Mindful Teachers: Children's Songs about Mindfulness, Kindness, Self-Acceptance, & Gratitude

last updated January 17, 2021

posted by Catharine Hannay

In the song playlists for teachers, I try to include something for everyone. However, many of those songs are geared more toward adolescents and adults.

So here's a whole list with only songs that are appropriate for young children... although the rest of us would also benefit from belly breathing with Elmo!

Note: Parents and teachers, as always please watch the full video yourself before sharing it with kids. There's nothing I would consider at all offensive, but with such an international/multicultural/multifaith audience, I can't guarantee that every single image in all of the videos will be appropriate for your context.

Songs About Coping with COVID

School's a Little Different This Year, Stephanie Liddell (Music for Kiddos)

a song about wearing masks, washing hands (a lot), and maybe doing schoolwork online

Wash My Hands, Narwhals and Waterfalls

a song about doing our best even if we don't feel like washing our hands so much and it's uncomfortable to wear a mask

Yoga Song for Kids, Stephanie Liddell (Music for Kiddos)

This isn't specifically about COVID, but it's a soothing and calming bedtime yoga routine.

Songs About Kindness and Diversity

Being Kind

Empty Hands Music

Try a Little Kindness

Tori Kelly & the Muppets

We Are So Much Alike

Alessia Cara & the Muppets

Songs About Feelings and SEL

Attitude Check

Narwals and Waterfalls

Belly Breathe
Elmo, with Common and Colbie Caillat

The Breathing Song
Narwals and Waterfalls

Feelings
Patty Shukla

I Can Still Be Me
Narwals and Waterfalls

I'm Always Me

Narwals and Waterfalls

Me Want It (But Me Wait)

Cookie Monster

The Mood Song

Narwals and Waterfalls

Self Check-in

Narwhals and Waterfalls

Gratitude

Got a Little Happy in My Heart

gratitude yoga practice

Fireflies: Musical Yoga for Kids

song starts at 2:20

A Little Thank You

Sherri Boekweg

Thank Someone
Amy Grant and John Hiatt

Thank You Song

CocoMelon Nursery Rhymes and Kids' Songs

The Thank You Song

Kids TV 123

Thankful

The Juice Box Jukebox

Together is Better
(“I'm grateful for my friends.”)

Facing Challenges/Self-Compassion/Persistence

Believe in Yourself Song, with Michael Bublé

Bounce Back-The Resilience Song

from Music Mindsets: Sing Step Grow

Don’t Give Up, with Bruno Mars

Oops, Oops, Wait, Aha! with Maren Morris

Power of Yet, with Janelle Monae

Self-Acceptance/Self-Esteem

Everybody Be Yo'self, with Keb Mo

It's You I Like, video by Narwals and Waterfalls

original version by Mr. Rogers

I'm Proud to Be Me, Rachel Coleman and Ben Carter

audio; official video (children's song in English and American Sign Language)

"I'm a girl! I'm a girl! I'm proud to be me. I'm a boy! I'm a boy! I'm proud to be me. There’s so many things that you can be. You might be short, you might be tall. Different colored eyes, different colored hair. But underneath it all, I’m proud to be me."