5 Best Meditation App for Kids and Teens

For teen-friendly meditation, consider Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer, Smiling Mind, Breethe, and Aura. These apps offer guided sessions and mindfulness tools, helping teens manage stress, enhance focus, and boost emotional well-being.

Meditation for kids is a practice that involves focusing one’s attention and cultivating mindfulness, just like meditation for adults. However, meditation techniques for children are often adapted to be more engaging, interactive, and age-appropriate.

It typically involves breathing exercises, guided visualizations, body scans, and simple mindfulness activities.

Below are some of the apps that I have tested and used for three days. From reducing anxiety and stress to better sleep and focus to improve academic performance in children and self- awareness of their thoughts – all the below recommended apps provide techniques and guides to regulate mindfulness and meditation based upon their preferences, age and stress level.

Additionally, I suggest that parents implement screen time limits at home or post-school hours through the use of parental control apps. In cases where robust website blocking is necessary, dedicated porn blocker apps can also be employed.

Above Chart from NIH shows that in 2012 only 0.6% of children between ages 4-17 in USA used meditation.

These apps also include meditation techniques like Yoga, Samatha meditation in Budhism, Kundlani Yoga and other popular and contemporary meditation techniques.  Parents who want to connect their kids to their religious beeliefs can also use religious music to their liking during meditation seession. A Hindu can play sanskrit music from the app’s library to connect their kids with religious texts while following mindfulness or meditation routines.

Although I’m a bit sas that I couldn’t find music to my liking. As I’m a sikh, I was looking for music or rhytms that can connect me to my roots as I feel more connected whenever I hear hymns from Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh living Guru). 

Altogether, all these apps do provide a comprehensive mindfulness and mesditation techniques fostering focus, resilience, healthy mind and boosting emotional wel-being in children and helps in lowering anxiety and stress in their daily lives. I suggest you read which are the best Self Control Apps to discipline your daily lives and achieve your goals.

App	Features	Uses for Parents	Recommended For	Mindfulness and Meditation	Health Benefits
Headspace	Guided meditations, sleep sounds, SOS sessions, mindfulness exercises, progress tracking	Support teen’s emotional well-being, reduce stress	Teens and Adults	Focus on various themes like stress, sleep, and anxiety	Stress reduction, improved focus, emotional regulation
Calm	Guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing exercises, daily calm sessions	Help teens relax and manage stress	Teens and Adults	Cultivate mindfulness, enhance relaxation	Stress reduction, better sleep, improved concentration
Insight Timer	Guided meditations, music tracks, customizable timer, supportive community	Encourage a meditation routine	Teens and Adults	Access a wide range of meditation practices	Stress reduction, emotional well-being, improved mindfulness
Smiling Mind	Guided meditations, mindfulness exercises, mood tracking, progress stats	Assist teens in emotional awareness	Children and Teens	Develop mindfulness skills, cope with stress	Enhanced emotional regulation, reduced anxiety
Breethe	Guided meditations, sleep music, masterclasses, personalized meditation plans	Offer meditation tools for teens	Teens and Adults	Provide quick, targeted meditation sessions	Stress reduction, emotional well-being, improved focus
Aura	Short meditations, personalized tracks, nature sounds, mood tracking	Help teens relax and re-energize	Teens and Adults	Practice bite-sized mindfulness throughout the day	Stress reduction, mood enhancement, increased relaxation

1. Best Meditation App for Sleep & Stress

Why Do We Recommend It?

I love its user-friendly interface with guided meditations and mindfulness exercises suitable for teens. I have tested the app for three days and found it easy to use. The general anxiety and sleep guide was very helpful and does help you with improving your sleep quality. It provides themed sessions to address various challenges and emotions.

From guided meditations to soothing breathwork, children or teens can get personalized recommendations daily based on what they like and how you’re feeling.

I highly recommend this meditation app for children and teens which parents can also use to soother their mind and lessen their anxiety using the meditaion and mindfulness techniques in the app. Children can easily learn how to relax, manage stress, find focus, and release tension in both the mind and body.

2. Best Meditation App for Relaxation

Why Do We Recommend It?

It has an extensive library of meditation techniques, comprehensive sleep stories in audio format and exclusive music and stretching exrecises to help your mind and body relax. From the children to teens and to adults, Calm’s guided meditation sessions and daily routines are very helpful and can be fitted into a busy schedule.

You can sit with your child and follow the instructions and experience benefits of mindfulness with your children. My niece, who is 8-years-old loves the soothing and calming music during meditation. She also loves hearing bedtime stories offered in the Calm app whenever she visits me.

I highly recommend calm for its calming ambiance and a variety of meditation programs specifically designed for teens, such as reducing stress, improving focus, and building confidence.

3. Best Free Meditation App for Focus

Why Do We Recommend It?

Insight Timer has a vast library of free guided meditations, including those suitable for teenagers, focusing on self-acceptance, mindfulness, and relaxation.

4. Best Free Meditation App for All Ages

Why Do We Recommend It?

Smiling Mind is deveoped by psychologists and educators and has been rated 4.7 out of 5 by over 2K customers. Millions of android and iPhone users use and like its free yet fully developed mindfullness programs designed to improve mental fitness and resilience.

I really liked the interfae and sports training program. From mental fitness and reducing stress to good sleep and improving relationship, Smiling Mind provides positive psychology strategies backed by research data and well known educators to help children and parents with focus, mental health, and releiving anxiety and stress.

5. Best Meditation App to Calm Anxiety and Stress

Why Do We Recommend It?

If your child is having trouble sleeping, I would recommend you try Breethe app meditation and minfulness exercises with them. It offers various meditation techniques which are easier to follow which can be combined with nature sounds and other soothing music tracks to relax your child’s mind and body.

Parents can join their children during meditation sessions to relieve their anxiety. I would recommend parents buy a subscription which provides several benefits like counciling from qualified professionals and specifically curated Mindfulness program for kids and teens. 

Breethe also supports hypnotherapy using verbal repetition and mental images under the guidance of an expert. I had a session with their professional expert and felt that it helps in calming and relaxing your mind and body. I felt relaxed, focused and increased concentration after the session was complete.

I highly recommend Parents try hypnotherapy offered by Breethe app to ease stress, lessen anxiety and depression, and overcome fears and phobias.

Notable Mentions

• Aura: Aura offers quick, three-minute meditation exercises for teens to de-stress and refocus throughout their day. Features: Short meditations, personalized tracks, nature sounds, and mood tracking.
• Mindfulness for Teens: This app is designed specifically for teenagers and includes age-appropriate mindfulness exercises and meditation practices. Features: Guided meditations, breath training, mindful movement, and gratitude journal.
• Buddhify: Buddhify provides on-the-go mindfulness sessions, making it easy for teens to incorporate meditation into their daily lives. Features: Customizable meditations for different activities and moods, solo and group meditation options.
• 10% Happiert: 10% Happier offers guided meditations with a practical and down-to-earth approach suitable for teens. Features: Guided meditations, sleep support, and expert-led video courses on meditation and mindfulness.

Why is Meditation for Kids Important?

1. Stress Reduction: Children, like adults, can experience stress and anxiety. Meditation helps kids learn how to manage their emotions, reduce stress, and find a sense of calmness.
2. Emotional Regulation: Meditation teaches kids to recognize and cope with their feelings in a healthy way, fostering emotional intelligence and resilience.
3. Improved Concentration: Regular meditation practice can enhance a child’s ability to focus and pay attention, which can benefit their academic performance and daily tasks.
4. Better Sleep: Meditation can help children relax before bedtime and improve the quality of their sleep.
5. Enhanced Self-Awareness: Through meditation, kids can develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their thoughts, leading to improved self-awareness and self-esteem.

What Do Experts and Research Show?

Numerous studies have explored the benefits of meditation for kids, and the findings are promising:

1. Improved Behavior: Research suggests that regular meditation practice can lead to improved behavior, reduced aggression, and enhanced self-control in children.
2. Academic Performance: Some studies indicate that meditation can positively impact academic performance by enhancing attention and focus in school settings.
3. Reduced Anxiety: Meditation has been shown to decrease anxiety levels in children and adolescents, providing them with effective coping mechanisms.
4. Brain Development: Certain studies suggest that meditation may positively influence brain development, including areas related to attention, emotional regulation, and empathy.

What Can Meditation Do to the Body?

1. Reduced Stress Hormones: Meditation activates the relaxation response, which leads to reduced levels of stress hormones like cortisol in the body.
2. Lower Blood Pressure: Regular meditation has been associated with lower blood pressure, contributing to overall cardiovascular health.
3. Improved Immune Function: Some research suggests that meditation may enhance the immune system, potentially leading to better immunity against illnesses.

What Can Meditation Do to the Mind?

1. Enhanced Focus and Attention: Meditation helps improve concentration and attention span, allowing the mind to stay more focused on tasks and activities.
2. Emotional Regulation: Meditation cultivates mindfulness, enabling individuals to better understand and manage their emotions.
3. Increased Creativity: By quieting the mind and reducing mental clutter, meditation can stimulate creative thinking and problem-solving abilities.
4. Greater Resilience: Regular meditation practice can help individuals develop resilience, bounce back from setbacks, and cope with challenges more effectively.