Crystals 101: The Joy of Using Crystals with Children - a guest post for Rock and Realm

I wrote the following post for Rock and Realm - my go to crystal supplier. You can find their site and read more on their blog here.

As a specialist children’s yoga teacher I’ve had plenty of opportunities to use crystals with children. And as a child myself, I used to love searching for a crystal in a museum gift shop from big trays and putting that one crystal that called to me in a little drawstring bag in exchange for my pocket money. As I grew older, I struggled with asthma in my teens. One day my dad brought home a crystal that one of his colleagues had kindly given him. It was a crystal that supported the lungs and so I used to sleep with it under my pillow to benefit from its healing energy.

And now as an adult, I have quite a collection of crystals around my house. I love to study them in moments of calm or call on them to help me bring a particular trait into focus. 

So it was a natural progression for me to start using crystals in my kid’s yoga classes and it's been fascinating! There's definitely something about the beauty or energetic vibration of crystals that seems to be especially attractive to children.

Simple ways to introduce children to crystals 

I first used crystals in my classes as a centrepiece. 

I always teach with my mats in a circle and put flowers and crystals in the middle for children to focus on during balance poses or moments of silent sitting. Sometimes we do a 30 second focus meditation on an object; each child picks an item and then studies it in detail, with full focus, for 30 seconds to a minute. 

Can you guess which items proved most popular time and again? Crystals of course!

Another way I share crystals with children is during breath work. Often, children enjoy holding a crystal in their palm while focusing on their breath or balancing one on their tummy and feeling it rise and fall with their breath. 

These simple mindfulness and meditation techniques are a great way to start to introduce your little ones to crystals and are also great activities to help them regulate their energy and emotions. Don't worry if they get fidgety at first, this is natural and as they practice more they'll be able to settle much quicker.

Five crystals your kids will love

I'm not an expert on which crystals possess what benefits, however I’ve found this really doesn’t matter to children! They are so in tune with what they need and which crystal they want to work with and allowing children to choose their own crystals is really powerful.

Crystals come in so many shapes and textures, which makes them super tactile and lovely to hold whilst you focus on them. That's why I recommend having a few crystals for children to choose from. I like to have a variety of crystal types and forms,  such as a few natural quartz geodes, towers, spheres and tumble stones. This way children can choose one they are drawn to on that day.

There are many crystals that kids love for their colours, sparkle and energy. These five are the most popular crystals in my children's yoga classes and those I'd recommend sharing with your children first to see if they also connect strongly with their crystal energies.

1. Rose Quartz Crystals - Unconditional Love + Friendship 

This pretty pink crystal always attracts lots of attention. Whether that's because children are full of love and awe or because my yoga classes often focus on self-love, I'm not sure. What's certain is the kids are often drawn to Rose Quartz crystal at meditation time.

Rock + Realm says "Rose Quartz is the stone of universal and unconditional love. It is the most important crystal for the Heart chakra and restores trust and harmony in relationships. Rose Quartz is a crystal that will help your child to form strong friendship bonds, so is really helpful if they are particularly shy or timid around people"  

2. Moonstone Crystals - Balance + Calm 

My moonstone crystals contain pretty blue flashes and the kids are fascinated by the way this crystal - and also black moonstone - shimmers and flashes in the light.

Rock + Realm says "Moonstone is a balancing stone with a very nurturing feminine energy. It is particularly beneficial for teens going through puberty as its energy settles over-active hormones, eases anxiety and helps children and teenagers cope when they're feeling particularly emotional."

3. Smoky Citrine Crystals - Optimism + Happiness 

I have two natural Smoky Citrine towers and they are mesmerising! I’m not sure whether it’s their shape or size, but they are always the first crystals picked by the children to work with in class.

Rock + Realm says "Citrine is pure sunshine in crystal form, brightening your mood and the atmosphere of a room. Citrine promotes motivation, activates creativity and encourages self-expression. Smoky Quartz on the other hand is a protective and calming crystal that absorbs and repels negativity. So in combination it's easy to see why the energy would be a natural draw for children!"

 

4. Amethyst Crystals - Creativity + Relaxation 

I am personally very drawn to Pink Amethyst and I have a few amethysts of varying colours in my collection. Often described as juicy, I find the children love to get creative with this crystal during mandala drawing or visualisations.

Rock + Realm says "Pink Amethyst is a heart chakra stone that helps strengthen friendships and loving relationships. It is particularly good at boosting how you feel about yourself; increasing self esteem, confidence and body image. Perfect for children & teens!

Purple Amethyst is the lavender oil of the crystal world, helping to balance and calm your spirit. It has a playful, creative and protective quality and is believed to encourage vivid dreams and prevent nightmares. An ideal crystal to place by your child's bedside or for them to hold when they are upset."

5. Selenite Crystals - Uplift + Purification 

This deeply healing crystal is so striking and I find children are drawn to Selenite crystal's flashing colours and magical sheen. It’s a great crystal to study during silent sitting at the end of yoga class.  

Rock + Realm says "Selenite crystals emit a purifying energy that both uplifts your spirit and energetically cleanses you and other crystals. Selenite is very useful as a crystal to calm children down prior to bedtime and during meditation or breath work."

How to help your child connect with crystals 

Some of us enjoy crystals simply for their natural beauty, others are drawn to their more magical properties. One of the joys of sharing crystals with children is that they don’t tend to have preconceived ideas about crystals and simply enjoy them.

Children choose crystals intuitively and they interact with them in whatever way feels right. I feel like we could learn a lot from this open minded approach ourselves.

So, in summary I would highly recommend encouraging your child to spend time with your crystals, exploring their energies, textures and learning their magical secrets and why not even let them invest in a few of their own if they want to. 

A note on Child Friendly Crystals from Rock + Realm - 

Always supervise your children when they handle your crystals and please check that the crystals you share with children are safe to do so.

Some crystals are very delicate and may crumble or break when handled roughly, but more importantly some crystals are toxic in their raw state. Most polished crystals are safe to touch as the crystal is encased in the polish.

If you are unsure which crystals are safe to use you can find a selection of child friendly crystals in our Crystals for Children Collection or our Nursery + Child's Room collection.