The Personal Space Song

Teaching children how to respect personal space is an important skill for school, play, and life. When students learn to keep appropriate boundaries, the classroom becomes calmer, kinder, and safer for everyone. The Personal Space Song and accompanying Personal Space Poem are designed to help students understand, practice, and remember how to use personal space in a fun and engaging way.

You can download the Personal Space Song and Poem at the bottom of the post.

Why Teach Personal Space?

Many children struggle to understand the concept of personal space. For students with proprioception deficits or decreased body awareness, this can be even more challenging. By practicing personal space skills through song, rhyme, and visuals, students gain concrete strategies to help them succeed socially and academically. When children do not maintain personal space, it can lead to:

• Classroom disruptions
• Bickering between peers
• Safety issues and potential injuries

Watch the Video

How to Pre-Teach the Song

Before introducing the song, it helps to preteach the concept of personal space so students can connect the lyrics to their own experiences. Here are some ideas:

• Model personal space: Use your own body to demonstrate how close is “too close” and how much space feels comfortable.
• Use visuals: Posters, icons, or pictures (such as a “personal bubble”) help reinforce the concept.
• Practice movements: Have students stretch their arms out wide, showing how much space they take up.
• Role-play: Let children act out scenarios where they keep space or get too close, then reflect on how it feels.

Once students understand the concept, sing the Personal Space Song together while practicing the motions.

When to Use the Poem vs. the Song

Both the song and the poem reinforce the same important concepts, but they can be used in different ways throughout the day:

• The Song
  • Best for introducing the concept of personal space.
  • Works well during morning meetings, music class, or group lessons.
  • Helps make the skill memorable through rhythm and movement.
• The Poem
  • Perfect for quick reminders before lining up, circle time, or transitions.
  • Can be recited in under a minute to help students refocus.
  • Works well as a posted visual on the wall or handed out for independent reading.

By alternating between the song and poem, teachers can keep the message fresh and flexible depending on the activity.

Tips for Maintaining Personal Space

• Practice daily: Integrate reminders into line-up time, circle time, and transitions.
• Reinforce positively: Praise students who demonstrate good spacing.
• Use the poem: The shorter Personal Space Poem is easy to recite quickly before activities.
• Provide cues: Tape floor markers or use classroom visuals to show where students can stand or sit.
• Adapt for needs: Some children may need extra sensory input to help them regulate and respect boundaries.

MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES

Here are additional tools and activities to support teaching personal space and body awareness:

• Personal Space Bubble – What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
• Personal Space Journey
• Body Awareness Activities
• Strike a Pose
• Bean Bag Body Song
• Self-Control Song
• Proprioception Song