter is simply:

“I'm glad you're home.”

Read Brooke's article for more ideas about connecting with children and teens after a long school day.

https://mindbodyalign.com/family_resources/questions-to-ask-kids-after-school/

What's the funniest answer you've ever received when asking your child about school?

Getting “fine” when you ask about school? Try these questions and low-pressure ways to help kids and teens open up about their day.

10/12/2026

Reading together builds more than reading skills.

For more than 20 years in her third-grade classroom, Julie Braumberger made reading aloud part of the school day—even after her students could read independently.

Why?

Because books gave children something to laugh about, wonder about, and experience together.

Reading can also create opportunities for connection, conversation, and a quieter moment during a busy day.

In her latest article, Julie shares why reading together matters long after children learn to read on their own—and how families, teachers, and librarians can protect that time.

Read the article: https://mindbodyalign.com/educator_resources/benefits-of-reading-together/

What's one book your children or students never get tired of hearing?

Reading together builds more than literacy. Discover how shared reading can support connection, curiosity, confidence, and a love of books.

10/12/2026

What do you notice when you look a little closer? At Pictured Rocks, the details are part of what makes the view extraordinary—the colors, layers, water, caves and shoreline. For children, noticing can be powerful, too. What am I feeling? What is my body telling me? What's happening around me? What might someone else be feeling? Observation is another skill children encounter through Labyrinth Adventures—because sometimes what we notice changes what happens next.

10/08/2026

Your classroom doesn't always need four walls. 🍂

Fall gives us one of the best classrooms of all, the outdoors.
In Tia Takes a Hike, Tia's adventure gives children an opportunity to pay attention to what's happening around them AND in their bodies.

Do a two-minute fall noticing walk with your students.
~Walk quietly.
~Notice the temperature.
~Listen to the sounds.
~Feel your feet touching the ground.
~Look at the trees.
~Then ask: How does your body feel after spending a few quiet minutes outside?

Teachers, we'd love to hear from you. Do you take your students outside during the fall? What's their favorite outdoor activity? 🍁👇

10/06/2026

Sometimes progress looks like one more step. Anyone who has climbed a sand dune knows the feeling: step forward, slip back, keep going. Children experience their own versions every day—a difficult task, a disagreement, learning something new, or working through frustration. Stories give children a safe place to explore those moments.

That's one reason Labyrinth Adventures pairs engaging stories with practical tools children can use beyond storytime. Next stop on our Michigan journey: Persistence.

Michigan Library Association

10/02/2026

"Calm down.”

Most of us have said it—to our children, our students, or both.

But when a child is already frustrated, disappointed, angry, or overwhelmed, “calm down” doesn't give them much help figuring out *how* to get there.

So what can we say instead?

In her latest article, former third-grade teacher and Mind Body Align Director of Education Julie Braumberger shares simple phrases adults can use when children are having big emotions:

→ “I see you're having a hard time.”

→ “I'm here with you.”

→ “Let's take one slow breath together.”

→ “When you're ready, we'll figure out what to do next.”

The goal isn't to make difficult feelings disappear. It's to help children learn that they don't have to navigate those feelings alone.

Read or listen to the 6-minute article:
https://mindbodyalign.com/whole-child-development/what-to-say-instead-of-calm-down/

What phrase has helped you when a child is having a hard moment?

10/01/2026

Every great journey starts with a connection.

Michigan has the Mackinac Bridge. Libraries have stories. Both have a remarkable ability to bring people together.

As we make our way toward the Michigan Library Association's Annual Conference, we're taking a Michigan journey inspired by some of the same skills children explore in Labyrinth Adventures.

First stop: Connection.

Michigan librarians, we'll see you October 28–30 in Green Zone 3, Booth 4.

10/01/2026

Have you ever walked past the same tree every day...and suddenly noticed that it turned bright red? 🍁

Sometimes we LOOK without really SEEING.

In Oliver Plays Hide and Seek, Oliver learns to slow down and pay attention to the little details around him.

Fall is the perfect time to practice.

Take your students outside and ask them to find:
🍂 One leaf with more than one color
🌳 One interesting shape
🔎 One tiny detail they've never noticed before

Then ask: What did you notice today that you might have missed yesterday?

Tell us below:

09/27/2026

Big feelings happen.

When they do, a pencil becomes a quiet cue:
Pause.
Exhale.
Think.

You’re giving students more than supplies — you’re giving them tools for calm and clarity.

09/25/2026

Does an engaged child have to sit perfectly still during storytime?

Not necessarily.

Sometimes the child wiggling on the carpet, acting out part of the story, or waiting impatiently to shout out the repeated phrase is paying very close attention.

In her latest article, educator Julie Braumberger 7 practical storytime strategies she has learned from years of reading with children—as a teacher, educator, and mom.

You’ll find simple ideas for:

Giving children something specific to listen or look for
Making movement part of the story
Asking questions children can actually answer
Using repetition and predictable participation
Giving children a role in the storytelling
Connecting the story to their own lives
Ending with something they can do with what they learned

Whether your storytime happens in a classroom, library, program, or on the couch at home, the goal isn't perfect stillness.

It's helping children become part of the story.

Read Julie's 7 Storytime Strategies That Keep Even the Most Energetic Children Engaged: https://mindbodyalign.com/educator_resources/storytime-strategies/

What works best when you have a particularly energetic group at storytime?

Try 7 simple storytime strategies that use movement, questions, participation, and play to keep energetic children engaged and learning.