Did you know that kids are actually very good with Tapping?
For one, they have a lot less emotional resistance and less limited thinking, so the tapping itself is usually very effective.
They also learn quickly, so they can often remember the tapping points even better than adults, lol!
If you're looking to teach your kids Tapping, here are some fun diagrams that will help. :)
We have lots of other great resources on Tapping for Parents, Teachers, Children, and Teenagers that you may wish to check out.
For adults, parents, and teachers, you may also wish to Learn the Traditional and Alternative EFT Tapping Points to deepen your understanding of the whys and hows of Tapping.
For more Tapping resources for parents, teachers, kids, and teens, be sure to visit The Tapping Solution Foundation.
How to teach a child to tap in 5 steps
- Show them the spots. Point to a few tapping spots, like the top of the head and the side of the eye, and say, "Let's tap here together!"
- Make it a game. Tap along to a silly rhyme or a favorite song so it feels fun, not like a chore.
- Name the feeling in kid words. Ask, "Is it a big feeling or a little feeling?" instead of asking for every detail.
- Tap and talk. Let them tap while they tell you about their day, even if it's not about the feeling that's bugging them.
- Check in with a smile or a frown. For younger kids, ask "Bigger or smaller now?" instead of a 0 to 10 number.
Free. The best place to start.
Want to learn tapping from the people who know it best?
The Tapping World Summit has taught tapping to people all over the world since 2009. Ten days, 24 of the world's leading tapping teachers, 100% free.
Join the free summitTapping phrases for kids
| Situation | What to say |
|---|---|
| Bedtime worry | "Even though my tummy feels funny about bedtime, I know I'm safe in my room." |
| School nerves | "Even though I feel nervous about school today, I can do hard things." |
| Big feelings | "Even though I feel so mad (or so sad) right now, it's okay to feel this way." |
| After a fall | "Even though that scared me, I'm okay now." |
Tapping with teens
Teens often don't want to talk about what's bothering them, and that's okay. Just like with younger kids, they can tap on a feeling without naming the exact reason out loud, which takes the pressure off. A parent or friend can tap alongside them on "this feeling" while the teen keeps the details private. See our full tapping for teens post for a real example of this in action.
What our data shows
Across the Tapping for Kids category in The Tapping Solution App, 27 sessions built for kids, people have completed 198,260 sessions and rated their intensity from 0 to 10 before and after. The average goes from 5.6 to 2.8, a 50% drop, in a single sitting (app data, not a clinical study).
One popular session in that category, Calming the Body and Mind for Sleep: Ages 9 to 12, has been completed 45,099 times, with the average rating going from 5.3 to 2.5.
A larger, published study of 270,461 Tapping Solution App users found anxiety dropped an average of 44% after a single Tapping session (Church & Stapleton, 2020, JMIR mHealth and uHealth). That study looked at the general adult app population, not kids specifically, so the numbers above from the Tapping for Kids category are the closer match for this topic.
In their own words
"At the end all he said was 'I'm a really low number' and went to sleep!"
Natasha, on her son falling asleep three nights in a row after tapping, he rated his worry an 8 before, a 1 after
Go deeper
- Tapping Solution for Kids: How to Tap, the main how-to guide for teaching kids to tap.
- Tapping for Parents, Children & Teenagers, for the fuller family resource.
- The EFT tapping chart, for the 9 points at a glance.
- EFT tapping phrases and EFT tapping scripts, for more reminder-phrase ideas.
- Tapping for teens, for an example of tapping with a teenager.
Tapping for Kids: Your Questions, Answered
Can kids do tapping?
Yes. Kids are often quicker to pick up tapping than adults, since they usually have less resistance to trying something new and can remember the tapping points fast. Tapping is simple enough for a young child to do along with a parent, and older kids can learn to do it on their own.
At what age can kids start tapping?
There's no official minimum age. Even toddlers can tap along to a song or a rhyme with a parent, and by around 5 or 6 many kids can point to their own tapping spots and start using simple words for their feelings. Every child is different, so go at their pace.
How do I teach my child to tap?
Start by showing them a few tapping spots and making it playful, like tapping along to a silly rhyme. Let them name the feeling in their own words, and tap while they talk, even about something unrelated. See the 5 steps above for the full walkthrough.
Does tapping help kids with anxiety?
Many parents and teachers say tapping helps a child calm down, settle their body, and feel supported in the moment, used alongside a pediatrician's or therapist's care. Tapping is not a treatment for anxiety or any other diagnosis in children.
Is there a kids tapping chart?
Yes. The diagrams above show the tapping points in a kid-friendly format you can print, tap along to together, or stick on the fridge as a reminder.
What about tapping for teens?
Teens can use the same tapping points as adults. Many don't want to talk about what's bothering them, and that's okay: they can tap on a feeling without naming the exact reason out loud. See our tapping for teens section above for more.
Until next time...
Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
