26+ Simple Calming Activities for Kids (Printables + Reels)

As parents, we know kids can sometimes get overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious. During these moments, it’s important to provide them with calming activities that can help them relax and soothe their nerves.

Activities such as rainy day activities, puzzle activities, and fine motor activities can be incredibly effective in helping children calm down and find their inner peace.

So, keep scrolling to know about these fascinating activities.

Calming Activities for Kids

Calming Cut & Paste Activity

The Calming Cut & Paste activity is an engaging way for kids to learn about different calming techniques. This activity helps children recognize various ways to relax and manage their emotions, promoting emotional well-being and mindfulness.

Materials: A printable calming activity sheet…for that, you can simply print out our printable, scissors, and a glue stick.

How to Do:

1. Give your child our printable.
2. Provide your child with scissors and guide them in carefully cutting out the images and labels.
3. Encourage your child to match each calming technique label with the corresponding image and glue them onto the activity sheet.

Calming Coloring Page Activity

The Calming Coloring Page activity is a wonderful way for kids to relax and express their creativity. This activity helps children focus and unwind, promoting mindfulness and a sense of calm through the soothing act of coloring.

Materials: A printable calming coloring page suitable for use with colored pencils, markers, or crayons.

How to Do:

1. Begin by printing out the calming coloring page.
2. Provide your child with an array of coloring materials, such as colored pencils, markers, or crayons.
3. Encourage your child to take their time and choose colors that make them feel happy and relaxed.
4. Allow your child to color the page at their own pace, promoting a calm and focused environment.

Calming Yoga Poses Activity

The Calming Yoga Poses activity is an excellent way for kids to practice mindfulness and relaxation. Through a series of gentle yoga poses, children can learn how to calm their minds and bodies, promoting overall well-being and reducing stress.

Materials: A printable yoga poses sheet..for that, you can use our printable, and comfortable clothing, along with a yoga mat.

How to Do:

1. Give your child our printable sheet.
2. Provide your child with comfortable clothing that allows for easy movement.
3. Lay out a yoga mat or a soft surface where your child can practice the poses.
4. Guide your child through each pose on the sheet, encouraging them to hold each pose for a few breaths.

Calming Strategies Bingo Activity

The Calming Strategies Bingo activity is an educational way for kids to learn about different techniques to manage stress and anxiety. This interactive game helps children identify and practice various calming strategies in a fun and engaging manner.

Materials: Printable calming strategies bingo cards, scissors, glue stick or tape, and markers.

How to Do:

1. Begin by printing out the calming strategies bingo cards and the images of different calming strategies.
2. Use scissors to cut out the calming strategy images.
3. Glue or tape the images onto the bingo cards, creating a variety of different layouts.
4. Provide each child with a bingo card and a set of markers.
5. Call out different calming strategies and have the children mark the corresponding image on their bingo cards.
6. The first child to complete a row, column, or diagonal shouts “Bingo!” and wins the game.

Finger Tracing Calming Cards Activity

The Finger Tracing Calming Cards activity is a wonderful way for kids to practice mindfulness and improve their fine motor skills. This simple yet effective activity helps children focus and relax by tracing shapes and patterns with their fingers.

Materials: Printable finger tracing cards featuring diverse shapes and patterns, alongside scissors.

How to Do:

1. Begin by printing out the finger tracing cards, which feature different shapes and patterns, such as spirals, hearts, flowers, stars, and more.
2. Use scissors to cut out the individual cards along the dotted lines.
3. Show your child how to trace the shapes and patterns on each card slowly with their finger, following the dashed lines.

Calming Puzzles Activity

The Calming Puzzles activity is an engaging way for kids to relax and focus their minds. Solving puzzles helps children improve their problem-solving skills and patience, all while enjoying a calming and rewarding experience.

Materials: Printable puzzle sheets featuring calming images, along with scissors and a glue stick.

How to Do:

1. Begin by printing out the puzzle sheets.
2. Use scissors to cut the puzzle pieces along the dashed lines.
3. Mix up the puzzle pieces and provide them to your child.
4. Encourage your child to assemble the puzzle by matching the pieces to form the complete image or word.

Countdown Calming Activity

The Countdown Calming activity is a great way for kids to practice counting while learning how to calm down and manage their emotions. This activity combines counting with visual cues to help children focus and relax.

Materials: A printable countdown calming sheet or simply use our printable, and either a pencil or marker.

How to Do:

1. Begin by printing out the countdown calming sheet.
2. Explain to your child how the activity works: they will count down from a certain number by matching the numbers with the corresponding hand gestures.
3. Guide your child to slowly count down from the highest number to the lowest, taking deep breaths with each number they count.

Calming Word Search Activity

The Calming Word Search activity is a fun way for kids to improve their vocabulary and focus while learning about different calming strategies. This activity helps children relax as they search for and identify words related to calming techniques.

Materials: A printable calming word search sheet, a pencil or marker, and an eraser.

How to Do:

1. Begin by printing out the calming word search sheet, which includes a grid filled with letters and a list of words related to calming strategies.
2. Provide your child with a pencil or marker to highlight or circle the words they find.
3. Explain to your child that they must find each word from the list hidden in the grid. Words can be arranged horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
4. Encourage your child to take their time and focus on finding each word, using the list as a reference.

Calming Strategies Dice Game

The Calming Strategies Dice Game is an interactive way for kids to learn about different calming techniques. This game encourages children to explore various activities that can help them relax and manage their emotions effectively.

Materials Used: A printable dice template with calming strategies, scissors, and glue or tape.

How to Do:

1. Begin by printing out the dice template, which features different calming strategies on each face of the dice.
2. Use scissors to cut out the dice template along the solid lines.
3. Fold the template along the dotted lines to form a cube.
4. Use glue or tape to secure the edges of the cube, creating a dice.
5. Explain to your child how to play the game: they will roll the dice and perform the calming strategy shown on the face that lands upward.

Mindful breathing

Teach your child to focus on their breath, taking slow and deep breaths in and out. This can help them calm down and refocus their attention.

Listening to music

Playing calming music can help soothe your child’s nerves. You can create a playlist of relaxing songs or classical music.

Bubble wrap popping

The sound of popping bubble wrap can be satisfying and calming for some kids.

Reading

Reading a book can be a great way for your child to relax and unwind. Choose books that are age-appropriate and have calming themes. On the other hand, you can sit with your kid and read out a calming book to him/her too!

Nature walks

Spending time in nature can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety. Take your child for a walk in the park or a nearby nature trail.

Playdough

Playing with playdough can be a calming and sensory activity for some kids. They can also get creative with these doughs and end up calming down all other thoughts they may have been having. 

Writing in a journal

Encourage your child to write down their thoughts and feelings in a journal. This can help them process their emotions and reduce stress.

Baking 

Baking can be a fun and relaxing activity for kids. Choose simple recipes that your child can help with, such as cookies or muffins.

Hugging a stuffed animal

Hugging a stuffed animal can provide comfort and security for some kids.

Deep pressure therapy

Applying deep pressure to your child’s body, such as with a weighted blanket, can help them feel more calm and more grounded.

Visualization

Encourage your child to visualize a calming scene, such as a peaceful beach or a quiet forest.

Sensory bins

Creating sensory bins with items such as sand, water, or rice can provide some kids a calming and soothing sensory experience.

Taking a bath

Taking a warm bath with bubbles or bath bombs can be a relaxing and calming activity for some kids.

Try playing fun bath time songs to further make them enjoy themselves and induce calmness in them through the process. 

Listening to guided imagery

Listening to guided imagery can help your child visualize calming scenes and reduce anxiety.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Teach your child to tense and relax different muscle groups in their body, starting from their feet and working their way up to their head.

Slime

Slime can be a fun and calming activity for kids. Making and playing with slime can be an engaging and sensory experience that can help kids relax and reduce stress.

The act of making slime can be a calming and therapeutic activity for kids. It involves measuring and mixing ingredients, which can help kids focus their attention and develop their fine motor skills. The texture of slime can also be soothing and enjoyable to manipulate.

Water play toys

Many water play toys are available, such as water guns, water balloons, and floating toys. These can be a fun and calming activity for kids, providing a playful outlet for energy and stress.

With these toys, you can have fun time with your kid at the swimming pool or bathtub. It’ll instantly calm them down and boost their mood for the good!