Calming Tool Box
When your child is having a hard time, create a small box of items that can help them calm down. Pull out their calming tool box when their emotions are too big to talk through.
- Find a box large enough to contain all the items.
- Help your child decorate the box with markers, fun stickers, and strings.
- Collect a few of your child's favorite things. Choose things you know will brighten their mood. Try to appeal to all five senses. Examples:
- Touch: Playdough, slime, Coloring books, crayons, stuffed animals.
- Smell: Flowers, scented crayons, something that smells like their loved ones.
- Sound: Soothing music, a toy that makes soothing noises.
- Taste: Favorite fruit snacks.
- Sight: Pictures that your child enjoys, books.
- Keep the box handy in the car and/or at home and pull it out when your child feels overwhelmed. Note: You can also encourage them to breathe with things like bubbles and balloons to blow up or draw a face on a small paper bag and see if they can blow it up to create a person–just be sure to supervise!
Bringing out a special box gives them something else to focus on besides their emotions. Engaging or relaxing activities that entertain their senses can help them navigate their feelings better.
Try this next:
Create a calming box for yourself! Having a set of your own favorite things handy will help you keep calm when things get stressful.