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When we pay careful attention to the present moment, we can trust that an adequate, adaptive response will appear.

Tom Borkevec

Songs for Kids

Songs for Kids

Sara Marlowe sings songs about mindfulness for kidsSara writes original children's songs that playfully teach mindfulness themes and practices.

New songs will be added as they are recorded.

Download Sara's songs here.

Lyrics

A storm rolls in with a mighty roar
My giant waves crashing to the shore
The surface is churning so violentl
But deep down below I’m as still as can be

CHORUS:
Life’s always changing that we can see
We can push it away or face what will be
I know I can handle whatever I meet
'Cause I feel the ocean inside of me

With every season, new changes they bring
From snowy cold winters to blossoming springs
My surface is changing all year long
But deep at my base I am stable and strong

CHORUS:
Life’s always changing that we can see
We can push it away or face what will be
I know I can handle whatever I meet
'Cause I feel the ocean inside of me

A howling wind it rips through my leaves
In all directions, it pulls and pulls me
At times I feel fearful that I might fall
But my solid roots keep me standing tall

CHORUS:
Life’s always changing that we can see
We can push it away or face what will be
I know I can handle whatever I meet
'Cause I feel the ocean inside of me

CHORUS:
Life’s always changing that we can see
We can push it away or face what will be
I know I can handle whatever I meet
'Cause I feel the ocean inside of me
'Cause I feel a mountain inside of me
'Cause I feel a tree deep inside of me
And I can feel stillness inside of me

© Sara Marlowe, (SOCAN) 2012

This Song is Based on the Practice of Lovingkindness. You can expand the song in any way that fits for your group.

I chose the following phrases for this song:

May I be happy and live with joy
May I be healthy and strong
May I be safe and protected
May I always feel peaceful.

You then repeat the phrases, and use "You" and "We."

In my experience, while singing this song, children love to share who they are sending wishes too. It can become very playful!

© Sara Marlowe, (SOCAN) 2012

This is a playful song, where children are first invited to make up their very own Busy Mind dance. They are then invited to 'respond' to their busy mind with a variety of mindfulness practices. Depending on the group, I will pick a variety of mindfulness practices for when the music stops. These may include:

Breathe, listening, walking, seeing, awareness of body sensations, awareness of sensations in the toes, 'catching' thoughts with butterfly nets (idea from Daniel Rechtschaffen).

What's that sneaking 'round the corner
What's that creeping up on me?
It seems to come out of nowhere
And takes a hold on me

It's a busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy mind
Busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy mind
What's a kid to do, when it's got a hold of you?
This busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy mind

© Sara Marlowe, (SOCAN) 2011

In this song, you can take some time in between each verse to embody all of the different things you're singing about. Feel free to put in your own ideas...

My belly is like a balloon, filling up each time I breathe
My belly is like a balloon, won't you come and be a balloon with me

My body is like a mountain, standing tall and standing strong
My body is like a mountain, won't you come and be a mountain with me

My body is like a tree, my leaves are swaying on the breeze
My body is like a tree, won't you come and be a tree with me

My body is like a stone, resting still and quietly
My body is like a stone, won't you come and be a stone with me

© Sara Marlowe, (SOCAN) 2011

The idea for this song came from a training I completed with Dr. Amy Saltzman, who uses the term "unkind mind" in her work with children.

Have you ever had a time, when you couldn’t quiet your mind.
Thoughts were racing, like the clouds across a moody autumn sky
What should I do, tell me
I should know better
If I could just think harder
Then maybe I could find an answer for this unkind mind

Whenever I do this it tells me I should have done that
And whenever I do that it tells me I should have done something else

My mind has all the answers
Of what would have been better
And it’s sure not afraid to tell me
Over and over. My know it all unkind mind

It has such a skill for sounding so convincing
It always seems to trick me into believing it’s telling me the truth
Maybe I don’t have to listen
Maybe I can make choices
Maybe I can walk away
And take a breath or two or four or more
And then...

It can be still
And it can be quiet
It can just be there
I don’t have to feed it
Maybe it doesn’t know better
Maybe it needs a warm sweater
Or a cup of hot chocolate or a great big hug
Or a friend or a song or a sunset
Or a moment to breathe...

© Sara Marlowe, (SOCAN) 2011

Nurturing connection, one breath at a time...