8 Stress-Reducing Apps for Wee Ones
By Tanni Haas
The pandemic is stressing everyone out, including kids. Apps are a fun way to help children release stress and feel calm. Here are some of the best ones out there, and they are all free.
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Street Available at: Amazon Apps, Apple App Store, and Google Play. Ages 5–8. This colorful app teaches kids how to relax. Divided into five interactive scenarios, kids help Cookie Monster take deep breaths, come up with plans for addressing stressful situations, and then try out those plans. It includes a useful section with additional strategies and resources for parents to teach kids how to solve everyday challenges.
DreamyKid Available at Apple App Store. Ages 9–18. This app teaches kids how to relax their minds with guided meditations, visualizations, and positive affirmations. There are some issue-specific meditations that some kids might find particularly useful, including meditations aimed at helping kids focus on their homework and build confidence before sports matches.
Nature Melody Available at Apple App Store. Ages 5–18. This app is designed to help kids get a good, relaxing start to their day. It functions like an alarm clock and has more than 30 soothing, nature-inspired sounds to slowly and gently wake up your kids in the morning. This app’s sleep timer function can be used in the afternoon and evening, too, for a stress-free end to the day.
Relax Melodies Available at Amazon Apps, Apple App Store, and Google Play. Ages 5–18. Like Nature Melody, this app gives kids a soothing start and finish to their day, with more than 200 relaxing sounds and melodies. It has several other features, including the ability to combine sounds and melodies to create unique mixes; a collection of so-called community tunes represents the most popular mixes.
Super Stretch Yoga Available at Apple App Store. Ages 9–18. Created by well-known yoga instructor Jessica Rosenberg, this interactive app features videos of kids demonstrating yoga poses. It’s narrated by a character named Super Stretch and features 12 different poses for different skill levels. Kids can use the built-in camera to take pictures of themselves doing the various poses.
Three Good Things: A Happiness Journal Available at Apple App Store. Ages 13–18. This app encourages kids to take time every day to write about three good experiences. The app does contain unprotected links to social media, so it may not be the best choice for young children.
Wellbeyond Meditation for Kids Available at Apple App Store. Ages 5–8. Like DreamyKid, this is a mediation app, but one geared towards younger kids. It has several guided meditations to help kids center themselves, focus on their breath, be in tune with their feelings, and experience empathy for others. Each meditation is narrated by a female voice; simple instructions guide kids through various breathing and visualizing exercises.
Wuf Shanti Mindful Yoga Available at Apple App Store and Google Play. Ages 5–8. This app takes its inspiration from a children’s TV show character name Wuf Shanti—a dog that teaches kids yoga. The app features a person who, dressed in a dog suit, uses animal movements to explain yoga poses. The app also has meditations, and videos that explain positive words and phrases that kids can use in stressful situations.
Tanni Haas, PhD, is a college communications professor.
The pandemic is stressing everyone out, including kids. Apps are a fun way to help children release stress and feel calm. Here are some of the best ones out there, and they are all free.
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Street Available at: Amazon Apps, Apple App Store, and Google Play. Ages 5–8. This colorful app teaches kids how to relax. Divided into five interactive scenarios, kids help Cookie Monster take deep breaths, come up with plans for addressing stressful situations, and then try out those plans. It includes a useful section with additional strategies and resources for parents to teach kids how to solve everyday challenges.
DreamyKid Available at Apple App Store. Ages 9–18. This app teaches kids how to relax their minds with guided meditations, visualizations, and positive affirmations. There are some issue-specific meditations that some kids might find particularly useful, including meditations aimed at helping kids focus on their homework and build confidence before sports matches.
Nature Melody Available at Apple App Store. Ages 5–18. This app is designed to help kids get a good, relaxing start to their day. It functions like an alarm clock and has more than 30 soothing, nature-inspired sounds to slowly and gently wake up your kids in the morning. This app’s sleep timer function can be used in the afternoon and evening, too, for a stress-free end to the day.
Relax Melodies Available at Amazon Apps, Apple App Store, and Google Play. Ages 5–18. Like Nature Melody, this app gives kids a soothing start and finish to their day, with more than 200 relaxing sounds and melodies. It has several other features, including the ability to combine sounds and melodies to create unique mixes; a collection of so-called community tunes represents the most popular mixes.
Super Stretch Yoga Available at Apple App Store. Ages 9–18. Created by well-known yoga instructor Jessica Rosenberg, this interactive app features videos of kids demonstrating yoga poses. It’s narrated by a character named Super Stretch and features 12 different poses for different skill levels. Kids can use the built-in camera to take pictures of themselves doing the various poses.
Three Good Things: A Happiness Journal Available at Apple App Store. Ages 13–18. This app encourages kids to take time every day to write about three good experiences. The app does contain unprotected links to social media, so it may not be the best choice for young children.
Wellbeyond Meditation for Kids Available at Apple App Store. Ages 5–8. Like DreamyKid, this is a mediation app, but one geared towards younger kids. It has several guided meditations to help kids center themselves, focus on their breath, be in tune with their feelings, and experience empathy for others. Each meditation is narrated by a female voice; simple instructions guide kids through various breathing and visualizing exercises.
Wuf Shanti Mindful Yoga Available at Apple App Store and Google Play. Ages 5–8. This app takes its inspiration from a children’s TV show character name Wuf Shanti—a dog that teaches kids yoga. The app features a person who, dressed in a dog suit, uses animal movements to explain yoga poses. The app also has meditations, and videos that explain positive words and phrases that kids can use in stressful situations.
Tanni Haas, PhD, is a college communications professor.
