Many children are fascinated by the sound of a singing bowl. The simple act of striking it and the vibrating sound that fills the room invite them to explore and experiment. For this reason, singing bowls are particularly versatile companions for children: they can accompany movement and play, as well as moments of quiet, imagination, small exercises, and everyday routines.
In this article, you will find simple singing bowl exercises with children for at home, kindergarten, and elementary school. You will also learn about the effects singing bowls can have on children and which singing bowls are particularly suitable.
Are singing bowls good for kids?
Singing bowls are generally wonderful to use with children – provided the activity is age-appropriate, voluntary, and designed with care. What makes singing bowls so special is that the sound can be experienced not just through hearing, but also by feeling it. Children can observe and explore how long the sound of a singing bowl lasts, feel the vibrations on their body, try striking the bowl themselves, and combine sound with movement or their imagination.
This makes it easy to find suitable sound exercises for any age. An exercise doesn't have to take long – just a few minutes are enough to explore the singing bowl and perhaps experience its effects. It is important to observe the children's reactions closely and adjust the volume and duration accordingly. Furthermore, singing bowls should not be struck directly next to the ear.
What effect do singing bowls have on children?
Sounds can appeal to children on many different levels. They can have a calming effect and support concentration and body awareness. The long-lasting sound of a high-quality singing bowl invites children to listen attentively for a moment and notice how the sound slowly fades away.
Singing bowls can also stimulate the imagination or help you experience everyday transitions more consciously. Playful singing bowl exercises can additionally support connecting movement, perception, and creativity. Furthermore, these playful exercises and striking the singing bowls independently can convey a sense of self-efficacy and strengthen your inner balance.
However, how a child reacts to a singing bowl is always individual. While some children quickly calm down and listen intently, others prefer to discover the sound through movement or try out the singing bowl themselves. Therefore, it is not about achieving a specific effect, but rather about allowing children to have various experiences with singing bowls.
7 simple singing bowl exercises with children
You can easily set up and do the following singing bowl exercises at home, in kindergarten, or in elementary school with very little preparation. Depending on the age, you can simplify the stories and movements or add more details to them.
Note: In the exercises, we refer to "children", but of course you can just as easily do them with a single child.
1. Lion and Mouse
Strike the singing bowl firmly. As long as the sound is loud and powerful, the children move like brave lions – taking big steps and standing proudly. When the sound gets quieter, they turn into little mice and sneak quietly through the room on tiptoe. With the next strong sound, they become strong lions again.
This exercise combines careful listening with movement, making different sound intensities directly tangible.
2. Stardust
As soon as the singing bowl sounds, the children look up. They imagine sparkling stardust floating down from the sky and settling on their hair, shoulders, hands, and feet. Each star gives them something special – perhaps courage, joy, or calm. As the sound fades away, the stars slowly fly back up to the sky.
A short sound exercise that combines imagination, body awareness, and relaxation.
3. Discovering Colors
The singing bowl is gently struck. While the sound rings out, the children look for a specific color in the room, such as red, blue, or green. When they find a matching object, they touch it mindfully. The search for a new color begins with the next sound.
This is how the singing bowl becomes a signal for a short, mindful journey of discovery.
4. Snail Pace
As soon as the singing bowl sounds, the children move forward very slowly – step by step like a little snail. Once the sound fades away, everyone stops and stays still for a moment. They feel the ground beneath their feet and take a calm breath in and out. With the next sound, the snail walk continues.
This singing bowl exercise is similar to mindful walking meditation and can bring peace and relaxation.
5. Animal Journey
As soon as the singing bowl sounds, the children choose an animal and move around the room like it – for example, like an elephant, a duck, a frog, or a cat. When the sound fades, everyone stops. At the next sound, they transform into a new animal.
This exercise is particularly suitable when combining sound with movement and creativity.
6. Washing Hands with Sound
Even everyday routines like washing hands can become little rituals with a singing bowl. At the first gentle sound, the children wet their hands and lather them carefully with soap. When the singing bowl sounds a second time, the soap is rinsed off thoroughly. Afterwards, they dry their hands calmly.
This is how the singing bowl can help you experience a daily routine more consciously.
7. Storytime with Sound
The gentle sound of the singing bowl marks the beginning of our shared reading time. The children find a cozy spot and listen to the story after the sound fades away. At the end, the singing bowl sounds once more, creating a peaceful conclusion.
At home, this can also become a wonderful evening ritual that helps transition from an active day to a state of rest.
Using singing bowls in kindergarten
Singing bowls are particularly well suited for kindergartens and can be used in a variety of ways. Alongside short sound exercises and mindfulness games, they are ideal, for example, as a recurring signal for morning circle, quiet time, tidying up, or transitioning between different activities.
Especially with younger children, movement games like "Lion and Mouse", "Animal Migration" or "Discovering Colors" are popular and allow for early experiences with singing bowls without having to sit still for long.
With increasing experience, you can also try out short sound stories, sound journeys, or imagery journeys. It is always important to keep a sufficient distance from the ears and not to strike the singing bowl unnecessarily loudly.
Singing bowl in primary school: Sound as a ritual and moment of mindfulness
In primary schools, singing bowls are particularly well suited for mindful breaks or to support calm and concentration. They are also frequently used as a signal instrument: for example, the sound of a singing bowl can mark the start of quiet study time, invite everyone to settle in together after a break, or accompany a short breathing and awareness exercise.
Age-appropriate sound exercises and sound stories for children can also be used in lessons and other care settings.
Which singing bowl is suitable for children?
When choosing a singing bowl for children, besides a pleasant sound, quality and good vibration behavior play an important role. A high-quality singing bowl has a long-lasting sound and a particularly fine vibration behavior.
Peter Hess® Singing Bowls are therefore great for working with kids – we especially recommend the following bowls for you.
Singing Bowls for home use or in kindergartens
Peter Hess® Bengali Singing Bowl
The Peter Hess® Bengali Singing Bowl is also suitable for sound work with children and can be used, for example, for chimes, stories, and small mindfulness exercises. For use at home or initial sound experiences in kindergarten, we recommend size 70.
Peter Hess® Therapy Singing Bowl – Universal Bowl
Our Therapy Singing Bowls were developed for professional sound work and offer a particularly differentiated sound and vibration behavior. Depending on the model, they can also be used in educational contexts. For particularly versatile use, we recommend the Universal Bowl.
Fanello Singing Bowl Set
Fanello combines sound with playful and imaginative applications for children. The singing bowl is particularly well-suited for sound stories and sounding imagery journeys. The Peter Hess® Fanello Singing Bowl Set provides you with everything you need to get started, including a singing bowl mallet and an imagery journey book.
Singing bowls for use in primary schools
Peter Hess® Therapy Singing Bowl Set for Children
For use in primary schools, we recommend the Peter Hess® Therapy Singing Bowl Set for Children. It contains three harmoniously matched therapy singing bowls and various mallets. We have put together this set specifically for sound practice with children. It allows you to create a variety of sound exercises, chimes, imagery journeys, and relaxation phases.
Peter Hess® Tiny Bowl Set
The Tiny Bowls are particularly suitable as a signal instrument, for example, to announce the beginning and end of an exercise, a quiet phase, or a ritual in primary school.
Peter Hess® Mini Singing Bowl Set for Kids
The Mini Singing Bowl Set gives children a playful introduction to the world of singing bowls and invites them to discover and experiment on their own.
Which singing bowl or singing bowl set works best depends on your preferences and whether you want to use them at home, in kindergarten, in primary school, or professionally in sound work for education.