When a child’s emotions suddenly feel too big to manage, this colourful coping poster offers a simple sequence they can follow in the moment. It uses the image of waves to help children understand that strong feelings rise, peak and pass, while giving them practical calming steps to try.
Parents, carers, primary school teachers, pastoral staff and child therapists supporting children with anxiety, anger or overwhelm will find this feelings regulation poster particularly relevant. Designed for younger children who benefit from clear visual prompts, it can also support neurodivergent children who need a predictable emotional coping routine.
The poster introduces the idea that feelings can sometimes feel small and sometimes huge, but that children can learn to “surf” the wave rather than stop it. Six numbered steps guide the child through stopping and noticing what they feel in their body, naming the emotion, breathing slowly, using a helpful tool, riding out the feeling and being kind to themselves.
Examples make each stage concrete: the naming prompt includes mad, sad, scared, worried and frustrated, while the tools section suggests drawing, writing, squeezing, moving, listening to music, talking or taking a break. The breathing reminder asks children to breathe in through their nose and out through their mouth, making it suitable for a calm-down corner, sensory space or home bedroom wall.
Adults can print the poster for use during emotional check-ins, after a difficult incident, or as part of a child’s anxiety management plan. Its final reassurance reminds children that all feelings are OK, asking for help is acceptable and they are stronger than they think, alongside the encouraging phrase, “I can handle this.”
