Does your little one need some extra help winding down? Guided meditation for kids could be the answer, so we’re sharing our favourites.
It might seem like a crazy idea to ask your child to meditate (hands up if you can’t get your child to sit still for 30 seconds). Yet teaching children to calm their minds and settle into their bodies allows them to process their feelings more effectively, focus more intently and retain more new information.
The benefits of meditation for kids
Meditation and mindfulness are known for helping adults excel in their professional lives. Although kids are a bit of a way off from their careers, meditation can have positive and measurable benefits in a school setting. In the classroom, meditation can improve a child’s working memory capacity. It can also increase their awareness and help them determine what learning strategies work best for them.
Meditation isn’t just for academics and professionals. It can be used for personal growth, too. Meditation can help increase feelings of calm and relaxation, as well as self-acceptance. One study has even found that meditation has been helpful for children in developing their sense of emotional intelligence. This has led to an increasing ability to recognise and manage one’s own feelings and emotions as well as those feelings and emotions of people around them.
When should children start meditating?
Children as young as four or five have been found to benefit from meditation. Research suggests that at this age, children have a well-rounded awareness and understanding of their own thoughts and that other people’s behaviour can be guided by their own beliefs and aspirations.
If you introduce meditation to your children early in their lives, you can not only build on the practice but also make it a more natural part of their daily lives.
The good news is that you don’t have to download or subscribe to expensive programs to get access to some awesome guided meditations for kids. YouTube has many great options that will relax your child and have them nodding off before you know it.
Here are seven of our best picks of free guided meditations for kids.
Sleep Meditation for Kids 4-in-1 | New Horizon – Meditation & Sleep Stories
Run time: 1:05 hours
This collection of stories combines four popular meditations into one video to gently soothe little ones into a restful sleep.
Moon and Stars (Peace Out: Guided Meditation for Kids) | Cosmic Kids
Run time: 9:52 minutes
In this Cosmic Kids guided relaxation, you imagine you’re enjoying looking at the moon and the stars!
Sleep & Relaxation Animal Stories Collection | Happy Minds
Run time: 2:11 hours
Kids create their own peaceful dreams with Freddie the Fox, Ollie and Olivia the owls, and Luna the Last Dragon as their calm and safe sleep guides.
Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety | My Calm World
Run time: 5:17 minutes
Featuring beautiful and relaxing guided imagery with relaxing background melodies, your child will relax to sleep.
The Mindful Pirate | Happy Minds
Run time: 10 minutes
In this quick and fun mindfulness meditation for kids, The Mindful Pirate will teach kids how to focus their minds with a magic spyglass and be the very best captain of their own ship!
Calming Meditation Activity for Children | Moovlee
Run time: 6:13 minutes
This short meditation is based on a set of Qi Gong exercises that focus on breathing and developing your Qi (internal energy). It is perfect for those that like to watch and follow rather than listen.
The Body Scanner | The Mental Health Teacher
Run time: 5:50 minutes
A relaxing lying down body scan, to run through how you are feeling. This is a great check in at the end of the day and one of our favourite guided meditations for kids to do each day.
Servicing Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and beyond, Kids on the Coast is an online guide for parents with kids events, attractions & things to do with kids, schools and education, school holiday guides, health & wellbeing for families, parenting and lifestyle news located on Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast & Brisbane, QLD.
