Calm Jars To Help With Anxiety

At some point, every growing child struggles with big feelings. Whether they’re worried, scared, frustrated, or angry, they often don’t have the language or coping skills to deal with these kinds of emotions. As a registered play therapist, I help children work through these feelings using art, games, and toys to express, cope with, and heal from emotional pain or trauma. Here’s a simple craft you can make at home to help your little one deal with big feelings:

A “Calm Jar” is a jar filled with warm water, glue, glitter, and sequins. If children are feeling overwhelmed, they can swirl the jar and take deep breaths as they watch the pieces of glitter fall. This gives their body time to regulate their heartbeat and helps them slow down their feelings and their thoughts.

To make a calm jar, all you need is a jar with a lid (plastic or glass), some hot water, glitter glue, food coloring, and more glitter. Fill the jar with hot water, then add 2-3 tablespoons of glue. Shake the jar until the glue dissolves, then add two tablespoons of glitter and a few drops of food coloring before shaking it again. Your calm jar is ready to go!

Calm jars can be used at home or in the classroom. And while they’re primarily meant for children, even adults may find them to be a useful tool to help them modulate their anxious feelings.

Click here to see a video of how to make a calm jar.