Musical Activities for Different Moods: Sad

Musical Activities for When You’re Feeling Sad

From the Activity Guide: Music & Activities for Different Moods

This orchestra music is nice to listen to if you’re feeling sad.

Activities for When You’re Feeling Sad

Listen and Breathe

Dvorak’s Humoresque is a beautiful light and somewhat silly piece of orchestra music. It is the perfect backdrop for some quiet meditation when you feel sad. Children and adults of all ages can benefit from the tranquility of this piece when they feel sad.

Breathing Activity

Turn on the music, sit down, and close your eyes.
Breathe slowly along with the melody and listen to it lilt around the orchestra.
Focus on the melody to take your mind off of everything around you.
Let your body move gently along with the music, let a small smile creep onto your face – whatever feels natural.
At the end of the piece, stand up and give a big stretch. Hopefully, you’ll feel a bit refreshed!

The Feelings Plate

We love this “Feelings Plate.” It is so adaptable to help toddlers through middle school-aged children identify and communicate their feelings. There are so many ways to use it:

Toddlers can use the feelings plate to learn about different emotions. Show them an emotion and have them act it out with their face and body, talk about what it feels like, and talk about what to do if you’re feeling that emotion.
Preschoolers can spin their feelings plate to the emotion they’re feeling if they’re having a hard time communicating what is going on inside.
And elementary and middle school children can use it as a communication tool when they really don’t want to talk at all or are just having a hard time getting the conversation started. Keep their feelings plate in a location you have access to as well and encourage them to turn their plate to whatever emotion they may be feeling at any given moment throughout the day. It will serve as subtle communication to you when they’re dealing with some challenging emotions without them having to tell it to you, which can be hard for children in this age group.

Find activities for other moods in the full Activity Guide: Music & Activities for Different Moods