Instructions

Choose Your Space

The first step to creating a calm down corner is choosing the right spot. If you can, involve your child in picking the perfect calm down spot.

It doesn't technically need to be a corner, but I prefer using a corner.

The space you use should be somewhere in the general living area of your home. Your calm down corner will not be used for time-out or punishment, so it shouldn't isolate your child.

We started with an empty corner - actually it wasn't empty at first. My desk, chair, computers, etc. were there. I moved them to another room to create an ideal area for the kids.

This corner is in the back of our dining room. It's on the main level of our open concept home, so it's not isolating but it does offer a bit of privacy from the living room where siblings often are playing.

Make it Comfortable

When your child takes a time-in in their calm down corner, they need to be able to get comfortable.

Use a soft mat or interlinking foam flooring, and seating such as a bean bag chair so your child has a comfortable spot to sit or lay.

I purchased this stuffed toy storage chair from Amazon. Then I filled it up with multiple items, it holds a lot. So, I stuffed it with plush toys, old blankets, and old clothes that the kids don't wear.

It's comfortable and quite heavy so the kids can't lug it all over the house.

Hang Your Posters & Decorate

The time-in toolkit comes with six posters to include in your calm-down corner.

Their guide will offer several different recommended layouts for the posters. We changed ours just slightly from their recommended corner layout so I could incorporate some deep breathing prompts as well.

The time-in tool kit comes with double-sided tape, so you can easily hang them without damaging the wall. They can also be framed and hung.

However, the posters are all nicely laminated and high quality if you aren't ready to invest in frames.

I decorated the corner with some extra wall decals I purchased from our local dollar store. You can decorate any way you like to make the area inviting to your child.

Set up a Calm Down Kit

A calm-down kit is just a container containing small toys, sensory activities, and fidgets that your child can use in the corner to help them self-regulate.

I made sure there were items in the kit that my kids could use that matched the ideas on the "My Calming Strategies" poster.

These included things like scented markers, a stress ball, squishy toys, puzzles, coloring pages, favorite books, stuffed animals, calm-down glitter jars, etc.

The time-in toolkit even includes a printable "Time-In Tools" label for your container.

Check out my list of27 ideas for a calm-down kit  here to get some inspiration.

Great Work!

Your calm down corner is complete, and you're now ready to begin introducing the activities and the concept of time-in to your child.