What Is Social and Emotional Learning?

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is how children learn the skills to understand their feelings, build relationships and develop a positive sense of self.

These are skills that help kids beyond the classroom into everyday life.

 

How do we teach these skills?

Teaching SEL can sometimes feel tricky. That’s where music comes in.

Music is a fun, safe and accessible way to explore big emotions and social situations.

We’ve put together a list of ten songs that support social and emotional learning. Each song comes with a simple activity to help you explore these ideas in your classroom or at home.

Listen to the playlist on Spotify.

 

The Story of My Feelings – The Laurie Berkner Band

Ask the children to stand in a “feelings circle”. Pause the song at different points and ask them to act out or name a time they felt that emotion.

 

Happy Dance – Splash’N Boots

Have a “happy dance break” where children create their own dance moves, each taking turns to lead the group.

 

I Am Enough – Fabulous Lemon Drops

Ask children to draw a picture of themselves and share one thing that makes them special while the song plays softly in the background.

 

The Feelings Song – Kids TV 123

Use emotion flashcards and have the children match the feeling in the song to the correct card.

 

Emotions Song – The Kiboomers

Play emotion charades. Each child acts out a feeling while the others guess.

 

We Are What We Think We Are – Yo Gabba Gabba

Have children share an unhelpful or negative thought and work together to reframe it into a helpful one.

 

I Like Being Me – Kathryn the Grape

Make a class “All About Me” book. Each child contributes a page about what they love about themselves.

 

I Love Me (Affirmations Song) – Miss Katie Sings

Practice daily affirmations together using a mirror. Have the children repeat simple phrases like “I am kind” or “I am strong.”

 

Melon Collie – The Vegetable Plot

Ask the children to sort different “feeling moments” into categories like happy, sad, silly, etc.

 

Troubles into Bubbles – Music with Michal and Itty Bitty Beats

Use real or pretend bubbles. Have children say a worry out loud, then “blow it away” with a bubble.

 

We hope this collection of songs makes teaching social and emotional learning simple, engaging and fun.