Soul Shoppe's work is made possible by donors and partners who care deeply about the young people in their communities! We can't do this work without you. Support our work in classrooms and on playgrounds across the nation by donating here.
Creating a calm and focused classroom environment is essential for student success. Whether students are dealing with frustration, anxiety, or overstimulation, having structured calming activities for the classroom can help them regulate their emotions, refocus, and feel more at ease.
By incorporating mindfulness techniques, sensory strategies, and self-calming exercises, teachers can provide students with valuable tools to manage stress and stay engaged in learning. In this article, we’ll explore effective calming classroom ideas, relaxing activities for students, and structured mindfulness exercises that can easily be implemented in any classroom setting.
The Importance of Calming Strategies in the Classroom
Students experience a variety of emotions throughout the school day. Some may struggle with anxiety, others may feel anger or frustration, and many simply need moments to pause and reset. Providing calming strategies for teachers and students fosters an emotionally safe learning space while equipping children with lifelong self-regulation skills.
Benefits of Calming Activities for Kids
Reduces Classroom Stress: Simple classroom stress relief activities help students feel more at ease, leading to better focus and engagement.
Promotes Emotional Regulation: Teaching self-calming strategies for students helps them manage strong emotions and respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.
Encourages Mindfulness and Focus: Implementing a structured lesson plan on mindfulness helps students practice staying present and aware of their emotions.
Supports Sensory Needs: Many students benefit from calming sensory activities for the classroom, which help reduce overstimulation and improve concentration.
By incorporating intentional calming strategies for anxiety and anger, teachers can transform their classrooms into peaceful and supportive environments.
Mindfulness-Based Calming Activities for the Classroom
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for helping students slow down, center themselves, and build awareness of their thoughts and emotions. Below are calming activities for students that teachers can implement daily.
1. The Empty Balloon Exercise
One of the most effective calming strategies for anger and anxiety is mindful breathing. The Empty Balloon Exercise teaches students how to release tension and regulate their breathing to achieve a sense of calm.
How It Works:
Ask students to imagine they are holding a balloon in their hands.
Instruct them to take a deep breath in through their nose and slowly exhale through their mouth, as if they are filling the balloon with air.
Repeat three to five times, encouraging students to focus on their breath and feel their body relax.
This simple yet powerful exercise helps students regain control of their emotions, making it a great calming activity for anger and anxiety.
2. Guided Mindfulness Meditation
A structured lesson plan on mindfulness can include short guided meditation sessions to encourage self-awareness and emotional balance.
How to Implement:
Start the morning with a two-minute mindful breathing session to set a calm tone for the day.
Use a visualization exercise where students imagine a peaceful place and describe what they see, hear, and feel.
Have students place their hands on their stomachs and focus on their breathing, noticing how their body moves with each inhale and exhale.
Regular practice of mindfulness strengthens students’ ability to manage stress and improves their ability to focus.
Calming Sensory Strategies for the Classroom
Many students benefit from sensory breaks in the classroom, which help them regulate their energy levels and refocus. Sensory-based calming activities for kids can be especially useful for students with sensory processing needs or those who experience anxiety.
Calming Sensory Activities for the Classroom
Tactile Stress Balls: Squeezing a soft stress ball provides physical feedback that helps with emotional regulation.
Weighted Lap Pads or Stuffed Animals: These provide a grounding sensation that can help students feel safe and secure.
Calm-Down Jars: A jar filled with water and glitter can serve as a visual relaxation tool for students. Shaking the jar and watching the glitter settle can help them self-regulate.
Incorporating calming sensory strategies into daily routines ensures that students have access to tools that help them feel more at ease.
Movement-Based Calming Strategies for Students
Physical movement can also be an effective way to regulate emotions and promote relaxation. Encouraging students to engage in calming strategies helps maintain a balanced classroom atmosphere.
1. Stretching Breaks
Seated Forward Fold: Have students sit with their legs extended and gently fold forward to stretch their backs and calm their nervous system.
Butterfly Breaths: Sitting cross-legged, students gently flap their knees like butterfly wings while taking deep breaths.
Star Pose: Students stand with their arms and legs stretched wide like a star, take a deep breath, and then bring their hands to their hearts.
A short sensory break in the classroom with stretching can significantly improve focus and relaxation.
2. Walk and Reflect
Allow students to take quiet reflection walks around the classroom or hallway to reset their focus.
Encourage them to walk slowly, notice their surroundings, and take deep breaths as they move.
Pair this with reflective questions such as, “What are you feeling right now?” or “What’s something positive that happened today?”
These movement-based activities help students regulate their energy and encourages them to practice these self-calming strategies for students in a mindful way.
Using Tools of the Heart for Emotional Regulation
For a more structured approach to calming classroom ideas, Soul Shoppe’sTools of the Heart Online Course provides teachers with step-by-step guidance for integrating mindfulness and emotional regulation techniques into the classroom.
This program includes: ✔ Interactive lessons on mindfulness and emotional intelligence
✔ Guided exercises for self-calming strategies
✔ Techniques for improving classroom communication and conflict resolution
By incorporating these strategies into daily teaching, educators can provide students with the skills they need to handle stress, frustration, and overwhelm effectively.
Creating a Calm and Supportive Classroom Environment
Establishing calming classroom ideas isn’t just about individual exercises—it’s about fostering an overall sense of peace and emotional well-being. Here are additional ways teachers can promote classroom stress-relief activities:
Set the Tone with a Peaceful Classroom Design – Use soft lighting, neutral colors, and minimal distractions to create a calm atmosphere.
Encourage Open Conversations About Emotions – Normalize discussions about feelings and self-care to build emotional intelligence.
Implement Daily Mindfulness Practices – Incorporate a short breathing exercise, gratitude reflection, or movement break into each school day.
Offer a Designated Calm-Down Space – Set up a quiet area where students can go to practice self-calming strategies for students when they need a break.
By prioritizing mindfulness and emotional regulation, educators can help students develop lifelong skills for managing stress and fostering well-being.
Bring More Calm to Your Classroom Today
Providing students with effective calming activities for the classroom is essential for creating a focused and emotionally balanced learning environment. By integrating mindfulness techniques, movement-based relaxation, and calming sensory strategies, educators can give students the tools they need to succeed.
Empathy is one of the most powerful skills a student can develop. It enhances communication, strengthens relationships, and creates a supportive learning environment where students feel seen and valued. When teachers focus on empathy in the classroom, they help shape a generation of compassionate, understanding individuals who can navigate diverse perspectives and challenges with kindness.
This article explores the importance of empathy in the classroom, provides actionable strategies for teaching empathy, and includes engaging empathy activities for elementary students. We’ll also highlight Soul Shoppe’s programs that provide teachers with the tools to foster a more connected and emotionally aware classroom environment.
The Importance of Empathy in Child Development
Empathy is more than just understanding someone else’s feelings—it’s the ability to connect with emotions and respond with kindness and care. The importance of empathy in child development cannot be overstated. Research shows that students with strong empathy skills are better at resolving conflicts, working in teams, and forming meaningful relationships.
When empathy is integrated into teaching and learning, it leads to:
Improved Peer Relationships: Students practice kindness, making classrooms more inclusive.
Stronger Conflict Resolution Skills: Understanding different perspectives helps students navigate disagreements peacefully.
Higher Emotional Intelligence: Children who learn to recognize and process emotions develop better self-regulation and problem-solving skills.
A More Positive Learning Environment: Empathy fosters a sense of belonging, reducing bullying and exclusion.
Schools that prioritize empathy education create compassionate environments where students thrive both academically and socially.
Can You Teach Empathy in the Classroom?
Teachers play a critical role in modeling and encouraging empathy. Whether through daily interactions, structured lessons, or immersive activities, teaching empathy in the classroom helps students develop emotional awareness and social responsibility.
1. Modeling Empathy in Teaching
Students learn by example. Teachers who practice empathy in teaching demonstrate active listening, patience, and understanding in their daily interactions. Some ways to model empathy include:
Acknowledging students’ emotions and responding with care.
Encouraging students to share their thoughts and feelings without judgment.
Using positive language and reinforcing kind behavior.
2. Encouraging Empathy Through Storytelling
Stories provide powerful examples of empathy in the classroom by allowing students to see the world from different perspectives. Reading books that feature diverse characters and experiences helps children understand feelings that might differ from their own.
Some empathy learning strategies using storytelling include:
Discussing how characters feel and what they might be experiencing.
Asking students to relate a character’s struggles to their own lives.
Encouraging students to rewrite a story’s ending to include a more compassionate response.
Programs like Soul Shoppe’sTools of the Heart Online Course provide additional structured resources to help integrate empathy in schools through storytelling and real-life applications.
3. Using Empathy Scenarios for Students
Role-playing and real-life empathy scenarios for students help them practice seeing situations from different perspectives. Here are some examples:
Scenario 1: A student sees a classmate sitting alone at lunch. How can they show empathy and include them?
Scenario 2: A friend forgets their homework and is feeling stressed. How can another student respond with kindness?
Scenario 3: A group project isn’t going well because one student is feeling unheard. What can the team do to make sure everyone’s voice is valued?
These exercises help reinforce how to foster empathy and encourage students to take compassionate actions in real-life situations.
Teaching Empathy Activities for Elementary Classrooms
Engaging, interactive activities can make teaching empathy more tangible for students. Below are some hands-on teaching empathy activities that teachers can incorporate into their lesson plans.
1. The Kindness Chain
Each student writes down an act of kindness they performed or received on a paper strip. As the strips are linked together, the class visually sees how their empathetic actions create a connected, caring environment.
2. Partner Perspective Sharing
Pair students and have them discuss a time they felt frustrated, excited, or nervous. Their partner must reflect on what they heard and share a similar experience, reinforcing active listening and emotional understanding.
3. Peace Path Conflict Resolution
Using thePeace Path, students can learn structured ways to navigate disagreements. This tool provides a step-by-step process for resolving conflicts while encouraging students to consider each other’s feelings and work together on solutions.
4. The Empathy Jar
Students write down moments when they saw or experienced empathy, then place them in a class “Empathy Jar.” At the end of the week, the class reviews and celebrates examples of kindness and compassion.
5. Respect Differences Discussion
As part of a larger conversation about empathy education, teachers can introduce lessons from Soul Shoppe’sRespect Differences program. Activities from this curriculum help students understand and celebrate diversity while practicing empathy for people with different backgrounds and experiences.
Empathy Training for Teachers: Tools for Educators
To successfully implement empathy learning, teachers need the right tools and resources. Soul Shoppe offers structured programs designed to help educators bring empathy in the classroom to life.
1. Peacemaker School Training
ThePeacemaker Trainer Certification provides teachers with skills and strategies to foster conflict resolution, social awareness, and emotional intelligence in students. This program helps schools build a strong foundation for empathy education and compassionate leadership.
Educators looking for additional materials can explore Soul Shoppe’sWhat’s New Blog, where they’ll find articles, tips, and activities focused on how to teach empathy in engaging and meaningful ways.
3. Planet Peace
ThePlanet Peace curriculum provides structured lessons on SEL topics, including conflict resolution, kindness, and teaching empathy in the classroom. This program helps reinforce empathy learning through interactive storytelling and community-building exercises.
The Lasting Impact of Empathy in Schools
Fostering empathy in schools creates a more supportive, inclusive, and emotionally intelligent learning environment. When students practice how to foster empathy, they become more understanding, patient, and connected to those around them.
By implementing teaching empathy activities, using empathy scenarios for students, and modeling empathy in teaching, educators lay the groundwork for lifelong emotional and social success.
Start Teaching Empathy in the Classroom Today
Soul Shoppe’s SEL curriculum for elementary schools provides everything educators need to successfully integrate empathy in the classroom. Whether through structured curriculums, teacher training, or hands-on activities, these tools help shape classrooms where students feel safe, respected, and connected.
Explore Soul Shoppe’sempathy-building programs today and create a classroom culture that prioritizes understanding, kindness, and emotional growth.
A positive teacher-student relationship is the cornerstone of a supportive and effective learning environment. When teachers and students connect meaningfully, it fosters trust, mutual respect, and open communication. These relationships create a foundation where students feel safe, valued, and empowered to succeed both academically and emotionally.
This article will explore the importance of teacher-student relationships, the key elements of a strong teacher-and-student relationship, and actionable strategies to build inclusive and safe spaces that nurture these bonds.
Why Positive Teacher-Student Relationships Matter
The importance of teacher-student relationships goes beyond classroom performance. Research shows that students who have strong connections with their teachers are more likely to engage in their learning, show improved behavior, and experience better emotional well-being. A meaningful student and teacher relationship contributes to:
Increased Academic Engagement: Students are more motivated to participate in their education when they feel supported and understood by their teachers.
Improved Emotional Well-Being: Strong relationships provide students with a sense of security and belonging, reducing anxiety and stress.
Better Social Skills: Teachers can model and reinforce respectful communication, collaboration, and empathy, shaping how students interact with their peers.
Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces
Building a positive teacher-student relationship begins with creating safe, inclusive environments where all students feel welcomed and respected. Teachers can do this by fostering diversity, promoting anti-bullying initiatives, and integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into their classrooms.
1. Addressing Bullying and Promoting Kindness
Anti-bullying programs, such as Soul Shoppe’s Free to Be Online Course, empower students and teachers to recognize and respond to bullying behaviors. By actively addressing bullying, teachers demonstrate their commitment to creating a safe and compassionate environment.
2. Embracing Diversity and Respecting Differences
A classroom that celebrates diversity strengthens the teacher-student relationship by ensuring every student feels seen and valued. Soul Shoppe’s Respect Differences Program equips educators with tools to teach empathy, acceptance, and respect for cultural differences.
3. Integrating Social Emotional Learning
SEL programs, like Soul Shoppe’s Tools of the Heart Online Course, provide teachers with strategies to enhance emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication skills in students. These skills are essential for cultivating healthy teacher-student relationships and supporting students’ overall growth.
Key Elements of a Positive Teacher-Student Relationship
To build a positive teacher-student relationship, educators can focus on the following key elements:
Mutual Respect: Show students their voices matter by listening actively and validating their experiences. This reinforces the importance of teacher-student relationships built on trust and mutual understanding.
Consistent Communication: Open lines of communication help students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas.
Empathy and Understanding: Take the time to understand students’ backgrounds, strengths, and challenges. Empathy fosters stronger connections and reduces barriers to learning.
Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge students’ efforts and celebrate their achievements to build confidence and a sense of belonging.
Practical Strategies for Building Positive Teacher-Student Relationships
Start Each Day with Connection: Greet students warmly, ask how they’re feeling, and create an inviting atmosphere that promotes open communication.
Personalize Learning Experiences: Tailor lessons and interactions to meet individual students’ needs and interests. This shows students that you care about their success.
Use Collaborative Activities: Encourage teamwork and peer learning to foster camaraderie among students while strengthening the teacher-student relationship.
Encourage Student Voices: Involve students in decision-making and provide opportunities for them to express their ideas and opinions.
The Lasting Impact of Teacher-Student Relationships
When educators invest in building positive teacher-student relationships, the benefits extend far beyond the classroom. Students carry the lessons of respect, empathy, and effective communication into their future relationships and communities. Strong student and teacher relationships can transform a classroom into a place of inspiration, growth, and lifelong learning.
By prioritizing the importance of teacher-student relationships and creating inclusive spaces, teachers play a vital role in shaping well-rounded, confident, and compassionate individuals.
Build Stronger Connections with Soul Shoppe
Soul Shoppe’s innovative programs provide educators with the tools to create safe and inclusive environments that strengthen teacher and student relationships. Explore theFree to Be,Respect Differences, and Tools of the Heart curriculums to equip your classroom with resources that foster meaningful relationships and emotional well-being.
Let’s work together to create classrooms where teachers and students thrive.
On June 7, 2022, from 6 – 7 pm PDT, join us for inspiration as we honor Peacemaker legend Dolores Huerta, President and Founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and visionary Peacemaker Angel Acosta, PhD, ground-breaking leader of the new philosophy of healing-centered education.
Dolores Huerta, Founder & President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF), is a world-renowned civil rights activist and community organizer. She has worked for labor rights and social justice for over 50 years. In 1962, she and Cesar Chavez founded the United Farm Workers union.
Ms. Huerta is a two-time US Presidential Award Recipient; she received the Medal of Freedom Award from President Obama in 2012, the highest civilian award in the United States, and the Eleanor D. Roosevelt Human Rights Award from President Clinton in 1998.
Dr. Acosta is the founder of “Healing-Centered Education” and is currently the Director of the Garrison Institute’s Fellowship Program. Angel Acosta has worked tirelessly to bridge the fields of leadership, social justice, and mindfulness.
We will also honor Bay Area Peacemaker champions:
Peacemaker Administrator, Stephanie Martinez, from Jefferson Elementary School District, Daly City, CA
The Student Peacemaker Team from James Franklin Smith Elementary, San Jose, CA
Peacemaker Trainers from John F. Kennedy Elementary, Daly CIty, CA
Soul Shoppe’s Peacemaker Awards 2022 is a free, virtual event. Please register so we can send you the zoom link.
In just one hour, event attendees can take a significant step toward peace, honor Peacemakers, learn more about conflict resolution for kids, and help Soul Shoppe bring more fun, safety, and peace to kids and playgrounds everywhere.
A recent graduate of our Peacemaker Trainer Certification inspired us with this vision:
“Our vision for the school is for all the students and teachers to use Soul Shoppe and to use the tools such as the I Message and The Clean Up. We do see the power of using the I Message across all the grade levels. We believe if we continue to use the vocabulary in kindergarten the kids will be well versed by the time they get to 5th grade. And then when they go to middle school and high school they can model the ‘correct’ way of solving problems, thus teaching the kids that weren’t part of Jefferson that the tools can be used and will become woven into the San Leandro community.”
– Marilia Dos Santos, Kindergarten Teacher and Peacemaker Trainer, Jefferson Elementary
We learn by doing. It’s true of everyone, especially children. And for certain things, behavioral learning is the most effective way to learn. Skills that depend on data and knowledge, such as mathematics, can start with data and theory, which might get strengthened with practice. Emotionally dependent skills, such as self-esteem, may be better suited for an activity, and an experience-based learning environment for the lessons to land.
Life experiences are the sources of self-esteem. Children want to feel included in communities, and experiences of rejection or acceptance into communities dramatically impact their sense of self-esteem. There are any number of reasons children might feel accepted or rejected by their peers. Children might highlight differences between each other, or affirm similarities. Some children may make decisions based on observations of what they see in the world, such as self-identifying that they are different. This may lead them to make judgments about themselves without any direct interactions. So many factors contribute to the development of self-esteem that educators can never anticipate all of them.
Self-esteem is among the most important factors in the development of any child. Good self-esteem can be the determining factor in the long-term success of a child, while damaged self-esteem can leave children struggling for the rest of their lives.
For these reasons, it’s imperative to include worthwhile self-esteem-building group activities into educational curriculum.
Self-Esteem Group Activities for Youth
Group activities are excellent for building self-esteem in children. Though it’s not the only deciding factor in developing self-esteem, community integration has a powerful determining effect on developing self-esteem.
Cultivating confidence that it’s safe to express feelings aloud.
Recognizing there are people out there with the same fears.
All the students in the class write down something they’re afraid of. Then there’s an open discussion where the question is posed, “What would it be like if that happened?” It can be helpful to adopt an attitude that if the fear came to pass, it might not be as bad as anticipated.
The Gratitude Journal
Creating a habit of looking for good things happening around them encourages children to look for positive aspects of themselves. For this activity, every child has a designated journal for this purpose. On a weekly basis, they are encouraged to write positive things they notice about other people. Then, two or three times every month, have a discussion with the whole class on the highlights from their gratitude journals.
Positive Rephrasing
In this activity, children will say their statements of self-challenge. Things like, “I am a bad writer,” or “I don’t have a lot of friends.” Then the student rephrases the statements into more positive statements. I.e. “I come up with creative ideas when I write” or “I have a great best friend.”
What are Good Traits Discussion
For this activity, students write down traits that they consider “good.” I.e. Good at sports–funny–kind–etc. After making the list, have a discussion in class about the traits. What do these traits look like in a person? How do you cultivate them?
Cooperative Boardgames
Games are fun, and they can either encourage individual conflict, or they can be tools for developing cooperation and a sense of being a valued part of the community. Play board games, and put children into small teams so that they can cooperate on decisions and work together.
Write the End Goal
It can be frustrating being a child. Children can have trouble feeling certain about having any agency in their own lives. With this activity, children write down outcomes they would like to see in their lives. Treating a child’s plans seriously affirms their sense that their actions and thoughts matter.
How to Build Self-Esteem in Students
In the end, there are a lot of potential self-esteem group activities that encourage growth. Determining which ones are best to choose will depend on the educators, the students, and many other factors. Take into consideration factors that contribute to self-esteem when creating activities. Factors such as…
Definitions–who am I? What does that say about me?
Relationships–who am I in my relationships? How do they change me?
Accomplishments–what do I do well? How have I shown improvement? And, alternately, do I wish to change any of my habits?
Self-esteem is complicated, but the factors contributing to positive self-esteem tend toward common experiences. If that’s true, then it’s possible to create environments that encourage improved self-esteem.
Soul Shoppe is a social emotional learning company. For more than twenty years they’ve been devoted to creating tools and empowering educators of all stripes to incorporate emotional intelligence into their curricula. Their strategies are effective in encouraging empathy and emotional awareness in children. Through these strategies and their Peacemaker Program they help decrease conflicts in playgrounds across the country. Click for more information on SEL Programs for Elementary Schools.
A structured lesson plan on mindfulness can include short guided meditation sessions to encourage self-awareness and emotional balance.
To build a 
