Calm Activities

Welcome to our Lesson on calm activities

What are calm activities?

How to use calm activities

If your child is upset, start the calm activity near your child. Avoid telling them not to be upset or to join you.
Describe what you are doing. Describe the colors, the way materials feel, and the shapes you are forming.
Once your child is calm and focused, describe what they’re doing (“you’re drawing a house”).

Remember that children need your help to learn skills!

Calm activities for kids

Children might not not know what to do when they start to feel upset. You can redirect them to a favorite calm activity when you see them getting upset.

5 senses scavenger hunt

Search the room for things you can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. Each time you find something, describe it as best you can.

art

Coloring, painting, playing with Playdough, and other arts and crafts are great ways to relax.

music

Sing or listen to your favorite songs. Model how to sing, dance, or play an instrument.

hum along

Listen to a few of your favorite songs for calming down. Then take turns humming one of the songs. The other person guesses which song it is.

calm down box

Find a box for your favorite calm activities, like crayons, glue, paper, or Playdough. Work together to decorate your boxes.

Calm activities for Caregivers

You need calm activities too! What do you do when you’re upset or feeling stressed out? Make a list of your favorite calm activities. Plan for when and how you can do them.

movement

Walk, play basketball, exercise, stretch, dance, bike, or do anything that gets your body moving. Movement is great for distraction and stress reduction. Make a list of your favorite ways to move. Plan for when you can spend at least 15 minutes moving. You might prefer to move alone or with friends or family.

Creativity

Do something creative. Creativity helps you calm down and feel good about yourself. There are so many ways to create. You might draw, cook, garden, build things, do hair, take photos, code, sew, write, play music, or something else. You might prefer to create alone or do it in a group of friends or with your family. There are no limits on creativity.