Be Prepared: The following review of ways to calm down can be used at the end of any stimulating experience, including the Communication/Language song and movement activity in the current block. The strategies were introduced in ELM’s Self-Regulation (Getting Calm) activities for younger toddlers (12–24 months).

Children benefit from advance notice that an activity is about to end. Example: “We will do one more action with our song. Then we will stop.”

Open the calming-down segment by acknowledging that our activity is fun and exciting. You may wish to say that you are excited and ready for a rest. Invite toddlers to join you in calming down. We rest our bodies and our minds when we calm down.

Lead toddlers in doing the following steps:

• Relax our arms.
• Put our hands in our lap (if sitting).
• Take several deep and slow breaths.
• Close our eyes briefly.
• Quietly hum or sing part of a song at a slow tempo. Example: Part of “If You’re Happy and you Know It” could be sung or hummed at a very slow tempo in the Communication/Language activity for the current block.

Explain that your body and mind feel calmer. Ask toddlers whether they feel calm. It is good to slow down and give our body and mind a rest.

Be Prepared: The following review of breathing deeply and slowly as a way to calm down can be used at the end of any stimulating experience, including the Communication/ Language song and movement activity in the current block. Breathing slowly and deeply is introduced in Block 5 to older toddlers (24–36 months).

As suggested in Option 1, children benefit from advance notice that an activity is about to end. Open the calming-down segment of the activity by acknowledging that our activity is exciting and we need to calm our bodies and minds. Remind toddlers that breathing deeply and slowly is one way we can calm down.

Remind toddlers that parts of our body move when we breathe in and breathe out. Invite toddlers to lie on the floor and put their hand on their stomach. We want to relax our hand. We want to open our hand and place it on our tummy. Encourage toddlers to notice how their hand moves up and down when we breathe in and out deeply and slowly. Explain that the air we breathe in and out moves part of our body.

Invite toddlers to breathe in and out with you. Example: “I am going to take a deep breath in and then take a deep breath out. Please breathe in and out with me. Let’s see what happens with our hand on our stomach when we breathe deeply and slowly.”

Lead children in breathing in and out 3–4 times. Offer reminders, as appropriate, about breathing slowly and deeply and keeping our hand open and relaxed on our stomach. Do not encourage toddlers to breathe in and out at the same time.

At the conclusion of the breathing routine, ask toddlers whether they feel calmer. Encourage toddlers to think about how breathing slowly can help them feel calm when they are upset. Invite toddlers to use slow breathing at other times during the day when they would like to feel calm.