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You are here: Home / Play-Based Learning Activities / 30+ Calming Kids Activities That Will Promote Peace in Your Household

September 17, 2017 By Alana Pace 9 Comments

30+ Calming Kids Activities That Will Promote Peace in Your Household

Does your child have after-school meltdowns? Find simple, powerful activities and strategies to calm your child. Back to school has come with a slew of intense emotions. 


After school is your child overstimulated and overtired? Find simple, powerful activities and strategies to calm your child.

At the end of August, my son started kindergarten.

In the days leading up to his first day, he was quite sensitive.

We did our best to explain what would happen at pick up and drop off, who of his friends would be in the schoolyard, and how well he would fare. Our daughter helped by telling him about special events like dressing up for Halloween and participating in the Christmas concert.

Related reading: 10+ Powerful Strategies That Will Calm Your Angry Child

The first day of school, he entered the gates to the schoolyard and made his way to his teacher beaming.

He was happy. We were proud.

No matter how happy they are at the beginning of their day, either one or both my school-aged kids come home completely exhausted and almost inconsolably emotional.

My number one strategy to prevent meltdowns is to get their blood sugar up right away. So I make sure to show up to school with a snack in hand.

Related reading: Why After School Meltdowns Happen and What you can do About Them

After school, another calming strategy I use is to plan for quiet time activities. Below you will find countless activities to help calm your child after an overstimulating day at school.

 

After school is your child overstimulated and overtired? Find simple, powerful activities and strategies to calm your child.

Activities to Calm Your Child After School

Puzzles

I can only find anecdotal evidence about why puzzles are calming. But I see the way my kids are quiet, focused, and calm when they do puzzles. You can read more about the benefits of puzzles here.

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to make a purchase, I could make a small commission (which makes me grateful). However, the price you pay is the same.

Here are some of our favourite after school activities

Melissa and Doug 4 in 1 Wooden Puzzle in Storage Box

Ravensburger Disney: Finding Dory Glow in the Dark Puzzle

Ravensburger Secret Life of Pets Panorama Puzzle

 

Sensory play

If ever you’ve set up a container of cloud dough or made playdough with your kids, you will easily see how engrossed they become. There is an undeniable correlation between sensory activities and calmness. Here are some amazing sensory activities for kids to create and play with to promote self-regulation.

 

DIY Calm Down Squish Ball

Lavender Scented Play Dough

dripping slime calm your child activity #sensoryplay #sensoryactivities #screenfreeactivities #playbasedlearning

Dripping Slime Sensory Play

Homemade Sensory Kit for Calm Down Time

Lavender Soap Foam Sensory Play

Bug Discovery Sensory Bin

Nature Play Dough

A Year’s Worth of Sensory Bottles

Edible Pudding Slime

Squishy Squashy Sensory Balloon Games

Squishy Mermaid Sensory Bag

Fall Scented Play Dough

How to Make Stress Balls

 

After school is your child overstimulated and overtired? Find simple, powerful activities and strategies to calm your child. Play-based learning ways to promote self-regulation and calmness in kids.

Board games

Like puzzles, board games require focus and calm. Here are some simple board games that are great for younger children to have fun and unwind.

Here are some we recommend

Orchard Toys Shopping List Memory Game

Orchard Toys Bus Stop Board Game

Trouble Board Game

Paw Patrol Matching Memory Board Game

 

Colouring

Colouring has the potential “…to reduce anxiety, create focus, or bring about [m0re] mindfulness.” – MaryGrace Berberian, art therapist and assistant professor.

 

Here are some great “Mommy and Me” colouring pages

Calming Activities Including Mandala Coloring

Rainbow Colouring Activity Pack

Together: A Mommy and Me Coloring Book

Mommy and Me Easter Egg Coloring

 

Additional resources to calm your child

25 Mindfulness Activities Your Child Will Actually Want to do

Anti-Anxiety Kit for Kids

Jar Full of Feelings: Sensory Regulation Activity

One Simple Trick to Calm an Overstimulated Child

Children’s Music for Rest and Relaxation

Calming Eye Pillows for the Anxious Child

Calming the Angry Child: Positive Parenting Strategies that Work

Why Saying Calm Down to your Kids Doesn’t Actually Work and What to do Instead

Emotional Coping Strategies for Young Kids

 

 

 

Filed Under: Play-Based Learning Activities, Positive Parenting Strategies, Posts, Your Child's Education Tagged With: after school advice, after school meltdowns, calm your child, calming activities for kids, promote self-regulation, screen-free activities, simple kids activities, The Undeniable Power of Play

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Previous Post: « After School Meltdowns: Why They Happen and What You Can Do
Next Post: Powerful Strategies to Turn Your Child’s Anger and Difficult Behaviour Around »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dianne Mueller says

    September 18, 2017 at 9:03 pm

    Hi Alana, my friends and I keep voting for you on Top Mommy Blogs but it is not registering. It is registering for Melissa’s blog and Mama By Fire. Currently we are only voting for the 3 of you. Thanks Dianne

    Reply
  2. emma says

    February 11, 2021 at 12:57 am

    very well written. so important topic is discussed in it. thanks for writing this. 👍

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Alana. When I'm not nursing cold, stale coffee, I usually can be found with the baby on my hip, barefoot, and racing after my two older kids. Thanks to a degree in psychology and a free-range childhood backing onto an expansive evergreen forest, positive parenting and play-based learning are my passions. Read more here.

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Often people fear responsive parenting will create Often people fear responsive parenting will create needy kids. 

Developmental research suggests otherwise. 

The more reliably and compassionately that we respond to our children’s needs, the more secure and assured they feel to venture out into the world.

Attachment & independence aren’t two opposite sides of a spectrum but two sides of the same coin.
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I remember in my earlier days of parenting when I I remember in my earlier days of parenting when I had two under two so much of my life was spent thinking I’ll be happy when…

I’ll be happy when they sleep through the night.

I’ll be happy when my husband doesn’t have to work such late hours.

I’ll be happy when I look and feel like myself again and not a feeding troth 😬😬😬

As it turns out this struggle with finding happiness isn’t unique to me or parenting. 

Collectively our mental health is suffering, but there are many research backed ways to improve happiness. (Link in bio to read more).
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Though there are countless people who understand t Though there are countless people who understand the importance of positive, responsive parenting, the idea that young children should self-soothe remains a prevalent belief.

Though this ideology is well-intentioned, it actually goes against what we know about human development.

Babies come into the world highly dependent on responsive caregiving not only for nurturance and protection but also to foster social and emotional development.

While it may seem that leaving a child to cry will help her learn to cope, it actually floods her brain with cortisol. She doesn’t learn to self-soothe but instead to shut down.

Though it may seem counterintuitive to some, independence is fostered through responsive care. The less stressed a child feels, the safer he feels to explore his world. The less stressed he feels, the more appropriate his emotional responses become.

This is first seen in late infancy but pervades through childhood and adulthood.

Have any questions about these findings? Feel free to comment below or send me a message!
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So often independence and attachment are thought t So often independence and attachment are thought to be mutually exclusive.
However, research shows that in order for children (and adults) to be independent, they need to feel safe and secure within their closest relationships. In childhood, this means having caregivers who respond to distress and both emotional and physical needs.
In adulthood, people who have responsive and caring partners feel more stable and comfortable being independent.
So hold and comfort those babies.
Hug and respond to your kids.
Love and hold space for the adults you are closest to.
Attachment fosters independence.
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