Grounding and calming

Grounding means helping the body and mind slow down and notice the here and now: feet on the ground, slow breaths, eyes and ears on what is around. These activities take only a few minutes and work almost anywhere.

Be a Tree

Roots: plant both feet flat on the ground, a little apart.

Trunk: stand tall and stretch up through the top of the head.

Branches: spread the arms out wide.

Take 3 slow breaths and sway gently, like a tree in a soft breeze.

The 5-4-3-2-1 senses check-in

When your child feels worried, upset or wound up, walk through the senses together. Go slowly and say each thing out loud.

• 5 things you can see: A blue cup, a bird, your shoes, a cloud, a picture on the wall
• 4 things you can touch: Your shirt, the floor, a soft blanket, a cool table
• 3 things you can hear: A car, the fridge humming, your own breathing
• 2 things you can smell: Soap on your hands, dinner cooking
• 1 thing you can taste: A sip of water, toothpaste, a cracker

Tip: Practice when your child is already calm, so the steps feel easy when a hard moment comes. For little ones, try a shorter 3-2-1 version.

Barefoot play outside

Many kids feel calmer after time outside with bare feet. Grass, sand and soil give the feet lots of touch and body-position feedback, which can help the whole body settle.

• Walk slowly across the grass
• Dig toes into sand
• Do the Be a Tree pose on the lawn
• Lie on a blanket and watch the clouds
• Hunt for smooth rocks or soft moss
• Play follow-the-leader in a sandbox

Toes in the sand

Let your child squish, dig and bury their feet. Talk about how it feels: warm, cool, gritty or soft.

Safety

• Check the ground first for glass, sharp sticks, thorns, ant hills and pet waste.
• Skip bare feet on hot pavement, hot sand or very cold ground.
• Keep shoes on if your child has a cut or sore on the feet.
• Stay with your child outside.

Use these ideas along with the plan from your Oaklin Lane therapist.