Making a Calm Corner That Works!

A calm down corner can be so beneficial in the classroom and at home with your own kids!

A calm down corner is a designated space where students can go to take a break and regulate their emotions.

What made me want to make a calm down corner?

When my son turned 3, he morphed into a little emotional gremlin.

It was so hard to deal with the screaming and emotional roller coaster. Some of the things he would yell about were silly, but to him, they were a big deal!

So…

I made a calm down corner.

Every time he would get really upset or hyper, I would take him to his corner and go through the calming down process with him… and it worked!

He stopped losing his cool all the time… and honestly, so did I!

I knew I had to add this to my classroom too!

Here is how to make a calm down corner that works

1. Pick a space!

I know you are probably thinking… duh! But the space is important! You want to have a space in a low-traffic area in your classroom with fewer distractions.

If you have a wall space and corner, that is great! You can hang the feelings, deep breathing, calm tool choice, and break choice posters on the wall and add your toolkit in the corner.

HOWEVER, you don’t need a big space. All you need is a bin and a calm down toolkit. Students that need some calm down time can use the tools at their desk or a small corner of the classroom!

2. Take time to introduce the calm corner

Before introducing the calm corner, take time to introduce all of the parts.

Start by reading some mentor texts and discussing feelings with your students. (I have included some great feelings vocabulary posters in my Calm Corner Classroom Kit to help with this!)

Show students feelings images and take time to discuss different feelings, behaviors that happen with each feeling, and body language.

You want your students to step outside of the language of just “sad” or “mad” to truly be able to express how they are feeling.

 

3. Introduce deep breathing exercises

Slow, gentle breathing can help students pause and feel calmer.

Introduce 1 to 3 deep breathing exercises each day for a few days. Each day you should have your students practice the new breathing exercises and the ones they have already learned.

 

4. Introduce calming sensory tool choices

Here are some of my favorite calm tools that will fit in a bin and are quiet enough for the classroom:

• A stuffed animal
• Sensory tubes (These are amazing!)
• Popper Fidgets
• Tangle Fidgets
• Stress Balls (Squeeze Balls)
• Little Hashtag Blocks (You can usually find these at Target in the dollar spot!)
• Puzzle Cubes
• Stretchy strings
• Magic Boards

The key to adding these tools to your calm corner is to introduce one at a time and set very, VERY clear expectations for how the items may be used.

 

5. Introduce the break choices

Some students may need a little more than a sensory tool to calm themselves. You can introduce breaks of your choice that students can choose from.

Again, it is so important to introduce these choices with very clear expectations! Make sure your students know that any break that requires leaving the classroom has to be approved by the teacher.

 

6. NOW IT’S TIME! Open the calm down corner

Now that students know what will be in the corner, introduce the corner to them.

MODEL it! Model, model, model!

For a few weeks after introducing the calm corner, model how to identify feelings, choose a deep breathing exercise, use a calm tool, and take a quick break (if needed).

Have your students model it for each other too!

 

What if they spend too long in the corner? What if they just want to play?

You have some options:

• Limit the calm corner to one student at a time. (In the calm corner kit, this is part of the rules included.)
• Switch out the sensory tools. If you notice a specific tool is the issue, switch it out.
• Set a time limit for students that need it. When the timer ends, check in and help them return to learning or decide whether they need more support.
• If some friends just can’t handle it, but need it, you can make them their own toolkit with personalized choices appropriate for them to use at their desk.

I have included some great drawing and writing activities in my Calm Corner Classroom Kit that will help students calm down while still working on a task.

You know your students best and you know what they need!

If you know a student is taking advantage of the time, talk to them about it and set the expectation or limit for them. (This could be a number of visits to the corner per day, a time limit, different tools, or their own personal toolkit.)

Click here to check out my Calm Corner Classroom Kit