Parents are often advised to reduce their children’s screen time, but a new online service is encouraging the opposite.
‘Headspace For Kids’, an expansion of the popular ‘Headspace’ app, aims to keep children “calm and focused” through short meditation exercises.
Co-founder Andy Puddicombe said this addition will also help kids fall asleep and wake up peacefully.
“It’s almost as though meditation was designed for kids,” Puddicombe said.
“They just ‘get it’ – there is this elasticity and freedom in their minds which allows them to be present in the moment and free from any external thoughts or pressures.
“By introducing meditation and mindfulness at an early age, not only can we build on this and help nurture their mind development, but we are also making meditation simple and accessible.”
The app offers soothing sounds, breathing exercises, visualisation exercises and focus-based meditation for under fives, six to eight-year-olds and nine to 12-year-olds.
It has five themes for kids to explore: Calm, focus, kindness, sleep and wake up. The length of the exercises vary for the different age groups.
Yoga Bowers, chief executive of the Mindfulness Foundation, thinks the kids’ version of the app is a brilliant idea.
“Given young children’s obsession with technology and Headspace’s first class reputation, we believe this meditation app for children could be the answer to parents’ prayers,” she told The Huffington Post UK.
“In education, focus and concentration are two of the most important skills to achieve success in life.
“We believe meditation is one of the most powerful skills of all.”
Headspace For Kids can be found within the Headspace app. For details on how to access the children’s version, read the FAQs.