“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” Songs to Manage Feelings

Little ones can have big feelings. As grown-ups, we have the opportunity to guide our young children when they’re upset, helping them find ways to name feelings, manage meltdowns, and understand their sometimes overwhelming emotions. When we connect children with coping strategies, we give them an early start to a lifetime of verbalizing their feelings in healthy ways that honor themselves — and those around them!

The next time a meltdown arises, try one of these short and simple (and let's be honest — catchy!) "Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood" strategy songs to help your preschooler get through those big feelings of frustration or anger.

As Christopher Loggins, Supervising Producer for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, says, these songs help us “remember how big the world can feel for somebody so small.”

The tunes 4-year-old Daniel Tiger sings reflect experiences and emotions that are easily relatable to young children. Loggins and the team have created the scenarios and songs in the show with preschoolers in mind.

He also acknowledges that he often hears that Daniel’s strategy songs are go-to tunes for grown-ups wading through challenging emotions, too: “Pretty much every grown-up I talk to says: I use this strategy for myself, I can’t help singing them!”

Here are nine songs from “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” to help your child (and yourself!) manage and ease those big feelings.

1. “When you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath, and count to four.” As a parent to four young kids, I’ve had this little ditty memorized for years. Sometimes (especially during a meltdown with screaming or stomping) kids need a reminder to simply breathe when they feel so mad. After you sing this song together, consider making these “Get Out The Mad” cookies.
2. “Use your words and say how you feel.” It’s never too early to begin helping kids find and use their words to verbalize their emotions. In one episode, Daniel and his friends grow in empathy and understanding for each other when they’re able to voice their feelings instead of arguing. In the Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings app, children can play, sing, and learn about all kinds of feelings through four different games.
3. “When you’re feeling frustrated, take a step back, and ask for help.” Everybody gets frustrated sometimes. Kids this age are learning independence, and their little brains and bodies might hop straight to frustration or despair when obstacles arise. This song is a good reminder that it’s okay to ask for help when you’re stuck at home or school. Here are more tips for helping little ones express their emotions.
4. “Give a squeeze, nice and slow, take a deep breath... let it go.” Loggins says he even finds himself reciting this strategy song when he feels stressed. When my little ones need help getting calm, I try to remind them to take a moment to be mindful of their bodies and their breath. (I love these mindfulness strategies, too.)
5. “Stop, stop, stop. It’s okay to feel angry it’s not not not okay to hurt someone.” Even Daniel Tiger gets super angry sometimes! Daniel sings this song when he wants to give his toy animals a bath, but his mom tells him he needs a grown-up around when he’s playing with water. This tune is a good reminder that anger is an okay feeling to have, but it’s not a reason to hurt someone. It’s also a good reminder for preschoolers that it’s never too late to stop and make a different decision instead of hitting or kicking out of anger.
6. “It’s okay to feel sad sometimes. Little by little, you’ll feel better again.” When my kids have meltdowns or tantrums, I’ve noticed that their sad often looks like mad. This little lesson can help us peel back the layers of what’s behind seemingly explosive behavior. Daniel sings this song when he feels left out. My son loves playing this Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood game about feelings when he’s on our tablet, too. (I love screen time that doubles as social-emotional learning!) We also love this You’ll Feel Better Again Jar craft made out of materials from around the house — it helps grown-ups talk to children and find out about the activities that make them feel better.
7. “Things may change and that’s okay, today we can do things a different way.” Loggins says this reminder is especially near to his heart. “It has been a challenging year, and we have seen that in our own lives. We all had to adapt to doing something new, working in new ways,” he says. This song helps children and grown-ups to remember that change may be inevitable, but when life looks different, we can be resilient.
8. “Mad, mad, mad. It helps to say that I am mad.” There’s power in simply naming our emotions. When we can name our frustration or anger, it’s less likely to hold power over us. When Daniel’s sandcastle washes away, he feels angry and sings this song. And when he and Miss Elaina decide to rebuild the sandcastle, going near the water without permission, Dad Tiger expresses his anger, too. Little kids may feel angry, afraid or frustrated, but have limited language — so they often use their bodies to express themselves. Here’s how to help preschoolers express their anger in healthy ways.
9. “When something seems bad, turn it around and find something good.” Even if it might not feel like it, meltdowns will eventually pass. With this song, Daniel Tiger reminds us that we can reframe hard things. “One of my favorite parts of my job is hearing from viewers about the very personal and unique ways the show and various strategies have helped them,” Loggins says.

Big feelings are inevitable — and that’s OK! With tools like these strategy songs in our parenting toolbox, we can help our kids (and ourselves) become more equipped to talk about all of our emotions and work through those meltdown moments, too. Loggins says working on "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and helping create the songs so many of us turn to when big feelings strike is an honor he doesn’t take for granted.

“It’s important to all of us to always earn the trust of the parents and caregivers who choose to share the show with the children in their lives,” Loggins says. “It’s an honor and privilege to be making this show.”