The Calm Down Toolkit - Printable Kit

When your child is overwhelmed, they can't think of what they need. They know something is wrong, but they can't name it, find it in their body, or ask for help. This toolkit gives them 5 printable tools that do the thinking for them. They just point.

Designed for your child's calm-down corner, bedroom wall, or fridge. Ages 4 to 12.

What's Inside

5 printable tools. Each one teaches a different skill.

• The Feelings Wheel — 5 core emotions with 20 sub-emotions. Your child points to the one that matches. No reading required, no explaining, just pointing.
• The Body Map — a colour-coded body showing where feelings show up physically. Tight chest, sore tummy, hot face. When they locate the feeling, it becomes manageable.
• 5 Breathing Cards — Balloon Breath, 5-4-3-2-1, Square Breath, Hot Chocolate Breath, Starfish Breath. Step-by-step instructions your child can follow on their own.
• Sentence Starters — 10 fill-in-the-blank prompts. "I feel ___ because ___." Builds emotional vocabulary one sentence at a time.
• The Choice Board — "What I Need Right Now." 12 options including a hug, space, a break, deep breaths, music, a blanket. They just point to what would help.

Every tool includes a parent explanation page that tells you what the tool is, why it works, how to use it, where to put it, and how often to refer to it.

How To Use It

• Print the tools your child needs most
• Post them at your child's eye level, wherever the hard moments happen
• Practice in calm moments first so the tools are familiar when the feelings hit
• The goal is independence. You're teaching skills they'll use for the rest of their life.

Who This Is For

This is for you if:

• Your child struggles to name how they're feeling
• Meltdowns escalate because they can't tell you what's wrong
• You want to build a calm-down corner but don't know what to put in it
• You've tried telling them to "calm down" and it doesn't work
• You want tools that teach self-regulation, not just manage behaviour

Print them. Post them. Use them when it matters.

You will get a PDF file (printable toolkit with parent guide pages)