Calm-Down Choice Board
Each student rates their arousal level from 1 to 10 and chooses, from four corners with task cards, the calm-down technique that fits best: breathing, stretching, self-massage, or mindfulness. It builds self-regulation and decision-making about personal well-being.
How to play
- Set up four corners, each with a cone and an instruction card: 4-6 breathing, full-body stretch, shoulder self-massage, and listening to sounds.
- Each student silently rates their energy and stress from 1 to 10 and remembers the number (1 min).
- Pick a corner and follow its card for 3 minutes without talking.
- At a soft whistle, re-rate yourself and move to a different corner for another 3 minutes.
- Wrap-up discussion: which technique lowered your number the most, and when in your day would you use it? (3 min).
Rules
- Choose freely; don't just follow your friends.
- Silence in the corners, with a maximum of 8 people per corner.
- Follow the safety notes on each card.
Variations
Easier
Use only two corners and a single 4-minute round.
Standard
Do two 3-minute rounds in different corners.
Harder
Have each student log their ratings for several weeks and pick their go-to technique for test days.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: every card includes a seated version.
- Autism: preview the order with a visual schedule and allow staying in one corner.
- Visual impairment: large-print cards and corners set along the wall for easy orientation.
Learning goals
- Assess your own energy and stress level.
- Independently choose the relaxation technique that works best for you.
- Compare different cool-down strategies.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cards: 4
- cones: 4
Teacher tip
Laminate the cards so you can reuse them all year. If a corner fills up, have students wait 1 minute breathing by the cone before joining.
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