Creative Sprout Calm Down Cards – 12 Visual Self-Regulation Activities

🦁 Breathe like a lion. Trace a lazy 8. Find five things you can see.

Big feelings are hard to think through, and words are often the first thing to go. The Creative Sprout Calm Down Cards give children something to look at and do instead: 12 illustrated activity cards, each showing one simple way to slow down, breathe and come back to calm. Pick a card, follow the picture, and try it together.

What they look and feel like
These aren't flimsy flashcards. Each card is thick 350gsm board with rounded corners and a soft matt finish that feels smooth under small fingers and doesn't throw glare under classroom lights. The colours are warm and muted (terracotta, mustard, sage and blush) rather than bright and busy, so the cards are easy on the eyes for children who are already overloaded. Several cards are made to be touched: trace around your hand on the 5 Finger Breathing card, or run a finger along the Lazy 8 track, breathing in on one loop and out on the other. Pairing a finger path with the breath gives children a physical rhythm to follow, which many find easier than "just take a deep breath". Everything packs away into an organic cotton drawstring bag that's soft, quiet and easy to grab.

What's inside: 12 activity cards

• Breathe: 5 Finger Breathing, Lion's Breath, Lazy 8 Breathing, Flower Breathing
• Count and move: Calm Down Count Down, Yoga Pose (Downward Facing Dog)
• Notice and ground: Ground Yourself with 5 Senses, Mindful Scavenger Hunt
• Name and express: My Emotions Wheel, Draw or Colour What Your Feelings Look Like, When Someone Is Bugging Me… I Can Say
• Ideas: Calm Down Activity Ideas

How to use them

• Practise the activities when your child is already calm, so they're familiar before they're needed
• Keep the set in a calm corner, sensory space or bag, and let your child choose a card when feelings start to rise
• Lay out two or three cards as a visual choice board for children who find choosing hard
• Do the activity alongside your child: co-regulation comes before self-regulation
• Stand a card up as a visual reminder in the classroom or at home

Perfect for:

• Calm corners at home, in classrooms and early learning centres
• Visual learners and children who find spoken instructions hard during big feelings
• Children with autism, ADHD or sensory processing differences who benefit from visual supports
• OTs, psychologists, teachers and support workers who want a ready-made visual prompt set
• Bedtime wind-down, transitions and after-school decompression

Specifications

• 12 illustrated activity cards, A6 (105 x 148 mm)
• 350gsm card stock, rounded corners, protective matt celloglaze
• Comes in an organic cotton drawstring bag
• Recommended age: 3 years and over, with adult guidance
• Brand: The Creative Sprout. Designed and printed in Australia

Please note: the wooden card stand shown in some photos is for display only and is not included.

Care
Wipe clean with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Keep away from water and direct sun. Store in the drawstring bag to keep the corners neat.

⚠️ Adult supervision recommended. Keep the drawstring bag away from babies and toddlers, and never place the cord around the neck.

These cards are a visual prompt for practising calming and coping strategies. They are not a treatment or a medical device, and they won't stop every meltdown. If your child has a medical, emotional or sensory processing diagnosis, please talk to a qualified occupational therapist or psychologist about which strategies suit them.