5 Apps to Support Your Child’s Mental Health
5 Apps to Support Your Child’s Mental Health avatar

Kate Bailin, MA, LPC, LSCWillow Wisdom

Children Therapy Toledo Counseling

In my previous  Willow Wisdom post, I focused on 5 recommended apps to support your mental health. Mental health apps are not just for adults! This month, I am sharing 5 apps that can be used to support your child’s mental health. Let us know if you try out any of these apps with your child at home!

Visual Countdown Timer (Free)

We frequently ask children to complete a task within a specified amount of time. Because time can be an abstract concept for kids, a visual timer can be very helpful. With this app, you can select a picture and then select your time. As the timer counts down, the chosen picture will begin to appear. Choose a different picture each time you use the app and encourage your child to beat the timer! The visual component is very engaging to kids and helps them to stay motivated to complete the task.

Smiling Mind (Free)

Smiling Mind is a fantastic mindfulness app for kids (and adults)! Many mindfulness apps charge a monthly subscription fee, however, this app is 100% free. The app is broken into categories and age groups for kids as young as 0-3. Choose from topics such as sleep, back to school, and sports. The app will track your child’s progress and provide a motivating dashboard that displays progress by sessions, minutes, and a streak.


Sesame Street Apps (Free)

Sesame Street offers several wonderful apps to meet children’s needs. The Breathe, Think, Do app helps young children practice breathing and problem solving. Sesame Street also offers apps that are topic specific. Each app includes info for parents, games, activities, and videos for kids.

Check out these topics:

Sesame for Military Families

Sesame Street: Incarceration

The Big Moving Adventure

Sesame Street and Autism


Three Good Things (Free)

Research has shown that practicing gratitude regularly can boost your overall mood. This simple app challenges users to record 3 positive thoughts a day. Utilize the app as a family and find a time to share your positives from each day. Kids will love that you can “level up” and gain experience points from frequent use of the app!


SuperBetter (Free)

SuperBetter is an engaging, game-based app for pre-teens and adults who need some extra motivation to feel happier and healthier. Players complete simple “power-ups” and “quests” such as drinking a glass of water or writing a letter to a friend. By completing tasks, players can “level up” in the game. The app has even been utilized in research studies that have shown how it can increase resilience, optimism, and social support. Try it out with your child!