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Lucky Little Learners and this article by Kayla Delzer inspired me to help one of my co-workers implement flexible seating. She used Donor Choose to fund her seating arrangement...as well as her own creativity to find ways to provide numerous options for students.

1) Set expectations, practice expectations, and be consistent with expectations. Every day she reviewed expectations and had I CAN statements for each seating area. These are available in my store.

2) Plan for fairness. She wanted students to be able to choose, but she didn't want to have to create another management board. Since she has students in teams. Each team is assigned a day of the week and they get to pick first. It is easy to manage, and by the end of the week, every student has had a chance to pick their favorite flexible seating. I love using these brag tags by Talking Piñata to motivate students to do their best at their choice location!

3) Consider your room layout. There were 5 student work tables in the classroom. There three additional tables in the classroom for work stations. We looked for options that were easy to work with tables and easy to store. For example, the scoop chairs can easily stack. Exercise cushions can easily be added to chairs. We also made sure we had clipboards to work if they were not at a table. This is what we used for flexible seating options for 20 students. There were more options than students, which worked well because students could spread out.

Area one: Table area with stools from Ikea (4)

Area two: Scoop chairs on the carpet (4)

Area three: Yoga mats in the back of the room (4)

Area four: Table area with exercise balls in crates (4)

Area five: Table area with exercise cusions (4)

Area six: camping chairs in the classroom library (2)

Area seven: lap desks (4)

Teach2Love also has a letter with a student contract.

Yoga mats are an easy way to add flexible seating. Students use clipboard and can work on the floor. They also are easy to stack and store. I have found yoga mats at Target and Walmart for $7. They can also be cut into smaller sections.

Scoop chairs come in a set of six on Amazon and are less than $10 each.

Ikea has stools that are very reasonably priced (about $4.99). These were used with a table group.

Lapdesks are available at Hobby Lobby during certain seasons for less than $6.

Beach chairs go on clearance at the end of summer.

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Flexible Seating - Affordable Ideas and Freebies

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Lucky Little Learners and this article by Kayla Delzer inspired me to help one of my co-workers implement flexible seating. She used Donor Choose to fund her seating arrangement...as well as her own creativity to find ways to provide numerous options for students. 1) Set expectations, practice expectations, and be consistent with expectations.

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What better way to welcome children than through good morning songs! These are good morning and welcome songs that are sure to bring smiles to everyone's faces and to start the day off on the right foot!

We have some favorite Hello Songs that I will link to at the bottom of the post for even more awesome songs to include in a circle time or small group setting!

The Best Good Morning Songs and Welcome Songs

Good Morning songs and welcome songs can be used in the classroom, for a library storytime, in a church setting, or any other place where a group of children are gathered. It's a great way to help children settle in and start to feel comfortable and welcomed to the group. Plus, these songs should keep them on the edge of their seat and become interested in the group too!

I also have a FREE workshop to make your circle time more magical. Sign up for Circle Time Success, and get my tried and true solutions!

Some of these songs are available for purchase or include a free printable, and I have put the links in so that you can grab a copy of the song.

Welcome Songs
Circle Time Chant
Allie from No Time for Flashcards came up with this great circle time chant! You can even get the free circle time chant printable with the words and some extra tips on singing it and doing it with children!
Juju On That Beat
You may have seen Ms. Humphrey's, from Teaching and So Fourth, and her fourth-grade class doing their welcome routine on Facebook! She took a common song her class loved and adapted it for her own class. So smart! Apparently, welcome songs work with older kids too!

This is a great class video from Teach Preschool singing one of our favorites from Music with Nancy Kopman!

Good Morning Songs
Good Morning Song
If you've been teaching for a long time, you may have heard this one before! Get the lyrics and read more about it over at No Time for Flashcards!

Good Morning, How Are You?

The Kiboomers have some of our favorite songs, and this Good Morning one is absolutely perfect for starting off the day!

This calming morning song is a great one to add to your morning routine!
Hello Good Morning!
Need a morning action song? This one is super fun and to the tune of La Cucaracha.
Good Morning Song
This good morning song is a classic and one that I remember from ages ago!
Good Morning Song
This simple and catchy Good Morning song has lots of repetition and sunshine!
Good Morning Circle Time
My friend Jodie over from Growing Book by Book shares on of her favorite morning songs that names each child and has a literacy element at the same time! You can even get a printable version of her Good Morning Circle Time song!
Good Morning Song
This simple Good Morning Song is simple to learn and will make you want to dance and get started for the day!

Good Morning Song
This Good Morning Song is great to implement with lots of stretches and movements!

Want even more awesome children's songs?

Need some more great songs for circle time? Try these!
Hello Songs for Circle Time The Best Movement and Action Songs for Circle Time Circle Time Songs that Teach
I also have a FREE workshop to make your circle time more magical. Sign up for Circle Time Success, and get my tried and true solutions!

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The Best Good Morning Songs and Welcome Songs - Preschool Inspirations

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What better way to welcome children than through good morning songs! These are good morning and welcome songs that are sure to bring smiles to everyone's faces and to start the day off on the right foot!

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Flexible seating has transformed my classroom! TRULY it has! I wanted to share with you a few easy ways to make your classroom a student centered learning space!

I teach third grade and my students have a LOT of supplies! I needed them to still have a "desk hub" where they would house their STUFF. I wanted to also allow them the freedom to choose where they work, so I added many flexible seating options around my classroom. I would say 90% of the time my students can choose to work wherever they choose! (as long as they are working hard and on task!)

Before introducing flexible seating to my students, we talked about expectations of those options around the room. We made this anchor chart. It was really important for my students to establish these ideas themselves. The ownership piece at the beginning of the year has set the tone for the implementation of flexible seating in our classroom. We also refer to the chart often throughout the year when we need a reminder. (magnetic anchor chart rod from Amazon!)

Here are some of my favorite flexible seating options that we use all day every day in our classroom:
Exercise Balls
As much as I would love every student to have an exercise ball to use all day, that isn't realistic for my classroom space or my budget. I bought 2-3 exercise balls as an option for flexible seating. The students know they can grab one to work at their desk or around the room. They can also earn them sometimes to use all day! We simply store them under a table in our room. I got these online at Oriental Trading Company, but I know you can also order them on Amazon HERE or sometimes buy them at Five Below! Otto Storage Stools

Oh my goodness. This has got to be one of my top favorite flexible seating options! They are also a favorite of every student in our class. Not only are they cute, lightweight, and perfect for sitting or working on...they are classroom storage too! Talk about a teacher's dream. We have two white Otto Storage Stools in our room and we use them for everything. We store clipboards in one and pillows in another. My students will use them to prop their feet up while reading, pull it up to another table to work at, or even use it as a small table to write on. I even love pulling it up to our carpet meeting area to keep my read alouds or materials I am using during whole group. You can get these stools in many colors as well as solid or with holes. I love the look of the holes personally! They also sell them online at Target!

Pillows, Pillows, Pillows

To say my students are pillow obsessed would be an understatement! We have a total of nine pillows in our classroom. I know, it sounds like a lot! I can tell you it really adds a perfect homey feel to your room! I love getting pillows from the kids' bedroom section at Target, Ikea, and snagging cheap emoji pillows on Amazon HERE . We have one big pouf in our room as well. It is fun to sit on! Another great pillow option is the larger sized pillows with a back and arm rest. I do make sure to sanitize these regularly! 😉

Cafe Table and Bar Stools

This is my most expensive flexible seating option in my classroom. But I LOVE it. I consider it an investment because both the table and stools are super sturdy. I love that it does not take up too much space. It also creates an amazing feeling of home in our classroom. It sits next to a lamp with a cute plant on top. I also put pillows in each chair. My students love to sit at this table during station time, partner work, or read to someone. The table can be found HERE on Amazon and the stools are from Ikea ($20!)!

This is a fantastic and inexpensive way to allow your students to work around the room while still having a hard surface to write! Hobby Lobby has cute, colored, plastic lap desks and you can find some similar on Amazon HERE. I purchased these from HomeGoods during the summer. I love the look of them! They have a place for a pencil and even lift up to support a book or reading passage.

Small lowered table with rugs

Any small table lowered to the ground is perfect for your students to kneel or sit and work. This table was on clearance at Hobby Lobby over the summer! I put a cute rug and pillow with it and stuck a lamp on top! It is a spot in our classroom that gets lots of use!

Grabbing a simple dorm chair for your library area can quickly transform the space! My students choose to read here as well as do their work! They love it.

Flexible seating for your small group table for $5 each? Yes please!! I love these Ikea stools! We have 5 at our small group table as well as 3 each at 2 tables in the back of our classroom. The students know they can grab them at any time and work around the room! They are sturdy, small, inexpensive, and stackable!

What makes these flexible seating options so great is that my students are easily able to move them around the room to work where they choose. They are inexpensive and some even come with storage options!

Managing work time is a very important component of using flexible seating in your classroom. Giving your students quick and efficient transition time, as well as allowing them to know how much time they have on each activity is crucial. Classroom slides with timers work WONDERS in my classroom! We love using them for anything and everything! They help us stay on task, keep us engaged, and let us know when we need to move on to the next activity. Teachers have said this resource has changed their classrooms. One teacher said, "This is an invaluable resource! My students thrive with visual timers and they help me stay on task instead of running over on groups, etc. ...I've had it one day, it helped keep our day running so much better! THANK YOU!!". Check out the timer slides in my store HERE!

As teachers we always want the best for our students, but we don't always have the means to purchase it all. You already put so much of your own time and money into your classroom so it can get hard to justify buying more things. Adopt a Classroom is a fantastic way to get some of this flexible seating for your classroom! AdoptaClassroom,org "helps offset these costs by funding the classroom materials that students need to learn and succeed." What I love the most about this company is that donors can give to whatever the classroom teacher may want or need. Simply click on "register" your classroom to make an account and add what you are needing. Donors can find your classroom on the website to give directly to you!

Flexible seating can transform your classroom and enhance your student engagement. It is a fantastic tool to improve your student's focus and love of learning. There is no wrong way to incorporate this into your classroom. If you are wanting to try it out, I encourage you to jump right in!

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Flexible seating has transformed my classroom! TRULY it has! I wanted to share with you a few easy ways to make your classroom a student centered learning space! I teach third grade and my students have a LOT of supplies! I needed them to still have a "desk hub" where they would house their STUFF.

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Flexible Seating, or also called Alternate Seating, provides a 21st Century Classroom for scholars! There is no better way to show you support a student-centered classroom, than creating a classroom from a child's point of view!

Comfortable Students = Student Engagement!

Classroom Ownership = Student Engagement!

Empowering Choice = Student Engagement!

Being uncomfortable is unhealthy in numerous ways, but most importantly it does not improve attention and work ethic. As an adult, I can not or could not, sit at a desk all day in an expensive comfortable chair, let alone a student school chair. I get very uncomfortable, things start to hurt and all I'm focused on is how much longer I have to sit like that. I have no focus on my work at hand, let alone anything else. So why would we do that to students? When it's time for me to focus and work, I grab my materials and I CHOOSE a place to work where I know I can do my best. This is what I want for me and this is what I want for my students.

I am here today to share my journey of CHOOSING to create this environment for my students, the implementation, the reasons and more!
The Start of my Flexible Seating Journey:
Returning to the classroom in the Fall of 2016, I had a taste of the benefits that providing Flexible Seating to students as a Literacy Coach. My roommate and teaching bestie is the EC Lead and a 3rd - 5th grade Inclusion Teacher. She provided her 3rd-5th grade students Flexible Seating. At first I was skeptical, but as time past I loved it! Every day when I arrived at work, I kept dipping my toes in the Flexible Seating water. I observed the students daily, students with a variety of differences and similarities. I observed their work ethic, their listening skills, but most of all I observed their attitude. Our classroom was their favorite place to be each day! They felt like it was their own classroom and Mrs. Keiser, was their favorite person to be with. The student's attitudes towards school and learning told the whole reason for success in their career as a scholar!
How I Implemented Flexible Seating in my Classroom: The Process of Transition!
I introduced the idea of Flexible Seating to my parents during Open House in Pre-Planning. I simply just spoke about it and shared information through a brochure and flyer. This was not a current trend at my school, so I knew it was a new concept to the parents. Midway through the first nine weeks after going through beginning of the year classroom procedures, I introduced the idea of Flexible Seating to my students. We looked at different photographs online of types of Flexible Seating in other classrooms in the United States. We then had 2 mini lessons. The first mini lesson was about what is Flexible Seating in our classroom. The second mini lesson was about the rules for Flexible Seating in our classroom.

Then slowly, from September to October, I switched out 1 table group of desks at a time. During this time, I allowed all students to try the new option for Flexible Seating. We continuously reviewed the rules of this new choice. We modeled proper and improper ways of using the new type of Flexible Seating. We continuously went through this process until my entire room was transformed. I left 2 regular student desks as an option for students who still preferred traditional seating.
How I Offorded to Implement Flexible Seating In My Classroom: Tips and Ideas!
As a busy mother of 2 young children and a USMC active duty wife, I have little time to search and a budget! Therefore, I turned to the online garage sale groups in my neighborhood and community on Facebook. If you are not a part of any of those groups, you should be! Just log into Facebook and search online yard or garage sale groups in your neighborhood, town or community and join! Moving every 3 years or so, this is how I've always sold items. Here is where I scored 2 butterfly chairs for $10 and for $8. Next, I was selling some items online that wouldn't fit into our downsized home. I contacted a seller that was selling a black futon for $70. Long story short, she needed some of my items so we did a trade and I got the futon for $30! I spent $48 to get 4 great Flexible Seating options. Next was the stability balls. You can find inexpensive stability balls for cheap at local stores. But, I'm an Amazon girl. I save $ and time not having to drive anywhere and walk around a store. So I purchased 6 stability balls on Amazon at $10 a piece [Deal of the day!]. I did go to Walmart to grab 10 frisbees at $.10 a piece in the summer clearance section that my stability balls sit on [Teaching bestie's idea!]. The last thing I purchased were 6 black stack stools from Ikea at $5 a piece. So I personally spent $138 + tax on Flexible Seating for my room. For me to budget this over 2 months was not a huge strain, I say this because my students back to school shopping list covered everything and more that I would need for my classroom. What it didn't cover I put up at open house for parents to donate and send in [Idea- Next year post some Flexible Seating items for parents to donate or ask parents if they have anything at home they no longer use!]. I also get a little money for supplies of my choice. So I didn't even need to purchase much to start the school year.

Next, I did a DonorsChoose project. All items came from Amazon and my project was fully funded! I ordered 6 stability balls, stacks stools, wobble stools, recreation stadium seats, video rockers and a rug! What a blessing! If you do not have a DonorsChoose account you need to sign up! When I sign up to places, I always "unclick" receive emails and stuff. But, DON'T DO THAT here! You want to receive emails so you know when there are people or companies donating to projects in your state, when they are matching to double your donations or more! Those are the best times to post a new project! It's so easy!

To grab any of my Flexible Seating items from Amazon, click on the titles below:
The Benefits of a Flexible Seating Classroom: Researched Based! Flexible Seating SUPPORTS:
To grab the Stack Stools from Ikea, click on the link below:

You can google Flexible or Alternate Seating and read about tons of information. That's what I did! It is a huge decision and commitment to changing and redesigning a classroom, so I wanted to make sure I was doing it for the right reasons! Here is what I learned from the research about the benefits of Flexible Seating.
Classroom Management:

Collaboration

Communication

Critical Thinking

Creativity

Oxygen Flow to Brain

Blood Flow

Better Posture

Core Strength

Burning Calories

Increasing Metabolism

Engagement

Focus

Better Behavior

Brain-Based Activities

Student Choice

Enhancing the Learning Process

Long Term Memory

Knowledge Acquisition

Information Retention

Higher Level Reasoning

Development in Life and Work Skills

Conflict Resolutions

Interpersonal Teamwork Skills

[The list goes on!]

Before implementing a Flexible Seating classroom, make sure your classroom managment is great! Students need to be aware of how your classroom functions. Make sure students know the following:
How we Rotate:

Caring for classroom materials and supplies

Entering and leaving the classroom routines

Caring for personal materials

Caring for classroom furniture

Understanding the roles of classroom jobs

Knowing where to locate items

Knowing where to turn in materials, check mailboxes and receive new materials

Daily classroom agenda

How we treat classmates

Most Importantly: HOW WE CARE FOR FLEXIBLE SEATING CHOICES

Have Flexible Seating Mini-Lessons too! Go over the expectations and rules!
The Mental Teacher Shift:
Having these items and more in place means you do not have to teach your students how anything operates in your classroom. Yes, they are children so they still need directions and reminders. But, once you give them that they can do it without your assistance.
Student's Opinions:
I teach 5th Grade ELA with 51 students currently. We rotate every Tuesday upon entering class. Some people rotate weekly or let their students pick when they arrive. I couldn't do that because 5th grade students have jobs around the school in the morning so they come to class last daily. Which meant they would never be walking into my classroom at the same time during the morning block. All of my students enter between 7:30 am - 8:00 am. So I needed a routine that allowed all students equal choices. I have a magnetic chart that displays seating choices and student numbers on magnets. Students are in line order, I simply call out the numbers and students go to the board, move their number to an open choice and go get started! I have a class roster, and everyone gets a turn to be first. I check the number of the student who starts first every week so I don't forget. The first week I started with #1, then the next week #1 went to the bottom and I started with #2 and so on each week. There's never been a problem, we have so many seating choices and students love them all!

(Click on any of the photos below or HERE for a direct link to this display!)

This is a BIG change, and it is harder on the teacher than students. You are going to have to visualize the end goal of your room. You need to embrace the small changes on the road to your vision. The room arrangement will change and you need to be OK with that. Depending on the size and layout of your room, furniture might have to change positions. You are also not going to be in charge of telling students where to sit. Meaning, you won't be able to arrange students the way you like. You need to be OK with students lying on the floor, sitting on the floor, standing and more during your instruction and their work period. You also need to have organized storage solution to replace the inside of the desk, so you need to visualize how that will work as well. The biggest mental shift is that it is not your classroom to decide on the arrangement, it is now the student's classroom. Having a student-centered classroom means your room will resemble how 10 year olds [or the age you teach] feel most comfortable. Most teachers will have to let go, step back and facilitate the change in environment based on your student choices. Doing this is hard, but we are doing it for the benefit of students mentally, emotionally, physically and most importantly academically.

Here are some examples of how my students feel about our classroom seating options. This is what they included in our Thank You letters to our donors from DonorsChoose.

"In my opinion, it helps our behavior improve because students have comfy chairs which helps us relax and stay calm." [5th Grade Student]

"The reasons I love Flexible Seating in the classroom are it gives me better back posture, it makes the classroom a nice environment to work in, and the seats are very comfortable." [5th Grade Student]
Parent's Opinions:
"The reason why I love Flexible Seating in my classroom is because I can have fun while I'm working and when I am enjoying myself while working I do much better." [5th Grade Student]

"The reasons why I love a Flexible Seating classroom is because it helps me focus and have fun while learning. It's improved my grades!" [5th Grade Student]

"The reasons why I love a Flexible Seating classroom are you can figure out where you want to sit because if you sit at the same chair ALL day that would be SO boring and SO uncomfortable. I can't learn when I'm uncomfortable." [5th Grade Student]

"I feel this learning environment helps me because I can concentrate more. Research says the Flexible Seating increases your blood flow, I think this help me." [5th Grade Student]
Why I will NEVER go back to Traditional Seating: Things to Consider:
I posted to parents this question, "How does a Flexible Seating Classroom benefit your child in the learning environment, and how Flexible Seating empowers a Student-Centered Classroom?" Here are what my parents said:

"Tyler loves the Flexible Seating! He's more comfortable and it gets him excited about learning!" [Parent]

"Lily says the seating takes stress and pressure off her back which actually allows her to focus better and absorb more of what she is learning. Thank you!" [Parent]

"Quinn is always raving about the Flexible Seating arrangement! It allows him to get out some of his hyperactive energy without being disruptive to the class." [Parent]

"Sahana thinks Flexible Seating gives her more energy to be focused throughout class. It allows her to also be more relaxed in a comfortable environment." [Parent]

I have officially "ditched the desks" for good! I might even ditch the last 2 I kept for a traditional seating option in the future because students rarely sit there. I will never go back to traditional seating because I don't like it and neither do my students. How can I expect them to sit straight and still all day in an uncomfortable desk and chair if I can't even do that? I finally feel complete with the Best-Practices for students and have a complete Student-Centered classroom. I gear my instruction around the data that shows me what my students need academically. I used quotes based on my students actions and attitudes to teach character education. Now, I have an environment that is what my students wanted. My students wanted a comfortable seat next to their favorite peers and they have it. I've gained so much more by doing this, I've gained student trust and appreciation. The students are comfortable with me and thankful for me. The students enjoy being in my classroom and by giving them the power of choice, I now have their undivided attention at all times. What else could you ask for? I want my students to be healthy and happy, a Flexible Seating Classroom cultivates an environment for better health and better education.

Budget

Space [vision multiple arrangements]

Seating size [think of the age of students you have]

Be thrifty and crafty [search yard/garage sales and thrift shops, spruce things up]

Make a plan of implementation

Put feelers out to administration and parents

How you will allow choices

Look for tables not being used in building and adjust legs to wanted height

Ask parents if they have unused items to donate or money

So, that's a wrap! I hope you find this post about Flexible Seating inspirational and helpful!

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Flexible Seating, or also called Alternate Seating, provides a 21st Century Classroom for scholars! There is no better way to show you support a student-centered classroom, than creating a classroom from a child's point of view! Comfortable Students = Student Engagement! Classroom Ownership = Student Engagement! Empowering Choice = Student Engagement!

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This website uses affiliate links. As an affiliate and Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which means I make a small commission when you use these links, at no additional cost to you.

Do you need calm down kit ideas? Or have you been wondering how to make a calm down box for kids, but don't know where to start? This printable list of 40+ things to put in a calm down kit is the ideal starting point!

Every child should learn coping skills.

And every child can benefit from having their own homemade calm down kit, filled with calming tools and things that suit their needs and interests.

I've always tried my best to teach my kids emotional regulation strategies such as deep breathing exercises, talking about emotions, and doing meditation as a family.

It is my hope that they'll feel confident managing anxiety, stress, and sensory overwhelm because they've practiced these different strategies. And having a tailor-made calm down box is another one of the strategies we use to promote healthy self-regulation skills.

So if you've been wondering how to make a calm down kit for your own kids, then look no further than this free printable list of 40+ things to put in their kit.

While this list is geared towards smaller children, I also have a list geared specifically towards older kids.

What to Include in a Calm Down Kit for Kids

There are lots of different things that you can include in a calm down kit and obviously, you will want to tailor it to your child(ren). Here are 40+ things you can put in a calm down kit for anxious kids:

1. Free printable visual calm down strategies cards

2. Bottle of bubbles

3. Chew toy or chew necklace

4. Small puzzle

5. Fidgets such as Tangle Jr. or puffer ball

6. Weighted lap cushion or stuffed animal - You can find some great DIY ideas under tip #10 here.

7. Weighted vest or pressure vest

8. Stretchy resistance bands

9. Sensory tunnel

10. Hearing protection ear muffs or noise canceling headphones

11. Chewing gum, hard candies, or lollipops - We love Pur natural chewing gum and Spry natural chewing gum!

12. Calming essential oil spray

13. Rescue remedy - I swear by this stuff! Seems to instantly calm meltdowns!

14. MP3 player with music and/or audiobooks - Be sure to include headphones and an accompanying book for the audiobook so they can read along while listening.

15. Book of yoga poses or printable yoga cards

16. Blank notebook and a writing utensil (crayons, pencil crayons, markers, or similar)

17. Sensory bottle or calm down jar - I love this post about 6 ways to make a calm down jar from Preschool Inspirations.

18. Skipping rope - Try our DIY skipping rope that's made from straws!

19. Visual stims such as a kaleidoscope or an hourglass

20. Books to read

21. Activity books: dot to dots, mazes, word searches, I Spy, etc. - Or print off a bunch of our I Spy printables and include them in your calm down kit!

22. Stress balls

23. Play dough or silly putty

24. Photo album filled with photos of family and friends

25. Small blanket

26. Bubble wrap

27. Pinwheels - To encourage deep breathing and blowing out.

28. Rubik's cube

29. Small chalk board and chalk, Magna-Doodle, Etch-a-Sketch, or Boogie Board for doodling and drawing

30. Eye mask

31. Tissue paper to rip - Fill a zipper seal bag with tissue paper. Kids can rip what they need.

32. Light up toys, flashlight, or similar

33. Plastic snow globe - Acts like a calm down or sensory bottle and makes for a great visual stim.

34. Snacks with a variety of textures like crunchy (pretzels or nuts), chewy (fruit leather or dried fruit), or soft (marshmallows)

35. Pipe cleaners to twist and bend

36. Coloring books

37. Scarves or fabric scraps

38. Spinning top

39. Mini massager

40. Scratch and sniff stickers

41. Whistle, harmonica, party blowers, or similar small wind instrument - To encourage kids to breath out. Also, making music is a great way to release a variety of emotions.

42. Small mirror for making silly faces and exploring emotions

43. Straws and pom poms or cotton balls - A great oral motor idea to encourage deep breaths.

44. Body sock - Kids can retreat into a body sock for calming proprioceptive sensory input. Since they fold up relatively small, they make a great addition to a calm down kit.

45. Smelling bottles - Just fill bottles with calming scents, such as lavender.

46. Scratch art doodle pad

47. Social stories dedicated to deep breathing, calming strategies, chewing, or loud noises

Other Great Calm Down Tools for Anxious Kids

Here are some items that you might want to have accessible to your child during their calm down time. I even encourage you to create or designate an entire space to be your child's calm down corner and include these items in it.

1. Wiggle/balance cushion - Great for sitting on, walking on, balancing, on, etc.

2. Weighted blanket

3. Large cardboard box, fort, or ball pit - Kids will love retreating to these quiet places, but using a ball pit also provides lots of calming proprioceptive input.

4. Exercise ball - Perfect for bouncing or balancing on.

5. Mini trampoline - Great for kids who love to jump as a way to calm down.

Download the Free Printable Calm Down Kit List

This Canadian muggle might be a no-laugher (despite her energy vampire husband's jokesies), but Dyan's a fierce advocate for her two boys and passionate about all things hyperlexia and autism.

She's an avid book reader, lifelong learner, and former piano teacher. She likes Toad as her Mario Kart driver and prefers to listen to audiobooks and podcasts at 2.8x speed. Her idea of a perfect lunch is nachos. You can frequently catch her saying, "It's Dyan, not Dylan. There's no L."

She has a B.A.H. in Psychology, an ATCL diploma in Recital for Solo Piano, an RCM Grade 10 Piano certificate, and an RCM History & Theory: Intermediate certificate.

Connect with Dyan on: Instagram - Pinterest - Facebook - Threads or Join The Hyperlexia Hub community!

To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

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40+ Things to Put in a Calm Down Kit for Kids {Free Printable}

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How to make a calm down kit or box for kids plus a free printable list of calming tools and things to put in your child's kit

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FREE Morning Meeting Planning Poster and Forms

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These planning forms and poster are perfect to plan your daily Morning Meeting! Teacher forms are EDITABLE in colored and black and white versions. The poster can be displayed for your class to see! No more asking which Greeting or Activity is planned for