Zen for Kids

50+ Mindful Activities and Stories to Shine Loving-Kindness in the World

Illustrated by Melissa Iwai
Look inside
Eleven engaging Zen-inspired stories and fifty activities to help kids (ages 4–8) learn about patience, kindness, honesty, sharing and forgiveness.

Dive into 11 engaging stories drawn from different cultures, each concluding with short reflections, questions, and fun, thought-provoking activities that teach children how to integrate the theme of the story into their lives. There are 53 activities, including:
  • Writing haiku
  • Sitting zazen
  • Observing, making, and appreciating food
  • Growing plants
  • Spreading kindness and performing secret good deeds
  • Learning and writing about family history
  • and more!
LAURA BURGES (Ryuko Eitai) is a lay entrusted Buddhist teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. She lectures, offers classes, and leads retreats at the San Francisco Zen Center and at other practice places in Northern California. She is the abiding teacher at Lenox House Meditation Group in Oakland. Laura taught children for 35 years and now mentors other teachers.
 

MELISSA IWAI has illustrated over 30 books. From the time she was a little kid, she wanted to write and illustrate children’s books. She used to staple paper together and make tiny books for her dolls. She lives with her husband and teenage son in a teeny, tiny apartment in Brooklyn, NY.
 
Zen for Kids is comprised of 11 engaging Zen-inspired stories and 50 activities to help kids learn about patience, kindness, honesty, sharing and forgiveness. These stories are drawn from different cultures, each concluding with short reflections, questions, and fun, thought-provoking activities that teach children how to integrate the theme of the story into their lives. Thoroughly ‘kid friendly’ in organization and presentations, Zen for Kids will prove a welcome and prized addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Buddhism, Zen Philosophy, and Inspirational collections.”—Midwest Book Review
 
“Featuring an assortment of uplifting activities and entertaining stories, Zen for Kids is a heartfelt Buddhist self-help guide.”—Foreword Reviews

“This is a book of zen-inspired activities and stories to help kids learn about patience, kindness, honesty, sharing and forgiveness. Each chapter has a new story to explore, with themed discussion questions, meditations, journal prompts, and hands-on projects.”—International Examiner

About

Eleven engaging Zen-inspired stories and fifty activities to help kids (ages 4–8) learn about patience, kindness, honesty, sharing and forgiveness.

Dive into 11 engaging stories drawn from different cultures, each concluding with short reflections, questions, and fun, thought-provoking activities that teach children how to integrate the theme of the story into their lives. There are 53 activities, including:
  • Writing haiku
  • Sitting zazen
  • Observing, making, and appreciating food
  • Growing plants
  • Spreading kindness and performing secret good deeds
  • Learning and writing about family history
  • and more!

Author

LAURA BURGES (Ryuko Eitai) is a lay entrusted Buddhist teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. She lectures, offers classes, and leads retreats at the San Francisco Zen Center and at other practice places in Northern California. She is the abiding teacher at Lenox House Meditation Group in Oakland. Laura taught children for 35 years and now mentors other teachers.
 

MELISSA IWAI has illustrated over 30 books. From the time she was a little kid, she wanted to write and illustrate children’s books. She used to staple paper together and make tiny books for her dolls. She lives with her husband and teenage son in a teeny, tiny apartment in Brooklyn, NY.
 

Praise

Zen for Kids is comprised of 11 engaging Zen-inspired stories and 50 activities to help kids learn about patience, kindness, honesty, sharing and forgiveness. These stories are drawn from different cultures, each concluding with short reflections, questions, and fun, thought-provoking activities that teach children how to integrate the theme of the story into their lives. Thoroughly ‘kid friendly’ in organization and presentations, Zen for Kids will prove a welcome and prized addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Buddhism, Zen Philosophy, and Inspirational collections.”—Midwest Book Review
 
“Featuring an assortment of uplifting activities and entertaining stories, Zen for Kids is a heartfelt Buddhist self-help guide.”—Foreword Reviews

“This is a book of zen-inspired activities and stories to help kids learn about patience, kindness, honesty, sharing and forgiveness. Each chapter has a new story to explore, with themed discussion questions, meditations, journal prompts, and hands-on projects.”—International Examiner

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Join us this month and beyond to celebrate the cultures and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Browse a curated selection of fiction and nonfiction books by AANHPI creators that we are sure your students will love. Find our collections of titles here: Elementary

Read more

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more