Our kids are busier and more stressed than any generation before them. To grapple with the stress and chaos of day to day life, it can be incredibly beneficial to teach easy breathing techniques and mindfulness activities for kids. I decided to gather a list of mindfulness books for kids that can help them to slow down, focus on their breathing, and control the big emotions surrounding them.

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received copies of Teach Your Child Meditation and Crab & Whale in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Teach Your Child Meditation: 70 Fun & Easy Ways to Help Kids De-Stress and Chill Out

Written by Lisa Roberts, RYT, RCYT

This incredible guide for meditation and mindfulness is full of activities and exercises that parents can do with their kids to help them focus and relax. Each activity in the book includes an explanation of the activity and the ways that it can help. They also include simple steps for kids to follow, as well as cute illustrated examples. Since the guide is text heavy, it is meant more as a reference for parents and teachers. However, the illustrations can easily help young kids to perform these activities on their own.

Meditate with Me: A Step-By-Step Mindfulness Journey

Written by Mariam Gates and illustrated by Margarita Surnaite

This illustrated mindfulness book for kids teaches the basics with easy to understand instructions and adorable animal illustrations. Kids can easily follow along with the characters, while they learn to breathe, relax, and focus.

A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles

Written by Thich Nhat Hanh and illustrated by Wietske Vriezen

Using four simple pebbles and this mindfulness for kids book, parents and children can embark on a meditation journey together. This hands on method of meditation makes it easier for kids to understand and enjoy the practice.

Meditation Is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids

Written by Whitney Stewart and illustrated by Sally Rippin

This book is full of meditation exercises that kids can easily use in their own lives to help them deal with stress and emotions. The illustrations show an adorable monkey and elephant as they struggle with their emotions and learn to control them with breathing and mindfulness exercises. The mindfulness activities for kids are written out in great detail, but very young kids should also be able to benefit from them.

What Does It Mean to Be Present?

Written by Rana DiOrio and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

This book is a great introduction to the idea of being present. The text gives examples of what it means to be present, and also what it doesn’t mean. The simple text and colorful illustrations provide a good explanation of the complicated topic, while also offering easy ways for kids to practice compassion and mindfulness.

Related Post: Mindfulness Books for Kids: Coping with Stress

Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda

Written by Lauren Alderfer and illustrated by Kerry Lee MacLean

When Monkey asks his friend Panda how to be happy in everything he does, he learns an important lesson about mindfulness and being present. This mindfulness book for kids is a great introduction to being present while enjoying every small moment.

Don’t forget to check out this post of the 15 best yoga books for kids too! 

Charlotte and the Quiet Place

Written by Deborah Sosin and illustrated by Sara Woolley

Charlotte is a little girl who is always surrounded by noise. She longs for a quiet place where she can clear her mind and think straight. When her dog gets free in the park, Charlotte stumbles on the perfect place to sit and be silent. Kids will recognize the constant noise that Charlotte deals with in her life, and may be inspired to find their own quiet place to rest and recharge.

The Lemonade Hurricane: A Story of Mindfulness and Meditation

Written by Licia Morelli and illustrated by Jennifer E. Morris

This story follows a young girl named Emma, who loves to sit and be still at the end of a long day. Her brother Henry doesn’t like to sit still, and he often gets a little too wild. As Emma tries to teach Henry to sit and be still, she also teaches readers how to be calm and mindful, and how beneficial it can be to sit still at the end of a long day.

Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems

Written by Kate Coombs and illustrated by Anna Emilia Laitinen

This book of poetry is full of calming illustrations and beautiful lyrical text that encourage readers to think about their thoughts, their emotions and their breath. The poetic text is incredibly calming and peaceful, and full of descriptive language about nature and breath.

I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness

Written by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

This kids book on mindfulness provides kids with an easy entrance into mindfulness with flowing words and calming illustrations. By following the main character, kids can learn to let go of troubles, feel peaceful and live in the moment.

Related Post: I Am Love

Breathe Like a Bear

Written by Kira Willey and illustrated by Anni Betts

This incredible resource is full of beautifully illustrated mindfulness activities that kids can easily learn and utilize in their day to day lives. The easy text and colorful illustrations make it simple for kids to visualize the images, so they can use these techniques no matter where they are.

Puppy Mind

Written by Andrew Jordan Nance and illustrated by Jim Durk

We all have moments where our minds are running all over the place, just like a puppy. This cute rhyming story follows a young boy who recognizes that his mind often runs around. So he decides to train it, just like a puppy. The simple breathing exercise that he uses to calm his puppy mind can be easily used by all kids and adults to keep their own puppy minds on track and in the moment.

Mind Bubbles

Written by Heather Krantz and illustrated by Lisa May

Encouraging kids to sit quietly and breathe, while letting thoughts and emotions pass by, can be a difficult task. This book introduces mindfulness activities in a way that kids can easily understand and adopt in their day to day lives.

Peaceful Piggy Meditation

Written and illustrated by Kerry Lee MacLean

Join a group of adorable pigs who learn to manage their emotions through meditation and breathing in this meditation book for kids. This story follows a group of pigs who recognize when their emotions are getting to be too much for them. Instead of losing their cool, they find a quiet place and breathe. The simple meditation techniques illustrated in the book can easily be adopted by readers when they are feeling overwhelmed.

Crab and Whale

Written by Mark Pallis and Christiane Kerr and illustrated by James Cottell

This beautiful story follows a kind crab who tries to help a stuck whale to remain calm until the tide can carry him out to sea. The crab uses a variety of calming techniques that kids can easily practice along with the characters. The story is sweet and funny, while the illustrations are done in calming colors and beautifully textured artwork.

Check out these printable mindfulness resources for your family too!

What are your favorite mindfulness books for kids? Share in the comments below!

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