Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Recipe for a Calm Me: Free Printable Craft Activity for Reception
- ForReception
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Recipe for a Calm Me is a free printable craft activity for Reception (ages 4 to 5) in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children tick three calming ingredients, then draw or glue them into a mixing bowl. They finish by drawing their face when they feel calm. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children meet a list of calming ingredients, each one a simple idea they can picture or act out. They tick the three they like best. Then they fill a mixing bowl by drawing or gluing their chosen ingredients inside. The last box is for a self portrait: a drawing of their face when they feel calm. A grown up can scribe what the child says.
- A big cuddle
- A drink of water
- A slow breath in and out
- My favourite song
- A quiet cosy corner
- My mixing bowl: draw or glue my 3 ingredients
- Me when I feel calm: draw my face
Make your calm bowl
Choose with care
Read each ingredient aloud and act it out together. Let your child tick three that feel right for them. There is no best choice, so let them decide.
Fill the bowl
Draw each chosen ingredient inside the bowl, or glue in small pictures. Pictures can come from old magazines or from your child's own drawings. An adult can tear or cut them out.
Give it a stir
Pretend to stir the bowl with a spoon or a finger. Say each ingredient as it goes in. The slow, steady stirring is calming in itself.
Draw the calm face
Ask your child to think of a time they felt calm. Then they draw their face in the last box. Add a few words if they want to tell you about it.
Why a recipe for feeling calm?
Young children often feel big emotions before they have the words for them. Anger, worry and excitement can arrive fast and feel very large. Adults can help by naming the feeling, staying close and offering simple ways to settle. A recipe is a familiar idea for four and five year olds, so it gives them a friendly way to think about choosing what helps.
Different things calm different children. One child likes a squeeze, another likes quiet, another likes music. This sheet does not tell children what to pick. They choose three ingredients and put them in their own bowl, so the plan belongs to them. A child who has chosen a calming idea may find it easier to remember and ask for it later.
Skills and curriculum link
- Naming feelings
- Choosing calming ideas
- Making a personal plan
- Talking about big feelings
- Drawing and mark making
- Making choices
Helping children talk about calm
- Name the feeling firstA child who can say "cross" or "worried" is already part way to managing it. Offer a word if they cannot find one.
- Calm is not the same for everyoneSome children settle with movement, others with quiet. Accept their choices, even if they differ from yours.
- Practise when things are peacefulTry the ingredients when your child is already relaxed. They are easier to use later if they are familiar.
- Show it yourselfSay aloud when you use a calming idea, such as "I feel cross, so I am taking a slow breath." Children learn a lot by watching.
Key words
- CalmFeeling quiet and settled inside, with a slow body and a peaceful mind.
- FeelingWhat you notice inside you, such as happy, sad, cross or worried.
- Big feelingA strong feeling that can be hard to manage on your own.
- IngredientOne of the things you put into a recipe.
- RecipeA list that shows what to put in to make something.
- BreatheTake air in and let it out again.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read each ingredient aloud and act it out. Do a slow breath together, or pretend to hug a teddy.
- Let your child tick three ingredients. Ask why they chose them.
- Help them draw or glue the three ingredients into the bowl, then draw their calm face in the last box.
- Come back to the sheet another day. Ask which ingredient they would like to try next time they have a big feeling.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Offer only three choices and act each one out together. Let your child pick from those. Scribe what they say about their bowl, so they can talk without worrying about drawing or writing. Keep the pace gentle and praise every choice.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to add a fourth ingredient of their own and draw it in the bowl. Then ask them to tell a friend or grown up when they might use it. Talk about what the ingredient looks, sounds or feels like.
Make it a game
Pretend to stir a giant bowl together. Each child names one calm ingredient and drops it in with an action. Stir slowly, then take a breath together. Go round the circle until every child has added one.
Talk about it
- Which ingredient did you pick first, and why?
- When might you use a big cuddle?
- What does a slow breath feel like in your tummy?
- Where is a quiet cosy corner at home or at school?
- How does your body feel when you are calm?
- What would you add to your bowl that is not on the list?
Take it off the page
Calm jar
Fill a clear plastic bottle with water, a little glitter and a drop of washing up liquid. Seal it tightly with an adult. Shake it, then watch the glitter settle while you breathe slowly.
Cosy corner
Build a small quiet space with cushions and a blanket. Add a book and a soft toy. Talk about when your child might like to go there.
Breathing with a toy
Lie down with a small soft toy on your tummy. Breathe in and watch it rise. Breathe out and watch it fall.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Keep it relaxed and follow their choices. It also works well as a quiet moment together before bed.
Teachers
Use it as a circle time follow up, a PSHE starter, a table activity or a calm settling task. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Keep the finished bowls to make a class display of calming ideas.
Home educators
Pair it with a story about feelings, a walk outdoors or a game of slow breathing. The sheet is free to print again, so younger and older children can each make their own bowl.
Where this fits in learning
Before this sheet, children start by noticing and naming simple feelings such as happy, sad and cross. They also begin to see that other people feel things too. This links to the self regulation strand of Personal, Social and Emotional Development in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
After it, children can build a bigger set of calming ideas and begin to say what helps them in different situations. In Year 1 they continue to talk about feelings and how to look after themselves. The bowl they make here is a good starting point for those conversations.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Recipe for a Calm Me for?
It is written for Reception, ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children can join in with a grown up, and older children can use it with the stretch idea on page 2.
- What will children practise?
Children practise naming feelings, choosing calming ideas and making a personal plan. They talk about big feelings in a gentle way, and they make their own choices rather than copying anyone else.
- How do I use it?
Read each ingredient aloud with an action. Let your child tick three, then draw or glue them into the mixing bowl. Finish by drawing a calm face. Work through it together the first time and talk about each choice.
- What if it feels too hard?
Offer only three choices and act each one out together. Scribe what your child says about their bowl so they do not need to write. Keep it short, and come back to it another day.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another class group, so everyone can make their own bowl.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a circle time follow up, a starter, a table activity or a calm task. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add their own colour with pencils or crayons, or glue in coloured pictures if they would like to.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.