Kirtan with children: how to make it work

Kirtan for kids works when the children have something to do. Sitting still for an hour is hard for a child. Singing a line back, playing a small instrument or clapping the beat is not. Kirtan is built for this. A lead singer sings a short line and everyone sings it back, so a child needs no training to join.

This guide is for parents and grandparents who want children to enjoy kirtan, not just endure it. It covers a home kirtan, a temple or gurdwara, and the habits that help a child fall in love with it. The advice is practical and based on how families usually do it. It is not a rulebook, and your own elders and teachers come first.

Why is kirtan easy for children?

Kirtan is a call-and-response form: the singer calls a line and the group repeats it. The lines are short and repeated many times, so a child hears a line before singing it and gets many chances to join. Nobody has to read or remember a long text.

The same shape runs through the traditions on this site. In a Hare Krishna kirtan the whole room repeats the same short mantra. In a Bhajan Sandhya many bhajans have a simple refrain. In a Krishna kirtan the names of the Lord are repeated and the pace slowly rises, which children often love.

Shabad Kirtan is different. The ragis sing hymns from Guru Granth Sahib in raags, and the sangat mostly listens. Children can still take part by sitting with the sangat, repeating a line like “Waheguru” and learning gurmat sangeet in classes. See the section below for details.

How long should a children’s kirtan be?

Start short. Fifteen to thirty minutes is a fair first target for young children, and an hour is a good goal for older ones. These are not fixed numbers. They are a starting point to adjust to the child.

If the evening is long, help the children by putting the singing they like first. Begin with a lively, easy kirtan while their energy is high. Keep the quieter bhajans for when the little ones have gone to eat or sleep. Tell the artist this in advance; most are used to it.

Let children leave when they need to. A child who steps out and returns is better than one who is forced to stay and learns to dislike it.

What can children do during a kirtan?

Give each child a job. Children join in more when they have a part.

• Play small cymbals. Manjira or kartal are the classic first instrument. Show the child how to hold them and to follow the main drum.
• Use a shaker or a small hand drum. An older child can try a dholak with someone sitting beside them.
• Bring the flowers or the lamp. At the start, a child can offer flowers at the altar or carry the aarti plate with an adult.
• Lead a line. Ask a confident child to sing one line to the room and let everyone repeat it. It takes courage and children remember it for years.
• Serve prasad. Handing out sweets after the aarti is a job that most children love.

Our tips page has a short note on this: hand the children manjira or small cymbals and seat them near the artists. Kirtan is often where a child first falls in love with music.

Where should children sit?

Near the artists, if the child wants to be close. Children who can see the instruments and the singers stay interested for longer. Others do better near the door, where they can step out.

Put a mat down for them at the front on the same level as the adults. Keep colouring books and quiet toys away from the altar, but do not ban them for the very young. A toddler who is quietly occupied is better for the kirtan than one who is bored.

Younger children can sit in a lap. If you have a baby, sit near the exit, bring a cloth to spread, and feed or settle the baby as you need. Babies are common at home kirtans.

How do I explain the rules without spoiling the fun?

Say a few simple things beforehand, at home, in a calm voice:

1. We take off our shoes at the door.
2. We sit and do not point our feet at the altar or at the singers.
3. We do not touch the instruments unless someone gives them to us.
4. We can sing, clap and sway. If we need to go out, we go quietly.

Children follow what they see. If you sing, sit with them and join in, they will copy you. A parent on a phone teaches a child that kirtan is boring.

How do I include children in a kirtan at home?

At a home kirtan, you control the room. Invite other families with children so they have friends. Keep the first kirtan short and the food after it. Ask the artist to start with a call-and-response kirtan with a lively beat. Our guide on how to host a kirtan at home covers seating and timing, and the home kirtan checklist covers the seating, the space and the timing, so you can plan where the children will sit.

Look for artists whose kirtan invites everyone to sing. For example, Vraj Gopal Das leads congregational Hare Krishna sankirtan in call and response. Radhika Das, Harikanta Devi Dasi and Gaura Mani Devi Dasi lead kirtan in the same Vaishnava tradition. When you book, say that children will be there. The artist can then pick melodies with simple refrains.

How do children learn kirtan?

Most children learn kirtan by being there, week after week. After that, there are classes.

• At ISKCON temples. Several ISKCON Sunday schools list bhajan and kirtan in their curriculum, along with verse recitation, stories and drama. One temple has a youth kirtan group that takes part in the temple’s kirtan. Ask your local temple what it offers.
• In Sikh tradition. Gurmat sangeet camps and classes teach children to sing shabads and to play instruments such as the harmonium and tabla. The SGPC has run gurmat training camps for children in villages, and community camps abroad have drawn dozens of children between the ages of five and fifteen. Ask your nearest gurdwara.
• At home. Pick one short song, such as a favourite aarti or a Hare Krishna tune, and sing it at the same time each day. Five minutes after dinner builds the habit better than a long weekly session.

What about kirtan at a gurdwara or temple?

At a gurdwara, everyone, including children, covers their head and removes their shoes. Visitors are also asked to keep tobacco and alcohol away and to keep quiet in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. Prepare children at home. A small rumal or patka for a child is easy to carry. Let the child sit beside you and bow when you bow. Langar afterwards is where the children often feel most at home.

At a temple, the rules differ between traditions, so ask. In most, shoes come off, and visitors sit on the floor. Many temples hold special children’s programmes during festivals, so look at the temple’s own notices.

What if the child does not enjoy it?

Do not force it. Some children take to kirtan the first time and others take years. A child who is not ready is often a child who has been asked to sit still too long.

Try a different time of day, a different instrument or a shorter session. Bring a friend. Sing at home in a relaxed way. Let the child hear kirtan in the car or while you cook. Most children respond when kirtan is part of ordinary life and not only a rule at a special event.

A short plan for your first family kirtan

1. Choose a short slot, 20 to 30 minutes, in the early evening.
2. Invite one or two families with children.
3. Give each child a small instrument and a job.
4. Ask the artist for a lively call-and-response kirtan first.
5. Serve prasad right after, with the children handing it out.
6. Ask the children what they liked and use it next time.

When you are ready, tell us about your family’s kirtan and mention the children’s ages. We will help you find an artist who suits them.