Arts and Crafts

As some of you may know, I work as a freelance therapeutic mentor/training specialist for a behavioral health organization. Here are some crafts and interventions I have learned and used:

Calming bottles

Calming bottles (or time-out bottles as they're sometimes referred to) are great for helping children to self-regulate. If a child is so upset he or she cannot be consoled or can't engage in another calming activity, calming bottles can serve as a great visual "anchor" to help bring focus into one place as their world seems to be spinning out of control. Holding the bottle and watching the glitter fall,  can slow her heart rate and respiration.

Here's the recipe:

16 oz water bottle (I used glass containers here but I normally use plastic ones, safety first!)

Glitter glue

 Glitter

 Glue gun or crazy glue (adult must handle this)

Begin by having the child pour glitter glue of various colors into the empty bottle. When they are done, fill out the bottle half way with hot water. Now have the child add more glitter (as much as they'd like!). Fill up the bottle with water at room temperature and seal the bottle with hot glue or crazy glue. Wait a few minutes for the glue to dry and shake shake shake the bottle. Now watch as the glitter particles fall, helping the mind and body to relax and focus.

Play dough stress balls  

Stress balls are great for kids (and adults) who need to manage daily stress (and who doesn't?). For this activity you will use a smiley face balloon, another balloon of any color to hold the play dough, and enough play dough to stuff the balloon (I normally use 1 1/2 - 2 tubs of Play Doh).

I begin this activity practicing deep breathing with kids by blowing the balloons. I then spend some time squeezing the play dough (great stress reliever!). Then, the tricky task is to stuff the solid balloons with play dough. Once that is done I stuff all that into the smiley face balloon. I like to use two balloons to prevent breakage. Squeeze away!

DIY Sachets

 While I am not an aromatherapist, I do love using essential oils and enjoying their benefits. I also enjoy seeing the kids' faces when I tell them smells can help them feel more calm! For these sachets I used about five cotton balls, a few drops of lavender oil and little organza bags I bought at Walmart.

Essential oils can be pricey so I purchased the diluted form at Walmart for about $2. I found a pack with 6 organza bags on sale for $1 and used some cotton balls I had lying around the house.

I began by explaining the concept of aroma therapy to my kiddos and proceeded by having them squeeze a few drops of lavender oil on each cotton ball. We then stuff each organza bag with four or five cotton balls and voilà!