Posters stay on the wall; feelings happen everywhere. These cut-out calm down cards put the four calm down steps and four simple tools on a ring a child can carry to the car, to school or to grandma's house.
What is on it
Eight cards: the four steps (notice, breathe, choose a tool, come back) and four tools (squeeze something, count to ten, get a hug, drink some water). Cut along the dashed lines.
Who it is for
Children from about four to nine who need their calm down tools to travel with them: between home and school, in the car, at a relative's house. They are also useful for classrooms that want a calm down routine without a dedicated corner.
How to use it
- Print, cut, laminate and punch a hole in each card; clip them on a binder ring.
- Go through the ring together on a calm day.
- When a feeling starts to rise, hand your child the ring and let them flip to a tool.
- Add your own cards over time for the tools that work best for your child.
Tips
- Fewer choices work better for younger children; take the ring down to two or three tools if needed.
- Teachers often keep one ring per table group.
Keep going
The wall version is the My Calm Down Steps poster. For more tools to add, see our calm down kit checklist.
US Letter, one page, full color (it also prints fine in black and white, and on A4 with "fit to page"). Free for home, classroom and therapy use; please share the link rather than re-uploading the file. More on our free tools and printables page.
