Recommended products · App · Meditation
Headspace
Mindfulness and meditation with proper kids' content, reaching all the way down to preschool age.
Roughly ages 5 and upAbout €85 a year, with a free trial
Independent recommendation. No commission.
Positives
- Kids' content sorted by age, including a series for under-5s: short, playful exercises in breathing and calming down.
- Gives your child simple tools for settling: breathing exercises, body scans and help falling asleep.
- The kids' section has calm animations and a friendly tone. Headspace is at heart an adult app, and you can turn that into a plus: use it yourself, and your child sees that breathing exercises aren't just a kid thing.
Worth knowing
- Most of the content is in English.
- For the youngest it works best with an adult alongside; it's not something to just park your child in front of.
- Use it for falling asleep and the phone ends up in the bedroom, which is the opposite of what I recommend in the article on good sleep. Send the sound to a speaker instead, or keep the phone out of sight and out of reach while it plays.
My assessment
A gentle introduction to mindfulness for kids, especially the younger ones. Treat it as a tool for coming back down, at bedtime or when feelings boil over, and sit with the youngest while it plays.
I've been a paying user for something like ten years myself. Through the most demanding years of parenting I've done the “Patience” course more times than I can count, and I'm fond of the sleep stories when it's time for a power nap. Focusing on something agreeably dull is a fine way to make your own thoughts let go.
Try it
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