Calm Down Corners | Bright Start, Bright Kids, Bright Futures, October 2025

September 30, 2025
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Children are not born with self-control.

Self-regulation begins at birth and continues into young adulthood and beyond.  It’s about a child’s growing ability to control their emotions, respond in appropriate ways to frustration, get along with others, and eventually become independent.

Caregivers and families can help young children learn skills to help them control or regulate themselves. It’s those warm and responsive interactions and the teaching of emotional self-regulation strategies that help them learn to manage big emotions and feelings. A calm-down corner is a great tool for learning to self-soothe. It’s a special area of the classroom with various calming tools and materials for children to use when their emotions feel overwhelming.

Explore examples of calm-down spaces from early learning professionals. For more information about calm-down areas and resources to support children in your care, check out the October release of the Bright Start, Bright Kids, Bright Future newsletter.

Little Reflections at Center Valley

Tilleen Meitzler’s (K-Prep Teacher) Calm Down Cube and supporting calming materials 

The Perception Training Center in Schuylkill County

Kathleen Jenkins’s PKC “Maple” Classroom’s Calm Down Area & Materials

Dickinson College Children’s Center Preschool Calm Down Space

“The Quiet Area has ample materials and visuals on how to help calm their bodies and recognize their emotions so they can return to the group in a manner that is acceptable and allows them to learn at their optimal ability” says Tessa Summa, a preschool teacher at DCCC.

Items such as pop-it fidgets, sensory bottles, Squishmallows, paper with crayons, breathing boards and feelings books are just a few materials in the Calm Down Space. The visuals can be pictures of the various materials the child can use to calm down, techniques such as taking deep breaths, or counting.