The Sun Shines on Everyone: Teaching Inclusion through Song and Kids Yoga

The Sun Shines on Everyone is a song by Snatam Kaur. It is often used in kids’ yoga practice. It is a nice song for adults to listen to as well. It contains a powerful message about inclusion.

“The sun shines on everyone – it doesn’t make choices. When it rains – it rains on everyone – it doesn’t make choices.” 

Teaching kids about inclusion: Let us just have love and acceptance of everyone. Of all of their beauty. Of all of their difficulties and differences too. Of course, life can be more complicated than this. But when we start with messages of inclusion, we lay an important foundation.

“The one spirit lives in everyone – it doesn’t make choices. It doesn’t make choices.”

We are all connected. As humans and beings of this earth. We are all worthy of being here.

“Peace to all. Love to all.”

Kids Yoga Practice

Options:

  • You could just put this song on and let your kids dance or have it play in the background.
  • You can use it as transition music in the classroom, as kids move from one activity to the next.

-You could experiment with a movement practice: adding yoga forms to the music. Feel free to get creative with this! My kids like to make up their own yoga forms!

“The sun shines on everyone”

“When it rains, it rains on everyone”

“The one spirit lives in everyone”

Bedtime or Restime Song

Options:

  • You could sing this song to or with your kids for quiet time or relaxation time.

I’ve taught my kids the words to this song and we like to sing it at bedtime now. 

  • I worked with an amazing Kindergarten teacher in my ECS 100 Practicum – she regularly incorporated quiet time/rest time for the kids into her class. She would play calming/relaxing music to them in the background. Yoga (and the use of this song and practices) could easily be incorporated into various resting practices in schools.
This video demonstrates some examples of the singing and calming practice I have been doing with my two young children at bedtime.