5 effective strategies to help elementary teachers create a calm, productive classroom. Find ideas on creating a calm corner in the classroom and ideas for making calm down kits for students.
How to make a calming corner that supports self-regulation and use it effectively, including what to do when your child refuses to use the calming corner.
This is a great activity that teaches how to build classroom community and mindfulness in the classroom. It's perfect for a variety of ages.
5 effective strategies to help elementary teachers create a calm, productive classroom. Find ideas on creating a calm corner in the classroom and ideas for making calm down kits for students.
Life gets stressful, and you must have spaces to relax and unwind. Your bedroom is where you get optimal rest, so making it a calming space where you can destress
Discover eight effective strategies and tried and tested tips on how to create a calm classroom environment for your students (and you).
Ever felt like your students could benefit from slowing down and taking a moment calm? Well, you're in for a treat. Mindfulness isn't just a buzzword; it's a game-changer. It's about hitting the pause button, taking a deep breath, and diving into the magic of the present moment. And here's the kicker – it's not just for adults; it's for kids too! So, picture this: A classroom where calm reigns supreme, thoughts find their chill, and focus becomes a superpower. That's the power of mindfulness. And guess what? We're not stopping there. We're bringing you the tools to create a Calming Corner that'll turn your classroom into a sanctuary of serenity. Let's dive in! (GREAT NEWS! I've put together exclusive FREEBIES for mindfulness. Click here to receive them!) Mindfulness meditation is a way of focusing the mind so that it is fully attending to what’s happening right now, to what we’re doing, and to the space that we’re currently in. Cultivating mindfulness means to be present, to pay attention, and to be aware of our emotions and the way that we respond to them. Recent neuroscience research points to many benefits of mindfulness meditation: ➧ increased focus ➧ a sense of calm ➧ decreased stress ➧ decreased anxiety ➧ improved impulse control ➧ greater empathy for others ➧ improved conflict resolution skills Our students need opportunities to practice mindfulness mediation. Since the human mind often wanders from the present. Our brains have a tendency to become absorbed with thoughts about the past or the future. This kind of thinking makes us anxious. Academic pressure now affects kids as early as kindergarten, resulting in less time for play and other stress-reducing activities. Today’s students are faced with an unprecedented amount of anxiety. The pressure only grows greater in middle and high school. Surveys have found students reporting stress and fatigue as much as 75% of the time. What’s needed is a way to decrease anxiety and help students to manage their emotions. That’s where mindfulness comes in. Infusing moments of mindfulness in the classroom is not only powerful, it’s also quite simple. In general, to practice mindfulness, have students start by bringing attention to their own body. Then, have them breathe in through their noses and out through their mouths. When they notice that their mind has wondered away from the present moment, they should gently bring their attention back to their breathing. It’s also a great idea to intentionally plan moments of mindfulness in the classroom! Here are some simple ways to do just that… 1. A Mindful Moment At the beginning of class, or after a transition, have your students close their eyes and take several deep breaths. Ask them to pay attention to their breathing and what it feels like. 2. A Mindful Break Once or twice during a standard length class, just stop. Have your students stand up and stretch and then sit back down and do 30 seconds of mindful breathing. This takes no more than a minute, and it gives everyone a needed break. 3. A Mindful Quote Use motivational and inspirational quotes to help focus students’ minds during a moment of mindfulness. It’s as easy as sharing a quote, or you can download this free set of mindfulness quotes and put together a container to pull from all year long. If you'd like me to send you a free set of 24 mindfulness quotes and the materials to make a container like above, add your name and email address below: Yes! Please send me MINDFULNESS RESOURCES! 4. Attention Check During a long lesson, stop and ask your students to pause and “check their attention.” Is their mind on what is being done in class, or has it been wandering? This gives kids the chance to deliberately redirect their attention to the matter at hand. 5. Finger Labyrinths Traditionally, labyrinths are used for mediation and relaxation. Often, people walk through labyrinths. Give students the same sensation with finger labyrinths. I’ve made a collection of them that students can use when they need to focus their minds. Students simply trace the spiral paths as they practice mindfulness. Add your name and email address below to receive the finger labyrinths and mindfulness quotes in your email inbox! Yes! Please send me MINDFULNESS RESOURCES! 6. Mindful Closure At the end of class, have students close their eyes and focus on their breathing again. Ask them to think of what they have learned and perhaps congratulate themselves on their progress and accomplishments. As teachers. we have many opportunities to introduce students to mindfulness practices. Of course, one of the most important ways we can do this is by cultivating mindfulness in ourselves. If we, as teachers, are present and aware of our own emotions and responses, we set an invaluable example for our students. Many of these mindfulness activities work well in a Calming Corner in the Classroom. Add the quotes or labyrinths to the calming corner to help students when they need to take a step back and become more present in the moment. Find more ideas for creating a calming classroom environment here. Thanks so much for stopping by! Mary Beth
calm down corner in classroom
If you have a pipe cleaner and some beads you can create this simple calming strategy craft. This will help students practice deep breathing by making it tactile and visual.
Ronia loves having a cozy place to go to calm down and she calls it her "pink zone." Learn How to Create a Calm Corner for Your Toddler...
Mindfulness art activities for kids to independently create and use to calm down and relax. Kids will have fun creating their own mindful...
Have you thought of creating a Calm Down Corner to teach calm down techniques to help your students develop self-regulation and manage their big emotions? It includes calm-down techniques, breathing strategies, and more! Teaching students how to manage their emotions is a life skill! These activitie...
My little learners have always been captivated with pinning activities, and my daughter is loving it at the moment too! I just made this 'Penguin Love' pinning page for her, and would love to share it with you! One thing that I love are 'visuals'. When I introduce new activities and procedures in my classrooms. Visuals (posters, charts, anchor charts, pictorial sequence cards) help: activities run smoothly effectively convey and explain rules and procedures provide independence in students by giving them a feeling of security and confidence reduce the cognitive overload of too many verbal instructions If I do not have 'visuals' ready made you can do a little role play hand sketch an illustration/break down of steps Another approach is to take photos. I use photos of positive and correct procedures to manage student behaviour, and keep them in the bottom drawer of my Core Drawers. Today, I made some visuals for "Pinning Rules". These have been on my to do list for a long time, and now that I find drawing pictures on the computer a lot easier - they have finally come to life! These visuals will help you to have a discussion with your students about the way you want them to behave when using pins in the classroom. There are 4 main rules in my pinning activities. The sharp part of the pin ALWAYS points down. This is the case when you are holding it, using it, or putting it away. It never points out, or towards another person. We always sit to pin. Students must be sitting down to begin and complete their activity. The pin goes in paper only. We do not poke our pin into ANYTHING else! Put your pin away. This is a very important one. Immediately after the pinning page is complete, the pin goes back in the tub. This will stop pins from ending up on the floor and in a shoe! Remind your students how happy the children are in the posters. Tell them that they are happy because they are having fun, and at school, fun comes when you follow the rules and act safely! I found these GIANT pokey pins this week!! SO in LOVE! Head over to TpT now to find these posters. You can also grab the Penguin Love pinning page from our free Coloring Club pinning page library! Find more fun pinning pages in our collection.
Rue Bottero er en neutral beige nuance med en varme i sin kerne. Farven er defineret af sin enkelhed og alsidighed, og den passer perfekt til genstande lavet af naturlige materialer. Rue Bottero har fået sit navn fra en lille gade i Nice i det sydlige Frankrig, hvor en berømt kulturscene møder havets ro. Her bader de overdådige art deco-facader på museer, katedraler og boliger i sollys for at skabe den umiskendelige atmosfære i Provence. Rue Bottero Dolomite Plaster fejrer balancen mellem sten og sol set i Nices arkitektur, hvilket resulterer i en opløftende, jordnær indvendig vægbeklædning, der er egnet til hele indvendige rum Original Pigments Paint består af tre malinger designet til indvendige vægge og lofter, der spænder over intens mat, mat og semi-mat finish. En serie på tre træ- og metalfarver giver elegante løsninger til forbedring af ru overflader med silkematte, halvblanke eller højglans finish. Produceret af St. Leo
Ronia loves having a cozy place to go to calm down and she calls it her "pink zone." Learn How to Create a Calm Corner for Your Toddler...
Looking to create a calm-down space for your kids? Learn the must-have calming corner items that will help keep them regulated and content.
This design profile creates the half-dowel timber look that everyone is after. Rippling curved lines have a calming effect on the space or surface you apply this on. ** Please note the pattern of the Wood Roll runs Horizontally but each profile can be cut and joined for a continuous effect. Pictured is a smaller-sized cut for image purposes. ** These Wood Rolls have a wide range of uses: decorative wall panels like bed heads or wall features to wrap furniture pieces or even cupboard doors. The material is made from wood pulp which is then pressed into a mould to create the design. Installation is super easy as it can be cut to size with a sharp pair of scissors/Stanley knife and then adhered to a surface with liquid nails. Wood Roll Specifications & Features Made from real wood pulp Each dowel is approximately 10mm wide and has a 1mm space between each one curve Range of five different designs (3D Shaped designs) Super easy to cut to size (as needed) and install Pre-primed material needing a light sand before painting/staining or can be left in its raw state and finished with a clear coat Having trouble picking your Wood Roll style? Why not try one of our Wood Roll Sample Kits
Flowing lines create a calming aesthetic. With superb comfort the Muse Armchair is the perfect chair for a multitude of different spaces. With the option of several different bases, timber, Aluminum and steel you can tailor Muse Armchair to suit almost any application.Key Features:Premium Grade MoldedFoam Made in Europe Wrap-aroundShell Strong steel-inner structure140kg Recommended Weight Capacity10 Year WarrantyUpholstered in Warwick Dolly fabric range
This year, I decided to make some modifications to my classroom decor, and I am thrilled to share this reveal with you all.
I am obsessed with all things related to decor, and I love to use the latest home decor trends to design decor for the classroom. One of my favorite lines is the Studio McGee line at Target. I just love her show and love everything she comes up with. It's very calming, classic, and cozy, which are all elements I want to bring into the classroom. The Vintage Green Classroom Decor line was inspired by this look, and everything would pair perfectly with her decor line in Target. Let's look at Vintage Green and talk about ways to make your classroom calming for your students and a place that feels like home. Did you know that green is one of the most calming colors? Scientists believe our eyes are at the peak of perception to detect the wavelengths of the color green. With less strain to perceive the colors, our nervous system can relax when perceiving the tone. Therefore, green may calm us down. Vintage green has lots of greens, blues, and browns, with elements of calming plants. My favorite background to use with this set is brown craft paper. You can find this on Amazon, Hobby Lobby, or your local teacher store. I loved pairing the painted dots border to tie in the black from the text. For the outside of the boards, I used this eucalyptus border to incorporate the plants from the set. I like to put pennants above my boards and focus walls to tie everything together. You could just choose one pattern for your pennants or do a mixture like I did here. There are a few different alphabet options in the set, including cursive. You get number posters and banners, also including 2D and 3D shape and color posters. There are these letter banners in the pack that you can use to label your different focus walls or boards. I like to always include these motivational posters in my classroom decor sets. This one has a plant theme, of course. You can print these as mini posters to create a gallery wall or you could print them as large posters and frame with your bulletin board border. These little drawers are just so handy. I don't know how I lived without them before. These are editable, so that you can label your drawers based on your needs. The olive plants on the drawers tie the Studio McGee olive plant in perfectly! My students used the number line all the time, so I made sure to include that. It goes from 0-120. I usually put it below my alphabet. I love for my teacher binders to match my decor sets, so I had to design these. They are editable so that you can label them to fit your binders. Keep in mind that if you do get this pack, you will also have to go download these fonts if you want to use them for editing. I can't share them due to the artists' terms of use. I am really particular about choosing fonts that fit the theme of the decor. Label EVERYTHING! It helps ensure your classroom stays organized and clean, as well as helps students aid in cleaning up throughout the day. I like to use twine with this set to tie the labels to the baskets. There are those paper documents that you need during back to school time, as well as all throughout the year, but what is more fun than making it match your classroom theme?! You get an editable Meet the Teacher form, welcome letter, supply list, newsletter template, and calendars for the year. There are also blank templates to create notes that you might need to send home. There is a full calendar and number of the day set. The classroom library labels include themed labels for your library bins and student numbers for student book bins. You get a word wall with Fry's first 1000 words. The birthday board is editable. You can either write or type the students' names on the cards and hang them under each month. I have always been a big fan of using hand signals with my students. This set matches the decor and comes in so handy when students need something. You can see that there are also voice volume posters and rules posters. You can edit these in case you have different rules or voice levels you like to use. If you can hang things from your ceiling in your classroom, these fans are super cute with the large table labels. If not, you could attach these to baskets and put them in the center of the tables for storage. There are multiple options for desk name plates. There are also some plain ones with no hundreds chart or alphabet. It's so welcoming to send postcards to your new students over the summer if you can. These match your decor and are editable! I like to have somewhere in my room or in the hallway to display student work, so I use these number labels. I just attach them to clothespins and hot glue them to the wall. Finally, you can tie it all together with this door decor below. Type students names on the circles and place on your classroom door. There is even more to see in the Vintage Green Classroom Decor Bundle. You can see more by downloading the preview on the listing. It's one of my favorites and is sure to make your classroom feel calm, cozy, and like a home away from home. Your students will feel safe and cared for in your classroom as soon as they walk in! Thank you for stopping by!
Our school has an Outdoor Learning Committee that I am a part of. We all feel very strongly that the environment where the children play outside is just as important as the environment inside our school. We have worked hard to make our playground an area where the kids can run, exercise explore and yes...learn! Outside play plays an important role in children's development! They are working gross motor muscles and getting must needed exercise. They learn how to solve problems such as when social disagreements arise. They learn empathy as they help friends who get hurt. They learn to take risks and see where their limits are and feel empowered as they take those risks and succeed. They create games and role play. They learn science concepts as they discover things in nature and learn to look closer and ask questions about what they see as they discover new things. They learn kindness as they try to save an insect in danger or nurture a plant. They are literally learning about life and life skills as they play outside, so we knew the environment needed to support that. We had an area that we were having some problems with in the middle of our asphalt area. We wanted to turn it into something all of the kids could explore and benefit from and decided to create a Barefoot Sensory Path. We came up with a design and my husband figured out how to make it so that it would be sturdy and last. Our amazing PTO gave us funds to purchase the materials and we had fun shopping at Lowes for items that would provide the sensory experiences we were hoping for. Our team came in on a Saturday and went to work. Our maintenance team had dug the area down four inches so that it would be even with the asphalt. We put down a layer of paver sand, and then the 4x4's. We glued some materials to 2x2 pieces of plywood. The sections were all 2x2. We filled the sections with paver base and tamped it solid. My son even came and helped! Here is the finished frame. Of course, we had to test it out! Here is the finished path!! We were so excited for the kids to try it! It was a huge success!! The kids absolutely loved walking on it with bare feet, crawling on it and feeling with their hands and even laying in it enjoying the warmth radiating from it from being in the sun. Another new area we created was an area to create roads, ramps, etc. using scrap wood, cars, signs and other loose parts. This lovely lady below had the vision for this area! We also added an area to really work those gross motor muscles. Mr. Doyle created a boundary to keep it all contained to one area. We filled it with stumps, logs, and large branches. The kids have created obstacle courses and love lifting these up to show how strong they are! They jump, balance and create here. They collaborate and problem solve. They use both critical and creative thinking skills. This is a great area to develop 21st Century Learning Skills as they play! For our nature lovers, we have an area with plants for them to explore and observe. Some are edible such as peppermint and fennel. We have cone flowers, milkweed, irises, sunflowers and more. This area is a great place to explore and observe insects also! Here are some other things on our playground where they can let lose and have fun! Our playground is still a work in progress! We have many more ideas that we want to implement some day! One step at a time!
How to make a calming corner that supports self-regulation and use it effectively, including what to do when your child refuses to use the calming corner.
Explore the icy beauty of Penguins Mandalas. Dive into a world where art meets the Antarctic, capturing the essence of penguin life.
Anger management strategies can be very useful to even young children as they learn to manage their own behaviour. These calming strategy cards can help!
Galaxy Jars DIY, easy way to create a galaxy in a jar and all its wonder in your hands, use tutorial to make Nebula necklaces and other sensory calming jars
How do you plan to create a calm classroom environment? Here are 5 tips to help you to create a space you and your students will LOVE by...
How to make a mindfulness glitter calm down jar for kids! Step-by-step directions for making a calming glitter jar, with a printable recipe.
Are you looking for a calm classroom theme? I have five beautiful and unique classroom decor bundles that will help create a peaceful, engaging, and beautiful home away from home in your classroom! These five bundles will be a perfect way to create a calm classroom vibe!
Create a tranquil feel for you and your students with these calm classroom decor themes! Use nature inspired decor for a peaceful vibe.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may make a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. Creating a calm corner in your classroom can be a game-changer for both students and teachers . In my 9 years of teaching, I wish I would have learned about
All kids benefit from practicing mindfulness. Who wouldn't love the kids and young adults we work with to become more focused, calm, in control, and self-aware? Mindfulness is a technique that can help teach and strengthen those abilities over time. By practicing mindfulness, people can learn to bec
This product includes the materials you would need to create a 'chill zone' / 'safe place' or 'calm down corner.' It includes visuals so you can made an individualized calm down kit for your students. It has lots of extras such as break cards, token boards, individualized calm down kits for your students, etc. Includes the following color schemes with letters/visuals to match: Cool Colors Rainbow Neon Rainbow Pastel Neutrals/Boho Rainbow Black/Whites
These green home exteriors will inspire you to choose a nature-inspired paint for your next home improvement project!
Giving your students the space in your classroom to self-regulate, cool down and calm down are extremely important. When we talk about "challenging behaviors" and behavior management, we need to have proactive strategies to support our students' communication and help de-escalate any possible meltdowns. In this Calm Down Visual resource, you can set up your students and your class up for success around navigating big emotions like being overwhelmed, feeling frustrated, and generally being upset. We seek to support students with compassion, promote self-advocacy, and giving them space to communicate their needs. All of our resources are neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based. We are focused on meeting students where they are and supporting their needs. How It Works This set of visuals are for your classroom walls, bulletin boards, calm down corner space, use at desks, small group tables, and with individual students. Create a calm down corner that establishes a guide for options and expectations Establish a clear and common communication system for your students around communicating their needs What's Inside 4 different sets of calm down visuals Student choice board Quick word board (What others may refer to as 'Use Your Words' Stoplight visual for the wall + double-sided cards for students to have Classroom 'When I'm Upset' poster that can also be used as a flipbook Teacher instructions for suggested use Blank cards to add calm down options specific to the needs of your classroom and students
With an earthy, musky, sweet aroma, Rue essential oil is known as the herb of grace. Diffuse after a long day to help create a grounding, calming atmosphere. Rue belongs to the Rutaceae family, commonly known as the rue or citrus family, of flowering plants. This unique oil may be applied to the skin and combined with other scents, too! Blends well with chamomile, fennel, frankincense, myrrh, and more.
Calming corners for teens are an incredible way to offer a safe space in your classroom for students to reflect and regroup
