Have you ever practiced mindfulness?
If so, skip the next two lines. If not, let me catch you up to speed.
Mindfulness is what happens when we pay attention to the present moment, on purpose and without judgment. And practicing mindfulness has serious benefits on our mental health.
Ok, so you know what mindfulness is. And you have (hopefully) experienced the positive effects of practicing it. And you know a kid (or two) who could potentially benefit from it, too.
But, does mindfulness help kids like it helps adults?
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Benefits of Mindfulness for Kids
Yes! According to the Child Mind Institute, mindfulness is actually used to treat kids and teens who struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. Some of the benefits of mindfulness for kids include:
- Improved attention
- Improved sleep
- Increased ability to choose behavior
- Increased ability to deal with challenges
- Increased self-acceptance
- Increased emotional regulation
- Decreased anxiety
- Decreased stress
- Lower instances of being emotionally reactive
And honestly, I’ve experienced some of these benefits with my own kids. We do mindfulness exercises before bed when they can’t sleep. We do breathing exercises to calm down after they’re upset, nervous or anxious.
So we know mindfulness can benefit kids. But how do you explain mindfulness to kids?
The same way we introduce many other concepts to kids: through books!
16 of the Best Mindfulness Books for Kids
I tend to agree with Dr. Amy Saltzman, a mindfulness coach and holistic physician, on this one. She suggests not defining mindfulness to kids until they’ve experienced it first.
Since I’ve practiced mindfulness with my kids—without calling it mindfulness—I felt comfortable sharing these books with them.
But, even before practicing or reading anything related to mindfulness, we read several books that introduced concepts of mindfulness without my kids (and admittedly, even me at the time) knowing it! So I’m including those books in the list because from our experience, they were a seamless way to start off our journey towards better understanding mindfulness.
Here’s my list of 16 enchanting mindfulness children’s books. (And as an extra bonus, my three kids’ reviews of each one!)
Start with These First
These first four books have been well read by us for years. Covering topics such as gratitude, compassion, breathing and feelings, you may at first feel cheated that I included them in the list.
But, hear me out.
It’s hard to jump right into breathing exercises, listening to your thoughts, and discussions about “being present” if there isn’t an understanding of more basic concepts. These books did that for my family. And we introduced them early (as early as 2).
Let me show you what I mean….
1. The Thankful Book by Todd Parr
I bought this book around Thanksgiving several years ago to help my kids understand gratitude.
Mindfulness and gratitude go hand-in-hand in helping us cope with our misfortunes and encouraging peace within us. Gratitude invites us to find blessings in our life (which requires us to pay attention to present moments). And practicing mindfulness strengthens our awareness of the present (making it easier to locate the big and small blessings).
In The Thankful Book, Parr writes sentences like, “I am thankful for my ears because they let me hear words like ‘I love you.’” This book is full of easy-to-reference aspects of life like this that bring children’s attention to the present moment by calling to mind simple blessings that exist in their everyday lives.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😊
6-Year-Old: 😀
2-Year-Old: 😀
2. Breathe by Scott Magoon
In this charming tale, we follow a little whale through his day as he plays, explores, makes friends, and as the title suggests, breathes.
Magoon does a fabulous job of showcasing the power of breath without forcing attention to our breath. This was very popular with my kids in the younger years. Each time the whale comes to the surface to take a breath, it’s a natural response for readers to do the same (especially since they may have unknowingly held their breath while the whale was under the water).
This is one of my favorite books for helping my kids take deep breaths without instructing them to do so. I’ve found it calming after a tantrum or upsetting situation.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😐
6-Year-Old: 😀
2-Year-Old: 😀
3. In My Heart—A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek and Illustrated by Christine Roussey
Practicing mindfulness gives us space to explore ourselves and our feelings more intimately.
Introducing the plethora of emotions to my kids has caused them to be more mindful when they have big feelings. They’re able to label what they feel. And separate it from labeling themself as that feeling. (For example, they can be angry. That doesn’t make them an angry kid.)
Mindfulness is similar. We encounter thoughts and feelings in our practice, but let them pass without judging ourselves for feeling them. We can be separate from them.
In My Heart displays a different emotion on every page and ends each spread with “This is when my heart is [emotion].” Witek whimsically examines these emotions, without passing judgment, and gives readers permission to experience all of those emotions.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😀
6-Year-Old: 😊
2-Year-Old: 😀
4. I Am Love—A Book of Compassion by Susan Verde and Art by Peter H. Reynolds
This isn’t the last book you’ll see from Verde and Reynolds in this list. Reynolds is my favorite illustrator, so I own most of his books. And the concepts that Verde covers appeal to my kids—especially my two older ones.
I Am Love—A Book of Compassion, like the previous books, is another stepping stone, in my eyes, towards better understanding mindfulness. In this book, the main character has moments of silence and self-reflection, “I put my hands on my heart and listen. And that is where I find the answer,” as well as moments of being present, “I can listen and not say a word. I can be there. Love is being present.”
Helping kids pay attention to life around them and listening to the feelings inside them are important elements of mindfulness.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😀
6-Year-Old: 😊
2-Year-Old: 😀
More Straightforward Mindfulness Children’s Books
Now that your kids are more aware of their breath, compassion, emotions and the blessings in their life, this next list covers more in-depth mindfulness books for kids.
In these books, you’ll often see the word “mindfulness” or “mindful” be defined. You’ll see more emphasis on feelings of stress and worry. And/or a more thorough understanding of how paying attention to our breath can be beneficial.
Although my 2-year-old rated many of these, obviously, some of the concepts are geared towards older children.
Here we go!
5. Mind Bubbles: Exploring Mindfulness with Kids by Heather Krantz & Illustrated by Lisa May
Explaining to younger kids that our thoughts can be distracting is challenging. Mind Bubbles is a creative way to illustrate what our thoughts look like. Mind bubbles hold all of our thoughts. And there are a lot of them. Krantz describes that mind bubbles are like soap bubbles. They all pop (go away) eventually. But we can get distracted and overwhelmed by mind bubbles. Krantz also writes how we can cope with so many mind bubbles: our breath.
And how after we practice breathing, we’ll notice that our mind bubbles pop. And those distracting thoughts disappear. The book leads up to the concept of being present and the definition of mindfulness.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😀
6-Year-Old: 😀
2-Year-Old: 😐
6. What Does It Mean to Be Present? by Rana DiOrio & Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
Have you ever tried telling your kids to, “be present?” If not, let me save you some time. You’ll just get a blank, questioning look. If your kid is like my daughter, you may get a question, “What does it mean to be present?”
Needless to say, I’m so glad I found this book! The super simple examples illustrate practical ways for kids to notice the present moment in their life. DiOrio touches on gratitude, compassion, exploring the world with our senses, breathing and self-love.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😊
6-Year-Old: 😊
2-Year-Old: 😀
7. I Am Yoga by Susan Verde & Art by Peter H. Reynolds
You don’t have to be a yoga lover or practitioner to appreciate the message in this book. We follow a girl through a stressful and hectic beginning to a quiet moment of self-reflection. And then several positive affirmations illustrated with various yoga poses. Which ultimately helps her cope with her initial feelings of overwhelm.
The poses are listed in the back of the book if your child is interested. I find it creative how the poses illustrate the feeling she’s experiencing. For example, we see her in Child’s Pose when Verde writes, “I can say I’ve had enough for today. I relax.”
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😊
6-Year-Old: 😊
2-Year-Old: 😀
8. Breathing Makes it Better by Christopher Willard & Wendy O’Leary
In Breathing Makes it Better, we follow several kids through various situations that ignite strong feelings. It describes the feelings, puts a name to the emotion, and then brings the child back to the present moment with a positive affirmation and simple breath work.
In my own experience, this is something I’ve worked on with my kids for years. However, doing it unassisted is challenging (my kids are all under 9). So seeing it illustrated in a book is a lovely reminder of what we work on at home.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😊
6-Year-Old: 😀
2-Year-Old: 😐
9. ABC Mindful Me by Christiane Engel
If you’ve introduced the word “mindful” to your kids, and they need a better description, this book is a delightful start. Pages feature a word (in alphabetical order) that’s part of mindfulness, along with a short description of what that word means.
I love that some of the words cover more challenging concepts for younger kids like awareness, meditation, mindful walking, Namaste, present and zen. This is an easily digestible read for even younger kids and my kindergartner loves pointing out her letters!
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😊
6-Year-Old: 😊
2-Year-Old: 😀
10. Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey & Illustrated by Anni Betts
If you’re looking to create mindful moments with your kids and want some examples, this book has 30. And it’s separated into sections: Calm, Focus, Imagine, Make Some Energy, and Relax. The pictures are charming, bright and colorful.
However, this is an 84 page book. Don’t expect to read it in one sitting. At least, not if you have kids like mine. This is a book we can read a little at a time, or pull out when we want to practice one of the exercises.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😐
6-Year-Old: 😊
2-Year-Old: n/a
11. I Am Peace—A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde & Art by Peter H. Reynolds
I told you I’d have several books from Verde and Reynolds listed here! I Am Peace starts with a child filled with worry, who says, “I feel like a boat with no anchor.” Such a lovely example of how we feel carried away by our worries.
The book follows the child as he connects with himself, the present moment, his senses, nature, kindness, and his breath in order to find peace. It’s a calming, tranquil read. Especially before bedtime.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😀
6-Year-Old: 😀
2-Year-Old: 😀
12. Mindfulness for Kids by Carole P. Roman & J. Robin Albertson-Wren
While the cover says this book is for ages 6-10, depending on your child, you may be able to use it for older kids as well. In this book, readers follow characters in 15 easy-to-relate stories that appear in three parts: being mindful at home, school and with friends.
Each story illustrates one or more feelings and at the end, there are mindfulness activities for kids to cope with those feelings. Similar to Breathe Like a Bear, this 76-page book isn’t something we’ll read in one sitting. Like chapter books, we’ll read a story or two at a time.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😀
6-Year-Old: 😊
2-Year-Old: n/a
13. Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day by Jennie Marie Battistin
Even though my kids aren’t teens yet, I found myself searching for mindfulness books for teens. Because let’s face it, as kids grow up, and face more challenges, practicing mindfulness becomes even more crucial. The organization of this book (from Mindful Mornings, Midday Mindfulness and Mindfulness at Night) drives home the fact that mindfulness can be practiced at any time.
And although this book is geared towards teens, I found myself drawn to the simple, 10-minute exercises from Battistin. And judging from the reviews, I’m not the only one. From middle school, to college, to adults, this book is a solid introduction to incorporating mindfulness into young people’s lives.
Kids Review: n/a
BONUS: Interactive Mindfulness Books for Kids
Although the following aren’t your traditional picture book, I had to close out our list with these because my kids love them. These books furthered our understanding of mindfulness by putting what we read into practice. These last three books are actually more like mindfulness activities for kids.
Take a look…
14. Mindful Coloring Books
The next time your kids color, sit down and join them! Coloring is an underrated method of bringing our focus to the present. With the act of choosing a color, coloring an object, and contemplating the work in front of us, our worries and thoughts are set aside while our awareness of the present increases.
Kids don’t need a fancy coloring book to achieve this either. However, I have a few with positive affirmations like this one, that I pull out for the kids to color. But when we’re on the go, my daughter’s My Little Pony coloring book works just fine to slow life down and gain a moment of peace.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😀
6-Year-Old: 😀
2-Year-Old: 😀
15. Mindfulness Skills for Kids Card Deck and 3 Card Games by Debra Burdick
If you have a child like my son, who loves collecting things, and looking through card decks, baseball cards, Pokemon cards, etc., then you should check out these mindfulness cards for kids.
This particular deck features four colors of cards: Mindful Breathing and Awareness; Mindful Feeling, Kindness and Gratitude; Mindful Senses; and Mindful Affirmations for Self-Esteem. There are three games you can play with the cards (instructions included), or you can choose an activity while you’re alone, with the family or in a therapy session. The best part? This is for ages 4 and up. So the whole family can enjoy them.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😀
6-Year-Old: 😀
2-Year-Old: n/a
16. The 3-Minute Gratitude Journal for Kids
Does your child like to write? Draw? A gratitude journal is a therapeutic way to introduce mindfulness without ever actually saying the word. The simple act of holding the pen or markers, like I mentioned above with coloring books, draws our attention to the present moment. And a journal can include prompts to bring children’s awareness to moments in their life that may otherwise go unnoticed.
This particular journal encourages kids to write 1-3 things they are thankful for, identify a person who brought them joy, notice their feelings, and draw or write about the best part of their day. There are also “Acts of Gratitude” sprinkled throughout the book for additional activities. From early ages to older kids, journaling (with or without prompts) encourages mindfulness.
Kids Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
9-Year-Old: 😀
6-Year-Old: 😀
2-Year-Old: n/a
What Mindfulness Books for Kids Has Your Family Read?
Mindfulness changed my life, so it went without saying I wanted to introduce it to my kids. And there are loads of other mindfulness children’s books on the market. These were our favorite. But I’m a hopeless book worm and avid reader, so I’d love more suggestions!
What mindfulness books for kids have you read? Let me know in the comments below (so I can continue to fill my kids’ bookshelves 😂)!
Want to remember this list? Pin it for later!
And remember, stay mindful, even when your mind’s full!
~Chelsea
40 comments
This is an awesome list and needs to be shared! It’s so important to teach kids about mindfulness when they are young!
Thank you Jill!
Great books! Teaching kids mindfulness and gratitude is so important… the earlier the better!
Thank you Holly!
I think everyone could benefit from some mindfulness!
I love your rating system! And I had no idea there were so many mindfulness books for kids.
Thanks Danielle. The kids enjoyed rating them!
I love this idea! Also think it’s really cool that you did emoji ratings for each age
Thanks Alexis!
I absolutely love all these books and how your kids rated them. When my kids were young, I would have gobbled up as many of these books as I could find. These are the things that are most important to teach little people in life. Being mindful and being able to find inner peace comes before any other true learning can really take place. What a fabulous idea to have children keep a gratitude journal. Wish I had thought of that! Lovely post. 😀😀😀
Thank you so much. Sometimes they roll their eyes at me when I remind them to take a deep breath or all the blessings they have to be thankful for in life, but when they’re feeling upset or anxious, they’re able to recall and utilize these skills, so it’s worth it!
Great list! We’ve read some of these, but others I’ve never heard of. I’m always looking for good books to read to my kids. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sara! Me too!
Great choice of books, but your smiley face review system is the best!!
LOL! Thanks Maggie! My kids like to be included 😉
I love the idea of introducing meditation to kids early on. I wonder if I had started earlier if it would be something I could get more into. And I love the kids’ reviews of each book!
Thanks Jordan! I really wish I’d known about it earlier in my life. I think it would have helped me cope with a lot of the issues I faced when I was younger.
What a great resource. I love this! Thanks!
These are great suggestions! I loved how you broke down which ones were good to get started with and I love the kids’ honest reviews😊 Pinning so I can come back to this list later
Thanks Britney! I bought a few from the list of books you posted a few weeks ago and we are enjoying them!
Love your breakdown of the “kids” responses!!
This is a great list of books. We are always looking for new ones to add to the collection. We just ordered Breathe Like a Bear so we are excited for its arrival.
Thanks! And I’m glad you found one you like! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Sounds like great books for the kids! When I have one I’ll have to try this. Thanks for sharing!
I think mindfulness is important. I am start doing some of these with my son!
I agree Lisa. Although I rarely use the word “mindfulness” with my kids, we practice it often. Hope you enjoy experiencing it with your son!
Thank you for the excellent list. I think this awesome and a great approach.
Thanks for giving us an idea what mindfulness is all about. This is very much applicable to us – adults. What a great guide for kids. Teaching them about mindfulness at such a young age is very important in this day and age.
Thanks Jane!
Great ideas! Excellent parenting! You will reap the fruits of this training later when they are well adjusted contributing members of society! 🙂
We often forget to include our kids in mindfulness practice. Thanks for this great resource.
Love that there are so many good mindfulness books for children. Great reviews, especially with knowing what kids at different ages think about each one.
What sweet books! I will have to get some for my soon-to-be-born first granddaughter!
Great resources! We definitely need to focus on this more with children! Thanks for this great post!
This is a great idea! I love that there are mindful books for kids!
I love the gratitude journal. We actualize so much when we put pen to paper.
I love the kid review!
These are excellent books! I’ll pick up some yo share with grandkids.
Love this list and the honest reviews!
Thanks Charlene!