Quiet Corner, Zen Zone, or Comfort Cove — whatever you choose to call this space in your classroom, you want it to be a place where students can take a few moments to relax, calm their senses, and regulate their emotions. Once you have a plan in place to create this special spot, it’s time to stock it with soothing sensory tools. Keep reading to find the list of the most popular items found in classroom calming corners.
Top 3 fidgets
Fidgets have exploded in popularity over the last couple of years, making their way from the counselor’s office into the classroom, where they provide a positive outlet for students’ restlessness. When used appropriately, these small items can provide a nondisruptive outlet for excess energy or nervous habits and help bring attention back to the learning task.
Rainbow Pom Ball: This soft, stretchy ball keeps hands occupied and helps to calm minds. It also doubles as a safe way to play interactive games in the classroom where students toss a ball to the next person to answer a question.
Mini Sensory Twist and Turn Set: These three fidgets keep students’ hands busy with endless twisting loops.
Nasco Silly Sensory Kit: Toss ‘em, stretch ‘em, catch ‘em, bounce ‘em … there’s tons of fun in this tub of 12 silly sensory manipulatives.
Top 3 deep pressure tools
Researchers have found that deep-touch pressure, such as a weighted blanket provides, can trigger the release of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which can help alleviate anxiety and promote feelings of comfort. This comforting pressure can also help children regulate sensory input by reducing sensory overload. And for some children, using a weighted blanket can increase focus and attention by providing a comforting and grounding sensation, allowing them to concentrate better.
Weighted Lap Pad: This lap pad is the ideal size for any student and can be easily sanitized in a washing machine.
Weighted Monkey Lap Pad: The perfect companion for fidgety students, this friendly monkey offers weighted pressure and tactile surfaces to keep fingers busy and minds focused.
Bouncyband® Soft Fleece Weighted Blanket: The gentle, deep-touch pressure of this weighted blanket feels like a warm, soothing hug and helps students feel more secure.
Top 3 sensory tools
Sensory tools can provide a controlled and predictable sensory experience for students who struggle with overstimulation. When used proactively in environments where you anticipate a student will feel overstimulated, they can act as a preventive measure, reducing the likelihood of the student reaching overwhelming sensory thresholds. In turn, this leads to fewer behavior problems in the classroom.
Sensory Liquid Motion Bubble Set: Just flip these handheld devices over to experience the soothing view of colored bubbles slowly moving from top to bottom.
Gel Floor Tiles: Almost every student will be captivated by the visual appeal and squishy hands-on experience of these gel tiles.
Hamilton Buhl™ Noise-Canceling Dual-Use Headphones: These specially designed headphones reduce harmful and annoying low-frequency sounds in noisy environments, and they can also be used as regular headphones.
Top 3 active seating options
Integrating sensory experiences into the seating in your calming corner is a great way to provide instant relief to dysregulated students. Active seating offers movement that provides a calming effect, helping to reduce stress or anxiety levels. This provides a comfortable learning environment that’s more conducive to learning.
Bouncyband® Wiggle Seat Little Sensory Cushion: This portable cushion is a classroom favorite and is designed to let students move quietly and expel excess energy while seated.
American Plastic Toys Scoop Rockers: The gentle rocking movement students experience in these chairs has calming capabilities.
Kids Kore™ Wobble Chair: This innovative wobble chair increases secondary focus by allowing continuous movement while sitting.
Looking for an all-in-one option?
If you want to create a quiet space in your classroom but don’t have time to search for a variety of tools, look for options that come ready to use right out of the box, such as these popular kits:
Nasco Calming Corner Deluxe Kit: This deluxe kit includes soothing supplies bundled together to help students practice self-management, including a black-out tent that reduces sensory input, tactile manipulatives, wiggle cushions, weighted pillows, and art supplies.
Calm Caterpillar® Calm Down Corner Kit: With the tools in this calm down corner kit, students will learn to identify emotions and practice self-regulation, which helps them rejoin the rest of the class sooner. The kit includes the innovative Calmee the Caterpillar Deep-Breathing Tool, a meditation cushion, a breathing ball, an emotions poster, flashcards, and a curriculum guide.
No matter which tools you choose, establishing a calming corner in your classroom will help your students feel like they have a safe space to manage their emotions. And students who are given the space to practice emotional regulation have the tools they need to be ready to learn!