Calming Strategies for Kids: Calming Down
This session teaches calming strategies for kids, helping students notice when they feel upset and choose a strategy to help their body feel ready again. Through a short video, a discussion, and a quick game where they respond to different choices, students explore taking slow, counted deep breaths as one option they can reach for. The takeaway is a simple, practical tool students can use when big feelings show up.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Self-Regulation
- Goal
- Managing Stress
- Grade level
- Elementary School
Get everything you need to teach the skill
These materials are part of a no-prep session designed by our clinical team, with all the structure, scaffolding, and support you need to teach included.
Engaging materials
Video modeling lessonCalming Down
When we are feeling upset and need to calm down, we can use our strategies. Taking deep breaths and counting them is one strategy to help us calm down.
- Extension activity
Interactive Worksheet: Keeping Calm
Sometimes upsetting things happen, and we may react with strong emotions. We need to stop and think of the best thing to do to be calm and safe. Fill in the blanks - what would you do?
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: Hot Cocoa Breathing2:05
- Video: Daily Intention2:59
- Video: Body Squeeze2:12
Session Opener
Guiding Question: How can a person help their body feel calm?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video modeling lesson so students see the skill in action.
- 2Practice Try the skill together with a discussion prompt, role-play, or mini game.
- 3Extend Use the extension activity to help students carry the skill further.
What's Covered
In this lesson, students learned that when they feel upset, they can use a strategy to help their bodies feel ready again. They practiced taking five slow, deep breaths and counting each one.
Key Terms
- Calming Strategy
- Something you do to shrink a big feeling, like taking slow breaths, walking to a calm spot, or tensing then relaxing your muscles. You use it when you notice a strong feeling starting so it doesn't get too big.
- Deep Breaths
- A calming strategy where you slowly breathe in while counting to five, then slowly breathe out counting back down. Focusing on your breath gives big feelings time to settle so your mind feels quieter and your body feels still.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
-
Managing Stress
Learner will recognize signs of stress in their own body or thinking (e.g., tight chest, racing thoughts, feeling overwhelmed) and apply a self-selected strategy (e.g., deep breathing, positive self-talk, taking a break) to manage the feeling in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
At home or in the classroom, when a student starts to feel upset, you can try breathing slowly alongside them and counting to five out loud. Doing it together makes the strategy easier to remember in a hard moment.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on Calming Down is free. You can access this intervention free for 14 days through the Everyday Speech Session Library. Every user gets three free sessions, but you can get more or extend your access by sharing the Session Library with friends and colleagues.
What ages is this for?
These materials are designed for elementary school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on Calming Down, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, Interactive Worksheet: Keeping Calm.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on self-regulation - more specifically, managing stress.
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