RESOURCES
Kindle Version of the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook
Mindfulness and Meditation Resources
Sitting Still Like a Frog - A great list of audio exercises for kids, including one called Sleep Tight. I’ve used that one
with my own children; they both enjoyed it.
Annaka Harris: Mindfulness for Kids - There are several scripts available from the InnerKids program. I had my daughter try the calming one before she did her homework. She loved it.
Kristina Sargent, The Art of Social Work - Here are a couple of kids’ activities for mindfulness and feelings. Kristina has also written a book to help kids with mindfulness, Ursula Unwinds Her Anger.
Dartmouth College Resources - I found this resource in Bloom Parenting by Dr. Lynne Kenney and Wendy Young, LMSC, BCD. What a helpful collection of meditation and mindfulness scripts.
Spider Man Meditation - My kids love superheroes. This is a great way to use that interest to work on increasing their
focus and awareness.
Mind Space Meditation for Schools - These scripts are specifically designed for use in classrooms, but could also be used at home.
Mindful Time in Nature - I love these ideas for different nature walk activities you can do. But I also know that I can’t
expect the kids to be mindful for a full 60-minute walk. We’ll try to be mindful on the walk for short bursts of time, just a couple of minutes here and there.
Apps for Mindfulness
Mindfulness for Children
(Free Version and Pro Version $4.99/one time fee)
The free version has 5 guided meditations for kids. They give more detailed information about each of their meditations and instructions on how to do mindfulness.
Relax Melodies
(Free Version and Paid Pro Version Available)
Not specifically targeted for kids, but can be used by people of all ages. There’s a huge variety of sounds you can play, but there are also guided meditations. There are a lot more options in the pro version.
Calm
(Lite Version, or $4.99/month for the year)
Calm is a popular app among adults for mindfulness and meditation. Did you know there’s a section called Calm Kids? You can get access to it with a subscription. If you use the app for free, there’s also a daily calm series inspired by the characters in Winnie the Pooh.
Positive Penguins ($0.99)
This is good for upper elementary kids who are strong readers and typers. This app helps kids figure out why they are feeling a certain way and then encourages them to think of things in a different way. There’s also a 5-minute guided meditation. Cool fact - this app was created by kids!
Mindful Minutes ($1.99)
Super cute and kid friendly. This app has relaxing music and no ads. There are four different little minutes you can do, with a fish, a balloon, a star and a gem. Kids hold down the image as it goes up through relaxing scenery. This is super calming even for adults.
Bedtime Meditations for Kids by Diviniti ($4.99)
Can be helpful at bedtime to help kids settle down and transition into sleep.
Headspace
(Free limited access version, but you can upgrade for the full experience for $7.92/month for a year, or $12.99 monthly)
A popular one for adults, this also has a section just for kids. It’s divided by age (under 5, elementary kids and pre-teens) and covers topics like calm, focus, kindness, sleep and wake up. There’s an introduction video to help you get started.
Stop, Breathe and Think: Meditations
(Free, Premium Version available starting at $4.99)
This is another app that is for adults, but also has a family section with three guided meditations for families to use together.
Helpful Websites
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
The American Institute of Stress
The American Psychological Association
National Institute of Mental Health
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Bibliography
Ginsburg, K. R., Jablow, M. M., & Ginsburg, K. R. (2011). Building resilience in children and teens: Giving kids roots and wings. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.
Heller, B. L. (2000). 365 ways to relax mind, body & soul. Pownal, VT: Storey Books.
Helliwell, J., Layard, R. & Sachs, J. (2015, April 2). World Happiness Report. [Government Report] Retrieved from http://worldhappiness.report/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/04/WHR15_Sep15.pdf
Hurley, K. (2015). The Happy Kid Handbook: How to raise joyful children in a stressful world. New York: Tarcher.
Hyde, M. O. & Forsyth, E. H. (2008). Stress 101: An overview for teens. Minneapolis, MN:Twenty-First Century Books.
Munsey, C. (2010). The kids aren’t all right. Monitor on Psychology, 41(1), 22. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/01/stress-kids.aspx
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental Health Facts Children & Teens [PDF Fact Sheet]
Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/Infographics/Children-MH-Facts- NAMI.pdf
Stuckey, H. L. & Nobel, J. (2010). The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health:A Review of Current Literature. American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 254–263. http://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2008.156497
Also available at the Coping Skills for Kids Store
All the Printable Sheets from the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook in FULL COLOR!
If you’d like to get them for FREE,
use the code FULLCOLOR when you check out at the store.