Helping Your Child Return to the Green Zone
At Little Tesla Pediatric Therapy, we love sharing easy, effective tools to help children manage big feelings and return to a calm, regulated state—also known as the Green Zone. Whether your child is feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated, or upset, these simple calming strategies can help them pause, reset, and regain control.
Breathing Techniques
1. Lazy 8 Breathing
Start by placing your finger on the star. Slowly trace around the left side of the number 8 while breathing in. Then trace the right side of the 8 while breathing out.
This motion is calming, predictable, and gives your child a visual guide for slow, steady breathing.
2. Star Breathing
Pick any point on a star and begin tracing along the edges.
Say or guide your child through this pattern:
Breathe in for 2 counts, hold for 1 count, breathe out for 2 counts.
Repeat around the entire star. If your child is not yet reading, you can speak the prompts aloud as they trace.
Sensory-Based Strategies
3. Squeeze Lemons
Pretend you’re squeezing lemons in both hands—or use a stress ball.
Squeeze slowly and tightly, then release. Repeat 5–10 times to reduce tension in the body.
4. Take a Break!
Create a calming corner or quiet tent in your home.
Add cozy pillows, a soft blanket, or a weighted lap pad to help your child feel grounded. Encourage them to visit this space whenever they need a reset—and practice other calming strategies here too!
5. Sip Through a Straw
Drinking water through a straw (especially a resistive one like on a sports bottle) activates calming muscles in the mouth and jaw. It helps regulate the body and can quietly soothe the nervous system.
6. Close Your Eyes & Count to 10
Sometimes, the simplest tools are the most effective. Guide your child to close their eyes and count slowly to 10—either out loud or in their head. You can count with them to model a calm, slow pace.
Pro Tip from Little Tesla:
These calming strategies work best when practiced regularly—even when your child isn’t upset. That way, their body and brain are familiar with the tools and more likely to use them independently in stressful moments.
Let’s help every child build their own calming toolkit
