Calm-Down Strategies for Kids

Humans are capable of experiencing a diverse rainbow of conflicting emotions. At times, these emotions are a force to be reckoned with… so much so that even adults have trouble keeping them in check at times!

The role of today’s teacher no longer encompasses academic learning alone. As educators, we are also entrusted with the important task of nurturing the social-emotional intelligence of our students. We are responsible for helping our students to not only understand their emotions, but also to manage them in a socially acceptable manner. This process does not come naturally to any of us… explicit teaching is needed!

Calm-Down Cards for Students

This hands-on social-emotional learning resource has been created to support your students in understanding what they can do when they experience a “big” emotion such as anger, anxiety or fear. This set of 32 calm-down strategy cards has been designed especially with students like yours in mind!

Each card contains a calm-down strategy that students can use to help self-regulate their emotional state. The strategies appeal to a range of senses and incorporate mindfulness activities such as mindful breathing, positive self-talk and visualization techniques.

Some examples of the calm-down strategies used on the cards include:

• Doing deep, mindful breaths
• Hugging a friend or family member
• Listening to music
• Reading a book
• Spending time in nature

How to Use Calm-Down Strategy Cards in the Classroom

These calm-down strategy cards can be used in a variety of ways in your classroom. Read on below for some great suggestions!

Hot Tip: Make sure your students understand the concept of emotional self-regulation (at an age-appropriate level) and what calm-down strategies are before expecting them to independently and effectively use this resource. Take the opportunity to show each card to your students – demonstrate how to perform each strategy if necessary! This way, you can be sure that the students will be well-equipped to use the cards effectively the next time a big emotion comes for a visit!

1. Individualised Key Rings – We all know that some students in our class are more prone to experiencing big emotions than others. In these cases, it may be beneficial to provide these students with their own individualized key ring with a personalized selection of targeted strategies that have proven in the past to work most effectively for the student in question.
2. Calm-Down Corner – Do you have a calm-down corner in your classroom? If so, that’s wonderful! If not, do consider it… they’re a great place for students to retreat if they need a few moments to get their emotional compass back on course. Print out the calm-down cards and pop them in the calm-down corner in an easily accessible location. Students can come into the space and then choose a strategy that will help them return to a state of calm.
3. Class Mindfulness Routine – More and more teachers are including mindfulness practice as a part of their daily classroom routine. Why not incorporate the calm-down strategies cards into your post-lunch activities, or even end the school day with a calm-down card?

However you choose to use this resource in your classroom, the goal is to support and empower your students as they learn valuable coping skills that will stay with them throughout their lives!

Download These Calm-Down Strategies Cards

Use the dropdown menu next to the Download button to choose between the full-color PDF or the editable Google Slides file.

Cardstock is recommended when printing and/or copying this resource.

Looking for more resources to help your students manage big emotions? We have more fabulous options for you!

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