Calm Down Strategies

Overview

In this 45-minute lesson designed for Year 0 students, we will introduce and practise calming down strategies suitable for managing emotional states identified as the Yellow or Red Zones (e.g., feeling anxious, frustrated, or angry). The focus will be on simple, age-appropriate techniques such as deep breathing and counting, fostering self-regulation skills aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for Health and Physical Education.

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Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Health and Physical Education

• Strand: Personal and Social Capability — Self-management and relating to others
• Level: Level 1 (Years 0–2)
• Achievement Objective(s):
  • Manage their personal physical, psychological, social, and emotional states by recognising feelings and applying strategies to keep themselves and others safe and well.
  • Demonstrate growing awareness of personal emotions and how to regulate them appropriately through simple strategies.
• Key Competencies:
  • Managing self: Students learn to recognise their feelings and take steps to manage emotions positively.
  • Relating to others: Encourages communication about feelings and seeking support as needed.
• Curriculum Principles:
  • High expectations for all students to develop foundational self-regulation skills.
  • Inclusion of all students through scaffolded, multimodal strategies.
• Progress Outcome Reference:
  • Phase 1 (Years 0–3) focusing on thriving in environments rich in social and emotional learning, self-awareness, and vocabulary to express feelings , .

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Identify feelings that might place them in the Yellow or Red Zones (e.g., angry, frustrated, upset).
2. Practise two calming strategies:
   • Deep belly breathing
   • Counting slowly to five
3. Demonstrate these calming strategies when prompted.
4. Use simple language to express how they feel after using a calm down strategy.

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Resources

• Visual aids illustrating the Zones of Regulation (simple faces or colour zones).
• A soft toy or puppet for modelling breathing.
• Calm down corner setup (optional for demonstration).
• Chart paper or whiteboard.
• Breathing with animals video or song (optional).
• Picture cards showing numbers 1 to 5.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Welcome & focus: Brief chat with clear, simple language about feelings and the idea of feeling "too big" or "too noisy" inside (Yellow/Red Zones).
• Use visual aids: Show pictures representing calm, Yellow, and Red Zones emotions.
• Discussion: Ask students how their bodies feel when they are upset or angry. Encourage sharing and naming feelings with guided vocabulary.
• Set purpose: "Today, we will learn how to help ourselves feel calm when we feel upset."

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2. Explicit Teaching & Modelling (10 minutes)

• Introduce deep breathing:
  • Show how to breathe slowly like blowing up a big balloon.
  • Use a puppet or toy to demonstrate breathing in deeply through the nose and out through the mouth.
• Introduce counting to five:
  • Count slowly out loud from 1 to 5 using picture cards.
  • Explain that counting helps the brain slow down and feel better.
• Model combining both: Slowly breathe in while counting to five, then breathe out slowly.

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3. Guided Practice (10 minutes)

• Whole class deep breathing:
  • Guide students to follow your deep breathing and counting.
  • Repeat 3 times with calm, encouraging voice.
• Paired practice:
  • In pairs, one student leads the breathing/counting; the other follows.
  • Encourage students to use phrases: "Breathe in...1, 2, 3, 4, 5...breathe out."
• Check understanding:
  • Ask simple questions: "How do you feel after you breathe with me?" "Does your body feel quieter?"

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4. Application & Role Play (10 minutes)

• Role play scenarios: Present simple situations when a student might feel upset (e.g., waiting their turn, losing a game).
• Students practise using calm down strategies in role play.
• Use calm down corner props and encourage children to verbalise the steps.

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5. Reflection & Closure (5 minutes)

• Circle time sharing about what was learned.
• Ask each student: "What can you do to help yourself calm down?"
• Prompt use of vocabulary: breathe, count, calm, safe.
• Reinforce that everyone can use these strategies anytime they feel their feelings are too big.

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Assessment/Evaluation

• Formative Assessment:
  • Observe student participation and ability to mimic deep breathing and counting.
  • Listen for use of vocabulary related to emotions and calming.
• Teacher will:
  • Note students who can articulate or demonstrate calm down strategies independently.
  • Use observations to inform future lessons on emotional regulation and self-management.

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Teaching Considerations

• Use clear, simple language consistent with learners' vocabulary levels.
• Allow physical movement breaks within the lesson for students who find sitting still challenging.
• Incorporate visual and tactile supports to reinforce concepts.
• Acknowledge cultural diversity in emotional expression and include whānau values around wellbeing.
• Pair students strategically to provide peer support.

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Extension Ideas for Future Lessons

• Introduce other calming strategies such as squeezing a stress ball, mindful listening to sounds, or drawing feelings.
• Incorporate storytelling or role play using familiar characters experiencing strong emotions.
• Connect with literacy activities by reading books about feelings and self-regulation.

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This lesson plan integrates the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh's principles by focusing on teaching self-regulation in a developmentally appropriate way, empowering tamariki at Year 0 to recognise and manage their feelings through concrete strategies . It also promotes the key competency of managing self, fostering lifelong skills in wellbeing.

If you would like, I can also suggest specific wording/script examples or printable visuals to accompany this lesson.