Mindful Apps for Kids

The Election night has gone differently than many expected and has brought strong emotions to the forefront for both adults and children.  My kids have had a lot of questions and are feeling very nervous about the election results and what happens next.  So, I thought I would pass along some apps suggestions to help with the fear and uncertainly that our kids may be feeling.

Here are a few apps that I like that can help kids relax. They feature simple to follow mediation techniques that calm anxiety in these uncertain times
 
Smiling Mind - This app helps the 7-to-18 year olds tackle everyday stresses through psychologist-developed mindfulness meditations.  Each session starts with a quick series of questions to focus the mind, followed by simple, easy-to-follow meditation exercises. It is based on the principle of being aware of taste, touch, sight and smell to be in the moment.  It’s free and adults can use it too.

Mindfulness for Children - This free meditation by Psychomotor Therapist and certified mindfulness teacher Pia Holgersen and App developer Jannik Holgersen.  The App provides step by step easy to follow audio instructions on how to meditate.
http://mindful-app.com
 
Sleep Mediation for kids - Bedtime can be a great time to talk about emotions and get your kids to calm down, with help from celebrated yogi, Montessori teacher, and Calm for Kids founder, Christiane Kerr. The guided meditations (the app is preloaded with four meditation stories, extras can be purchased) are designed to relax children of all ages.

 Calm - Calm is a straightforward app that teaches mindfulness. It is free to download and contains plenty of content, including more than 20 soothing audio/visual nature backgrounds, trackable timed sessions, and free guided meditations, such as the 7 Days of Calm series. This is a good app for teens
 
We may feel anger or sadness at the election results and other political challenges that will arise, but meditation can help us sort out those feelings and understand that love and compassion will rise above election polls.
 

Just for YOU

The resolutions we make are usually ambitious, not to mention difficult: eat healthier, start exercising, be more organized, lose weight…

YOU is a app that sends a reminder each day to make one small change.  YOU breaks down your goals into “micro” actions, one each day. You might receive a reminder to drink more water, or make someone smile. The goal to create a healthier, happier life, one action at a time.

I like the experts YOU features who provide daily actions for health, mindfulness, movement and, of course, food. For example, Jamie Oliver dishes up food-related content it gives me inspiration in the kitchen. Each micro-action is an easy-to-complete task that will help you build a healthier, happier life.  Try YOU and let me know what you think.