11 Free Printable Calm Down Charts for Kids

Do you have a child with big feelings who needs help calming down? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. These 11 free printable calm down charts for kids are the perfect way to help little ones with big emotions calm down.

Included below are 11 different charts with different suggestions of ways to calm down, with matching pictures. Some of the charts have different themes, such as princesses, dinosaurs, sports, and more, so you can personalize your toddler’s calm down charts. There are also more general calm down charts that can be used in a classroom or setting with multiple children.

To make these simple calm down charts, you will simply need to print off the free PDF of your choice and keep it in an easy to access spot. You can also laminate them for durability if desired.

If you’re also in search of a way for your child to identify their strong feelings, be sure to also head over and grab one of our free printable emotions charts for kids. Both the emotion charts and calm down charts work great as resources together.

How to Use a Calm Down Chart

These calm-down charts are perfect for teaching your child ways to calm down when they are upset. Because the best learning happens when children’s emotions are regulated, you can practice and introduce these charts when your child is in a good mood.

Begin by printing out the feelings chart of choice. Some have up to 9 options for activities or things kids can do to calm down, while others have fewer options if 9 seems too overwhelming for your child. Decide which chart they may respond best to and print it out on cardstock or paper.

Go over what the chart says your child can do when upset multiple times when they are in a good mood, so that when they are upset, they may be more likely to remember how the chart works and what to do.

Talk about where they might have things that they could use to calm down. Talk about cozy spots, where they might find small fidget toys, paper, crayons, and more. I would highly suggest creating a cozy, calming corner in the home or classroom to help children find a good and safe spot to use the chart and regulate their feelings.

Then, when your child is feeling angry, upset, etc…pull out the practiced chart and have them point to pick a way to calm down.

What are Some Ways To Help Children Calm Down?

Below are some of the ways to help children calm down that are used on the calm down charts. These are some of our favorite ways as a Mom of four and early childhood educator to teach our children emotional regulation and help support them:

• Take a Deep Breath – Encourage children to take deep breaths. Children could breathe in fun ways like:
  • Like a lion
  • Like they’re blowing out candles
  • Pretend their belly is a balloon
  • Smell the soup/hot chocolate and then blow to cool them off
  • Blow the petals off a flower
• Count to Five – Encourage children to count slowly. They can count to 3, 5, or as high as they need to help them calm down.
• Give a Hug – Children may need an adult to help regulate so they are able to go to the adult when they are mad or sad and give them a hug. Some children may want to be independent in this and hug themselves tight. The squeezing feeling may help their bodies to calm down a bit.
• Use a Fidget – Children can grab a fidget or a favorite toy that helps keep their hands busy. This eliminates the desire to hit and gives the children something else to think about.
• Ask for Help – Encourage children that if they are upset, they can ask someone for help. This helps to eliminate the strong feelings by solving a problem that may be making them upset.
• Go to a Cozy Spot – Find a spot around the home that is cozy. Snuggle under blankets, squeeze a pillow (or even scream into a pillow). This will help children when they are sad or upset.
• Read a Book – Children can read a book to help occupy their minds and give them something to think about instead of their strong feelings. Prepare books that talk about feelings and what children can do to cope. These can help if read in the moment. They could also choose books with favorite characters, etc…
• Squeeze a Stress Ball – sometimes the feeling of squeezing something helps calm children down naturally. Have a few stress balls handy that they can squeeze. They can also squeeze a pillow or just squeeze their own hands into fists.
• Scribble on Paper – Children can grab a blank piece of paper or notebook and a pencil or crayon and simply scribble. Let them scribble and push hard down on the paper to help themselves calm down.

**In our house, we have a cozy calm down corner/tent. Things we put in this tent include a cozy pillow, a soft blanket, a small basket of fidget toys and stress balls, a notebook and crayons, and a copy of the calm down chart and a feelings chart. We use a generic chart since we have four kids of different genders and ages living under our roof. Children can then choose to go there if they are mad, sad, overwhelmed, etc…

Calm Down Charts for Toddlers

Below are 11 different versions of a chart to help kids calm down. Some versions offer different suggestions for activities that children can do to calm down, while others feature different designs. Included calm down chart designs include:

• Original (2 different versions)
• Dinosaurs
• Princesses
• Trucks/Construction
• Sports
• Mermaids
• Farm
• Space
• Zoo Animals
• Pets

Click the button below to access and download these fun and free printable calm down charts.

If you liked and enjoyed these printable calm down charts and are interested in more fun and free chart printables, you can also check out these printable behavior charts or printable potty charts for kids.