5 Emotional/Sensory Support Songs for Kiddos
Here are 5 original songs to have in your back pocket for supporting kiddos with big feelings- both emotionally and physically. They touch on areas such as supporting kiddos who have a tougher time with transitions, exploring and bringing awareness to sensory regulation, navigating complex emoting, and more. I am also including links to free chords/lyrics as well as amateur recordings.
Using these songs within my own music therapy sessions, I’ve found some to be a more accessible resource for grounding in moments of intense emotion. In that moment, we’re not trying to talk it through or “fix” anything- the music is the container for the space being held, guiding us to a place where we can figure out where to go from there. Or I’ve found they’ve become anthems we practice for fun, and return to when we need some grounding reminders. Perhaps these songs are ones you incorporate into your routines at home, listen to in the car, sing during the moment of dysregulation, or however else may be supportive for you and your child/student/client.
Happy listening!
I Need a Minute
This song is intended to support transitions, or when things don’t go quite as we were expecting. Oftentimes, when situations happen in ways we were not prepared for, this can ignite our nervous systems in really big ways, often activating the fight, flight, freeze responses. While we can do all we can to help our kiddos know what to expect (visuals, social stories, discussions, etc.) sometimes things just don’t go as planned- and that’s hard for anyone.
Sometimes kids (and grown ups!) need a little extra time to process the changes before even having the capacity to move forward. Perhaps that’s taking some breaths, talking things through, maybe it is just crying for a bit. This song is intended to acknowledge the difficulties that can come with change, and hold space for just needing a minute for extra processing time. Perhaps this is even a song to play or sing during those transitions! The important part here is validating the big feelings, and exploring what accommodations might be available to support the moment.
Mighty Dragon-
Mighty Dragon centers on the idea that bravery and strength looks different for everyone and even from day to day. To be mighty is to laugh, yell, whisper, cry- there’s no one right way to react or emote! Listening to our bodies and holding space for what comes out is key in emotional regulation.
Use this song as a movement break (spread those dragon wings and fly all around!), or an affirmation-based sing-a-long (“I’m a mighty dragon!”), or even a sensory cool-down experience (take some deep dragon breaths, sit back and listen while engaging in whatever sensory support your kiddo’s system is needing).
1-2-3, Together Let’s Breathe
Have I mentioned breathing is a magical, wonderful thing? It’s an easily accessible tool to help us return to a grounded state. When our emotional or sensory systems are activated, we’re often not in a space to identify what it is we need. Breathing can help us return to our bodies in order to have capacity to tune in to what our body and heart is needing in that moment.
This song is super short, sweet, and simple. It involves counting (another helpful coping skill for grounding) while simultaneously including different breathing prompts, ending with a little wiggle to bring the rest of our body into the grounding process. Run through this melody as many times as needed until your kiddo (or yourself!) is ready for the next step.
Lookin’ Out the Window
This song is great for taking a break to recenter and re-ground in our surroundings. Having a moment to connect to what is physically around us, and describing it can be a gentle support for some. It can help bring awareness to where we are in space, remind us we are in a safe space, or give our brains/nervous systems some concrete or singular to focus on.
My Buddy Named Body
This song is about your body being your buddy. Just like any good friend, you help your buddy out when they need some extra support. What does your buddy need? This song includes a verse of curiosity (“Does it need a fidget? Does it need a squeeze? Does it need a breath?”) as well as a verse dedicated to actually engaging in the preferred sensory activity. It is designed to be customizable, in that you can add in whatever lyrics are appropriate for your little one’s body (i.e. “Give a squeeze squeeze squeeze”).
-Mikaila Vieyra, LPMT, MT-BC
Identity of the author*: white, neurodivergent, queer, cis-woman.
*Why do we include this? Intersectionality is the way that the various identities we hold (race, gender, sexual orientation, dis/ability, etc.) impacts the way that we experience and perceive the world. How/what we take in from the world impacts how/what we put into the world. Though we are committed to consistently engaging in reflexive practices to explore our explicit/implicit biases, we share the identity to be transparent on what perspective this blog post is coming from.