Calm Down Ideas by Age — Quick Guide
Calming strategies that actually match your child's stage of development — from toddlers through age 10.
Inside this free guide
- What co-regulation is, and why kids can't always calm down alone
- Why different ages need different kinds of support
- Calm-down ideas for ages 2–3, 4–5, 6–8, and 9–10
- A printable menu of movement, deep-pressure, breathing, and sensory strategies
- How to track which tools actually work for your child
Built for real families.
Ages 2–10
Meet Kelsey
Pediatric Occupational Therapist · Founder, Growing Balanced
I'm Kelsey — a pediatric OT and mom. I built Growing Balanced because so many of the families I worked with kept saying the same thing: "This is helpful, but I need it in a way I can actually use on a Tuesday morning."
So that's what this is. Practical, evidence-informed OT strategies packaged for real parenting — not textbooks, not lectures. My hope is that every guide, every article, and every tool here leaves you feeling a little less overwhelmed, and a little more confident.
Grab your free copy — sent straight to your inbox.
No account required. We'll email you the 6-page PDF plus an occasional note when we publish something new (unsubscribe anytime).
Three ways to go deeper
Everyone starts somewhere. Pick the depth that fits your family right now.
Best for getting started
A quick, parent-friendly intro. Read it in one sitting — try one strategy this week.
More strategies, in under an hour
Practical, OT-created strategies that expand on the starter guide with real-life examples and printable supports.
Most comprehensive
The full workbook: printable worksheets, tools, and complete OT strategies for real families.
The guide teaches. The app helps you use it every day.
Build the routines this guide describes into real family life — with visual schedules, sensory activities, co-regulation scripts, and progress tracking, all in one place.
- Calm corner builder
- Regulation Roadmap
- Age-matched activities
- Feelings check-ins
Keep reading from the Learning Library
Emotional Regulation for Kids: A Parent-Friendly Guide
Emotional regulation is the ability to notice a big feeling and move through it without being swept away. For kids, it's a slow-growing skill they build by borrowing your calm — again and again, over years of practice, with zero shame and lots of connection.
Co-Regulation for Parents: How to Be the Calm in the Storm
Co-regulation is the process of helping a child return to a calm, regulated state by using your own calm voice, body language, breathing, and presence. Children learn to self-regulate by first experiencing regulation through a trusted adult — thousands of small moments across the years of childhood.
Questions parents ask before downloading
Everything you might want to know before entering your email.
Is this really free?
Yes — enter your email and we'll send you the printable PDF right away.
Why don't you just give me one calm-down list?
Because a strategy that works beautifully for a 3-year-old often flops for a 9-year-old. The guide organizes ideas by age so you're not fighting your child's developmental stage.
My child has autism / ADHD — will this still help?
Yes — every strategy is drawn from pediatric OT practice and works especially well when you match the tool to your child's sensory profile. There's a page to track what works for your specific child.
When should we practice these?
In calm moments first — not during a meltdown. Kids respond better to a tool they've already tried when they were feeling OK.
What's the next step after this?
The Emotional Regulation Starter Guide and Co-Regulation Starter Guide (both free) go deeper on the 'why' behind big feelings and how to lend your calm to your child.
Ready to try one thing this week?
Download the guide. Try one small change. See how it feels.