Mafic Castle Readers is a term used to describe a group of individuals who have a strong interest in the fantasy genre, particularly in the subgenre of castle-themed settings. This group of readers are drawn to stories set in grand, majestic castles, with towering turrets, opulent interiors, and a sense of history and mystery. The term "mafic" refers to the type of rock that is dark in color and rich in magnesium and iron. This choice of word may be an allusion to the dark, atmospheric nature of the castle-themed fantasy stories that this group of readers enjoys. Mafic Castle Readers are captivated by the sense of escapism that these stories provide. Through the pages of a book, they can explore intricate castle layouts, intricate secret passages, and hidden chambers.
Through the pages of a book, they can explore intricate castle layouts, intricate secret passages, and hidden chambers. They can envision themselves roaming the expansive halls, uncovering long-forgotten treasures and encountering magical creatures. The castle itself is often central to the plot, acting as a character in its own right.
A Mindful Kids Practice: The Breath Ball
Kids can learn the basics of mindfulness — how to follow the breath — using a timeless toy: an expandable ball called a Hoberman sphere.
- By Christopher Willard and Andrew Jordan Nance
- May 25, 2018
- Daily Practices
When we teach kids mindfulness, whether it’s at school or at home, it helps to turn the lesson into a fun activity — through play, movement, visualization, and games.
One of our favorite toys for teaching basic breath awareness is the Hoberman sphere, a geodesic dome that can be folded and unfolded. We call this tool the breath ball because we can mimic the movements of breathing through the dome’s movements: as the dome folds inward, we imagine the out-breath contracting; as the dome expands, we imagine the lungs expanding on the in-breath.
The Hoberman sphere might be more remarkable than the fidget spinner. Some are pocket-sized, glow-in-the-dark — others are hundreds of pounds, hanging from museum ceilings. For our purposes, consider what’s most practical or interesting for you and your kids.
Introducing the breath ball to your child or group
Your script can go something like this:
- First, place your hand on your belly. Ask your children if they can guess what you are doing as you make a somewhat exaggerated and loud breath, perhaps in through your nose, and out through your mouth.
- Once they guess that you are breathing, congratulate them and let them know that you are going to teach them how to open up their breath so that their bodies and minds can open up and work their best.
- Then reveal the breath ball, giving it any name that feels right to you. You might settle on the breath ball, magic mindfulness sphere, or even the Breathing Orb, which has a nice sci-fi ring to it that might appeal to some kids.
Explore these five breathing ball activities with your children:
1. Basic Breath Ball Practice
- Using both hands, gently hold the breathing ball in front of your belly.
- Hold one square on opposite sides of the sphere’s surface.
- Take a deep breath in. As your belly expands, let the ball expand with it. (As an added option, make your breath audible so the kids catch on to the in-breath/out-breath pattern.)
- Breathe in fairly slowly, maybe holding momentarily at the top of the breath as you fully expand the ball.
- As you breath out, allow the sphere to contract to its smallest size.
- Repeat a few times and ask if the children are ready to take their turn. You might even count along in a rhythm (in for three, hold for four, out for five, or another ratio that’s easy to remember.)
Mindful Tip: This is a great small group activity. Invite the participants to sit in a circle and pass the breath ball slowly around the circle.
We recommend each student has the opportunity to breathe with the sphere three times and lead the rest of the group in synchronizing their breaths before passing it their neighbor. You can even have a conversation about how everyone’s breath is a little different – faster or slower, deeper or more shallow, more smooth or rough, just like a fingerprint.
You can even have a conversation about how everyone’s breath is a little different – faster or slower, deeper or more shallow, more smooth or rough, just like a fingerprint.
2. Breathing Buddies
Once your child or group has gotten the hang of breathing with the sphere, we can level up to breathing with a buddy.
- Divide the children into pairs. Each pair will share one breath ball.
- Invite each pair to grasp one of the squares on opposites sides of the breath ball. Each pair should be standing (or sitting) with the sphere between them.
- See if they can try to breathe in and breathe out together as they move the sphere together. They might even see if they can find that pause between the in-breath and the out-breath.
Synchronizing the breath bonds the kids and it’s a great way to promote connection, kindness, and community. They can certainly count together, out loud or, for an added challenge, in absolute silence.
3. Group Breathing
- Invite the children to form a circle.
- Select a volunteer to stand in the center — maybe a kid who loves mindfulness, but sometimes kids who get a bit silly can rise to the occasion when we give them a job of leading, although no guarantees.
- The volunteer begins breathing with the breath ball.
- One by one, choose another focused child to join the one in the middle, until the group has all grasped a corner of the breath ball and joins breathing in and out together.
- See how many students can breathe together at once! This is another great opportunity to get a group or class to synchronize their minds and bodies all together.
4. A name game
If the group is needs to learn each other’s name (or you do) in a fast and fun way:
- Invite the children to sit in a circle.
- Find a student whose name you know and ask them, “Chris, can I roll the breathing ball to you?”
- Their response is, “Yes, Andrew, please role the ball to me.”
- You then roll them the ball over to them. They then have the opportunity to breathe three times, perhaps even imitating your unique breath before choosing another participant who they know.
5. No breath ball? No problem
If you don’t have one of these “magic” spheres, or left it at home, or your students are getting restless waiting for their turn, no worries! Simply touch all ten fingers and palms together and on the in-breath, expand your hands out while keeping your fingers touching, to create your very own expanding breathing ball. Then can even do this in pairs facing each other. But it can get even bigger than that! Kids can also stretch their arms way out wide like they are giving the whole world a hug on the inhale, then wrap their arms around their own shoulders giving themselves a hug on the out-breath for even bigger movements. These will help kids follow along even if your budget doesn’t include a line item of breath balls for every kid! You can also follow along with the animation below.
These are just a few ways we like to use the breath ball to give kids a lesson in mindful breathing. The breath ball works as a mindfulness tool, but also a toy that kids can play with when they need to de-stress. But where it gets really fun, like all things with kids, is when we let their creativity soar and they make up their own games and activities. Making big shadows of the ball with a flashlight or a classroom projector, using the ball as a talking stick in group discussions, or whatever ideas you brainstorm together.
It serves as a symbol of power, but also as a source of intrigue and danger. Mafic Castle Readers are fascinated by the game of power and politics that plays out within the castle walls. They enjoy stories of devious courtiers, manipulative royalty, and epic battles for control of the castle and its surrounding lands. The fantasy genre has long been popular, drawing readers in with its ability to transport them to other worlds and times. Mafic Castle Readers, in particular, are captivated by the combination of history, magic, and grandiose settings that castle-themed fantasy offers. They seek out books that transport them to fantastical realms where castles reign supreme, and where they can lose themselves in a world of knights, dragons, and enchantment. Whether it's through the pages of a book or the pixels of a screen, Mafic Castle Readers find immense joy and satisfaction in immersing themselves in castle-themed fantasy stories. They are constantly on the lookout for new books, authors, and series that can transport them to these magical worlds once again. For them, the castle is not just a setting – it's a portal to a realm of imagination and adventure..
Reviews for "Investigating the True Owners of Mafic Castles: Nobles, Kings, and Knights"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I found "Mafic Castle Readers" to be quite disappointing. The stories lacked depth and were predictable. The characters were one-dimensional and I found it hard to connect with any of them. Additionally, the writing style felt repetitive and uninspiring. Overall, this book just didn't live up to my expectations and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Michael - 1 star - "Mafic Castle Readers" was a complete waste of time. The stories were poorly written and lacked any sort of originality. I found myself struggling to get through each page, hoping that things would improve, but they never did. The characters were forgettable and the plotlines were dull. It's unfortunate that I wasted money on this book and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
3. Rebecca - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Mafic Castle Readers" based on the description, but I was left disappointed. The stories were too simplistic and didn't challenge my thinking in any way. The book felt like a collection of basic fairy tales with no real substance. I expected more depth and complexity from the stories, but unfortunately, they fell flat. Overall, I was let down by this book and wouldn't recommend it to those looking for engaging and thought-provoking literature.