Cool Toys for Calm-Down Corners in Classrooms
Having a calm-down corner is so important in almost every educational setting including traditional classrooms, homeschool co-ops, and even at home. We have a little area at Grow so that kids can de-compress, get away from all the sensory input, and self-regulate.
Of course, the calm-down corner should be filled with things that actually help kids feel calm and not isolated! Finding the right tools and toys is not hard obviously, but there’s always new and unique ones that I get pretty excited about! As a teacher and a mom, I like to test them and see if they hype is really worth it or if it doesn’t have enough hype ;)
Liquipens
These Liquipens are like miniature lava lamps and those old oil mills we used to get except they…write! I like to always have some writing/art materials in the calm-down zone so that kids can express their feelings and frustration on paper. These pens have a “timer” built in via the oil beads so it’s a great visual cue for them as well.
Geoboard
For those kids who don’t necessarily like drawing or writing, geoboards, typically used for math, are also great to encourage creativity and a sense of calm. They have to concentrate, but because it is so open-ended, the chance for frustration is lower. This is important because the calm-down corner is a place to release frustration, not harbor it. Geoboards help with fine motor skills as well. This set comes with cards so that kids can get off to a great start and the wooden base is sturdy.
Breathing Cards
Yoga and breathing cards are fantastic in helping kids remember how to physically regulate their emotions. One key symptom of a dysregulated kiddo is fast, shallow breathing and no amount of verbal cueing helps if they are in the “red zone”. Cards provide a way to reach them where they are and give them the autonomy to practice slowing their breath and getting back to the “green zone”. Our set is printable, colorful, and easy to use. Punch a hole in the corners and put on a jump ring.
Stress Balls
Who doesn’t love good, old-fashioned squeezable stress balls? I love these because they are more fun! They are colorful and they have the contents that you can see move around as opposed to the plain pink ones from back in our day. These things are so under-rated in my opinion because kids always gravitate toward them when they are angry. The body’s natural response to anger can, and often is to squeeze, hit, punch ourselves and others. Stress/sensory balls can redirect that anger appropriately and the colorful contents in these ones draw their attention really well.
In a future blog, I’ll go over some tips on setting up a calm-down corner so keep an eye out! In the meantime, if you have tried these and love them, give us a share. If you have questions or need some personalized advice based on your students and/or class space, feel free to send me an email at hello@growkidsjax.com. I am happy to help!
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