A focus on empathy, concentrating on feelings, friendship and kindness through song, stories, singing games and poems
Today there seems to be worrying little empathy in evidence from the powers that be in our wider world, for their own population and even less for those perceived to be different from other places and lands.
However for our younger generation the more we treasure this quality the easier life will become for them – from small beginnings….
Contents
What is empathy?
Empathy is the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s shoes.
an ability to:
- sense the emotions of those around us
- show concern for the happiness and wellbeing of others
- know when someone else is in trouble and feel the need to help them out
- actively try to understand one another
- interact with a partner / group and understand their feelings
Can it be developed?
It is a sense that comes easily to some but can be encouraged by the way children are treated themselves by carers, their peers and the examples they set. Empathy in children can be taught at a young age and many will learn this valuable attribute the more it is demonstrated and nurtured.
Empathy builds on the ability to see things from another person’s point of view, most children begin to acquire this around the age of four or five.
Studies suggest that these skills can be taught or encouraged.
For example, discussing the emotional content of stories has been shown to increase empathy in school-aged children, as does getting children to practice imagining how other people might be feeling.
Some of the above was garnered from the excellent website Twinkl where you can find further guidance on this subject.
NB Empathy Week / Day on June 12th – oh, dear – missed it this year!
Go to River of Song calendar | River of song to keep updated about related topics
Find all sorts of activities to support the development of empathy here: Empathy Day 2025 – Resources for teachers – BBC Teach
Songs, poems and games to help develop empathy
Empathy is reliant on communication skills which can be supported through stories, songs and singing games.
This collection was inspired by a recent challenge from a practitioner who teaches children’s literature classes and needed songs on this theme for her 7-10 year olds.
Apart from ‘See the little Sandy girl’ nothing came instantly to mind so I was quite happy to to search my website for those that more or less fit the bill!
The thought ‘Kindness is empathy at play’ popped into my head and there are many songs addressing kindness on my website perhaps some of these might work. You’ll find other close fits here:
Songs for a Better World | River of song
But to be more specific think ‘in someone else’s shoes’!! Hopefully some of these below come close to addressing some of the issues linked with this subject. More will be added as they come to mind.
I would be very grateful if any one else has any suggestions that might be suitable for this collection – let me know at:
riverofsong1@aol.com
In the YouTube playlist here you might find more songs related to this topic:
YouTube playlists:
Songs for a better world – YouTube
Songs about happy and sad feelings – YouTube
Love, kindness and sharing – YouTube
**** Words and music by Dany Rosevear
Music by Dany Rosevear ♪♫ – only recently begun to add
Love this song: 💖 and so many of the others you can find below!
A circle of friends **** new 🕊️
YouTube PDF circle game / empathy / songs for a better world
A smile is quite a funny thing
YouTube PDF for a better world
Across the divide **** new 🕊️
YouTube PDF empathy / peace
A rainbow is a song **** 🕊️
YouTube PDF
A smile is quite a funny thing
YouTube PDF a community song
As we leave this friendly place
YouTube PDF transition / better world / empathy
Babes in the wood 💖
YouTube PDFstory song / sad emotions
Be a friend ****
YouTube PDF transition / better world / empathy
Be a rainbow new **** caring for others
YouTube PDF hand play
Be kind to one another **** 💖
YouTube PDF creatures great and small
Glad to see you and welcome ****
YouTube PDF transition / community song
Gobbolino, the witch’s cat 💖
YouTube PDF story song / feelings
Happy faces, sad ones
YouTube PDF learn to recognise happy and sad faces
How to talk **** 💖
YouTube PDF communication / empathy
It could be a wonderful world 💖
YouTube PDF community / empathy
It feels good ****
YouTube PDF love and kindness
Little angel all alone ****
YouTube PDF story / circle / Nativity
Little hand all well again
YouTube PDF health / nursery rhyme / handplay
Love grows one by one song by Carol Johnson 💖
YouTube PDF Community / numbers / better world
Lullaby for a little bee ****💖
YouTube PDF
May there always be sunshine 🕊️
YouTube PDF
Miss Polly had a dolly
YouTube PDF a song to mime
One kind word 💖
YouTube PDF song for a better world / empathy / seasonal
Opposites new
YouTube PDF friendship / dramatize / feelings
See the little sandy girl 💖
YouTube PDF classic circle game / for the very young
Side by side
YouTube PDF community / lavender lane
Since others do so much for me
YouTube PDF kindness / empathy
Somos el barco / We are the boat
YouTube PDF new community singing
Spread happiness around ****
YouTube PDF better world / community / circle
Sunshine and shadow new
YouTube PDF weather
The blind men and the elephant
YouTube PDF poem / points of view story
The dolphins’ lullaby ****
YouTube PDF summer / better world / empathy / lullaby
There’s no-one exactly like me new ****
YouTube PDF community
Vive la compagnie
YouTube PDF community / folk / better world / call and response
Weave a web of sunshine new****
YouTube PDF better world / lullaby / action play / weather
Welcome in the new day ****
YouTube PDF transition
When daddy fell into the pond 💖
YouTube PDF Alfred Noyes / poem / lack of empathy!
When Goldilocks went to the house of the bears
YouTube PDF Lavender Lane / number to 3 / feelings
When I needed a neighbour new
YouTube PDF