Shhh! 9 Best Calming Apps For Kids

During times like these, it becomes more important than ever to really focus on what matters whilst we stop to breathe, think and consider what is best for a healthy and happy mind. There are lots of amazing apps to keep our kids stimulated and entertained, but it's vital that we also consider ways to let our little ones unwind.

With the help of many great apps designed to calm our little ones, parents too will feel relaxed and at peace, especially knowing that this is a good compromise in letting your children have access to the phones and tablets. The mindfulness movement is one that is taking the health industry by storm, with the focus being on the importance of caring for our mental health just as much as we care for our physical health. Take a read below at some of the apps we recommend to keep your little ones' minds relaxed and serene.

Ideal for: All Ages

Headspace is a well-known app that is perfect for both kids and adults alike. It focuses on guided meditation and mindfulness with simple meditation programmes suitable for all levels. It offers five categories: kindness, focus, sleep, calm and wake-up. It's free, and perfect for your children to feel less stressed and anxious and take a little time out to breathe, especially during the unsettling times we are all facing together at the moment.

Ideal for: Ages 4 +

Kids Yoga Deck is an app that's perfect in combining both mindfulness with some low impact physical activity too. This app allows your children to have a go at yoga, providing clear pictures and instructions. You and your kids can have great fun in trying out new and different yoga poses which are incredibly child-friendly, and really taking some time out of the hectic nature of everyday life to stop to breathe.

Ideal for: Ages 3 +

As parents, it's more important than ever to ensure that our little ones are getting downtime as well as fun without having too much screen time. This app offers just that, with fun and easy ways to help our children feel at peace and check in on themselves. With many breathing exercises made into exciting games with rewards at the end, this app is a great way to keep our kids engaged, whilst learning tips and techniques to stay calm in the most stressful of times.

Ideal for: Ages 4 +

Guided meditations and visualisations are amazing at taking us on a journey to help us achieve a more centred and relaxed self. Breathing Bubbles is a brilliant app that teaches our little ones to process their emotions in a better way through visualizations held by Manny the Manatee. There are also options to help kids feel good by selecting the emotion they are feeling at a given time and how strongly they are feeling it.

Ideal for: All Ages

Music and audio are so important when thinking about nurturing a healthy and happy mind and creating a calm atmosphere. Relax Melodies is a mindfulness app which focuses on sound. You can listen to over 52 different relaxing sounds that can be played in the background whilst your little ones do other things. It's great as a before bedtime activity and can really help create the perfect relaxed environment, especially when you are reading your little ones their bedtime story.  

Ideal for: Ages 5 +

This is an audio-only mindfulness app that your kids can use to follow breathing exercises, do body scans and listen to soothing nature sounds which can really help any children who are struggling to fall asleep. It's an amazing app at promoting a healthier self with better sleep and a more focused mind.

Ideal for: All Ages

Artificial Intelligence and technological aids are really becoming increasingly popular when it comes to mindfulness. With the help of technology, you really can achieve a healthier mind. Thrive Global is an app that suits those who own an Amazon Echo device. Your child can use this in a screen-free way, with all they have to do being to say "Alexa, open Thrive" and ask to use a meditation programme. It's also perfect for those having difficulty falling to sleep, especially now as the nights are becoming warmer. Just say "power down" and your kid can really be lulled to sleep.

Ideal for: Ages 6 +

Developed by both psychologists and educators, this mindfulness app will really encourage you and your kids to support your psychological and mental wellbeing whilst in lockdown. With daily mindfulness and meditation guides at your disposal, this app is a perfect help to start feeling really in tune with yourself whilst we spend most of our days indoors. With so many success stories of children being able to focus more, express their feelings and feel less stressed in day to day life, it truly is worth trying if you're looking for something that both you and your kids can enjoy using together. It starts with a quick series of questions, and provides many meditation exercises to help you and your little ones find respite during those less calm moments.

Ideal for: Ages 3 +

If you're looking for something to help send your kids gently to sleep, then this might be the app for you. It's something that can easily be incorporated into established bedtime routines, giving you four bedtime stories with guided meditation techniques embedded within them to really help your little ones find comfort at night. Sleep stories and meditations can make bedtime easier for the whole family by creating a warm and loving environment for your children to fall seamlessly asleep in.

With the use of these apps, it truly is possible for your children to feel contentment with a happy mind during some of the anxieties and difficulties of lockdown.

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