Sharla Kostelyk

Timon Inspired Lion King Slime

Timon is a meerkat from the Lion King movie. Timon is known for his love of bugs and most especially, grubs. This Timon inspired Lion King Slime will quickly be a favourite for kids who are a fan of the movie. This beloved character is pretty cute, even if he does eat bugs!

Timon Inspired Lion King Slime Recipe:

5 oz. clear glue*
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp. contact solution (use a buffered contact lens saline solution)
plastic bugs
Timon mini figurine or cake pick

*A note about the glue: I find that when making slime, Elmers school glue works best. I’ve tried other glues and the results haven’t been as predictable as they are when I use Elmers for my slime. Instructions:

In a bowl, pour 5 oz. of clear glue.
Add 1/2 cup of water. Mix until the glue has broken up and is incorporated well in the water.
Mix 1/2 cup baking soda in. Baking soda will help determine your slime’s thickness.
Add 1 Tbsp. of contact solution. Mix. The slime will be ready to knead when the slime pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Contact solution is what makes the stickiness of the slime.
Knead the slime. It will be too sticky at first. Just keep kneading it! If you have to, you can add a drop or two more of the contact solution, but be careful not to over-activate.
Once your slime has formed, you can add your bugs and knead them inside.
Place the Timon figure in or on the slime.
Store the slime in an airtight container when not playing with it.

Slime is a great sensory play material. It allows for visual, tactile, and proprioceptive feedback. It can be an effective calming tool when used for proprioception. Ideas for doing this include:

stretching
pulling
kneading
pressing, pushing
squishing

Check out these other fun slime recipes:

Minnie Mouse Slime

Unicorn Fluffy Slime

Rainbow Confetti Party Slime

Insect Sensory Bin with Pasta

By Sharla Kostelyk

This Insect Sensory Bin is a great addition to a preschool unit on insects or Spring. It has a variety of textures and colours. This adds to both the visual and tactile sensory experiences.

We used this sensory bin while studying insects in our homeschool. The kids enjoyed playing in it. The green rice looks like grass and made us look forward to Spring.

My kids were quite surprised that there was a pasta shaped like insects! We used some of the pasta for the sensory bin and cooked the rest for lunch. This created a gustatory (taste) sensory experience for them as well.This particular sensory bin was one of the ones we had made in our sensory bin swap. That meant that when the kids and I got to the insect unit in our science, I could easily just dump the contents of the bag into a bin and voila!

Insect Sensory Bin:

rice dyed green*
insect shaped dry pasta
toy bugs
stretchy insects
spiders (see note below on spiders)

*you can find a tutorial on how to dye rice for sensory play here.

Bug Shaped Pasta Stretchy Bugs Plastic Bugs and Arachnids

A note about the dyed rice:

When you’re finished using this sensory bin, you can store the green rice in a resealable plastic bag. The green rice makes a nice sensory bin base for a lot of different themes because it looks like grass. You can also use it inside sensory bottles or bags.

Spiders are not insects:

Yes, I know that spiders are not an insect. The kids wanted to add them and we actually used it as a compare and contrast science lesson on why they are not an insect. If you prefer to have this be an authentic insect sensory bin, simply leave the spiders out!

Ideas to expand the learning:

Add magnifying glasses to the sensory bin.
Set out books about insects and let the kids try to match them up.
Add scoops, small cups, and tweezers for fine motor skill practise.

You may also be interested in checking out these sensory bins:

Frog Sensory Bin

Spring Sensory Bin

Sensory Sound Eggs

By Sharla Kostelyk

This activity is a great auditory sensory activity. It is simple to set up and very engaging for kids. These sensory sound eggs are easy to use in the home or as a classroom activity.

Sensory Sound Eggs #sensoryplay #easteractivity #auditorysystem #sensory #spd Sensory sound eggs are great at helping children with early auditory discrimination skills. As they use their sense of sound and other clues such as weight to determine what item is in each egg, they are developing important skills.

Sometimes, the simplest activities are the best ones. For me, that is actually always true because if an activity is too complex, it just doesn’t happen! This is very inexpensive to do. If you buy plastic eggs right after Easter, you can get them on sale for ridiculously cheap!

And you can fill them with things you already have around the house making this something you can do on the spur of the moment.

How to Make Sensory Sound Eggs:

Supplies needed:

plastic Easter eggs
jingle bells
popcorn seeds
dry rice
rocks
pompoms or cotton balls
buttons

Plastic Easter Eggs Mixed Colour Buttons 1 Inch Pompoms

Directions:

Fill each empty egg with some of one of the items.
Close the eggs. Place tape around the middle of the eggs to ensure they won’t open when using with younger children. Some of the items could be a choking hazard, so adult supervision is needed with this and any other sensory activity.
Have the child guess what item is in each egg based on the sound it makes when shaken.

Ways to Adapt this Sensory Activity:

Try this activity using other fillers in the eggs such as coffee beans or coffee grounds, beads, water, salt, or whatever else your imagination can come up with.

Have your child think of ideas for fillers and create their own sound eggs. You can then take a turn at guessing what’s in them.

Auditory Match Up

One game you can play is to make two eggs with each filler and have kids try to match the eggs that are the sound matches.

Discussion Points:

Talk about why the items make different sounds (weight, shape, size).

This simple idea is included in our eBook The Sensory Science Book Volume 1 in the Senses chapter. The book includes easy to put together sensory activities that correspond with science units for school or home. Other activities you may be interested in:

Colour Mixing Sensory Bottle Sensory Scavenger Hunt

50 Awesomely Simple Calm Down Strategies for Kids

By Sharla Kostelyk

Calm down strategies for kids don’t have to be complicated to be effective. The key is to find the ones that work best for your child. Each child is different and therefore, their preferred methods for calming will be as well. Calm down techniques work for any child (or adult for that matter!). They are especially good to use for kids with autism, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, FASD, early childhood trauma, Reactive Attachment Disorder, or anxiety.

I’ve put together 50 calm down strategies that are so simple that anyone can do them. These don’t require expensive equipment or a lot of time.

The formula for success is to practise these with your child when they are calm, discover which ones they respond to, and then have them use those in the times when they are needed. It can be very helpful to use calm down strategy cards. This allows the child to have a visual cue. This reminder can be especially helpful when they are beginning to feel out of control.

I suggest only including the strategies that you know work for your child. Otherwise, it could cause frustration for your child. You can discover which ones they prefer when you are practising with them while they are calm rather than trying to discover it when they are upset.

Simply pop your email into the form below and you’ll be able to print off the cards for yourself. Then, cut out the cards, hole punch them, and put them on a binder ring for your child to keep in their pocket, backpack, or calm down kit.

By helping your child or student learn the calming methods that are effective for them, you will help them gain independence. It feels empowering for kids to be able to regain control on their own.

50 Calm Down Strategies for Kids:

Hum
Wrap Yourself in a Blanket
Drink Water
Draw a Picture
Colour
Breathe
Ask for a Hug
Read a Book
Whisper the Alphabet
Pray
Listen to Music
Press Your Palm to Your Chest
Go for a Run
Relax Your Face
Do my Affirmations
Push on the Wall
Squeeze a Sensory Ball
Play with a Fidget
Stretch
Jump
Count
Chew Gum
Play with Playdough
Blow Bubbles
Do a Puzzle
Wear Noise Reducing Headphones
Finger-paint
Touch Your Toes
Be a Helper
Look at a Calm Down Bottle
Dance
Eat a Crunchy Snack
Blow a Pinwheel
Pop Bubble Wrap
Use a Small Massager
Hug a Teddy Bear
Journal
Take a Shower
Carry some Books
Close Your Eyes
Swing or Rock
Wiggle Your Fingers
Go to Your Quiet Place
Play the Harmonica
Go for a Walk
Trace Shapes on Your Hand with Your Finger
Do 5 Pushups
Name Your Emotions
Put Lotion On
Do Yoga

You may also be interested in reading:

How to Create a Calm Down Kit for Children

The After School Meltdown Strategy That Really Works

Powerful positive affirmations for kids to change their mindset

By Sharla Kostelyk

When I was growing up, my dad used to say to me, “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re absolutely right”. His version of the Henry Ford quote was designed to teach me about the power of our mindset. One of the most effective ways to help kids change their mindset is by teaching them to use positive affirmations. The thing about something that you hear or say over and over is that it gets stuck in your brain. It becomes part of your inner voice. This is true for both positive and negative words.

During certain times in my life, my dad’s repetition of that quote has come to mind. That quote has even come out of my own mouth in talking to my children. In that same way, affirmations that we tell our kids or that they tell themselves will live in their minds and be brought forward in the future.

As parents, we want as many of those as possible to be positive.

When one of my kids is struggling, do I want the first thought that comes to mind to be “I can’t do this” or do I want it to be “I can figure this out”?

Obviously, I want it to be the latter. But in order for that to happen, I need to ensure that they are practising positive affirmations.A positive affirmation is a statement meant to overcome negative thoughts. Negative thoughts contribute to self-sabotage, stress, pessimism, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, you want to retrain your child’s brain to replace those negative thoughts with positive ones.

How do I use positive affirmations with kids?

Repetition, repetition, repetition. The key to this method being effective is having the affirmation repeated often. It also helps if the affirmation is said out loud by others, “you are kind”, by the child, “I am kind”, and is reinforced in other ways such as singing a song about it or colouring it.
Use affirmations in the present tense. Even if the statement is something your child has not yet mastered and is still working towards, it is more powerful to say “I am a good friend” than it is to say “I will be a good friend”.
Affirmations need to be specific.
Allow your child to choose their own affirmations. You can of course make suggestions, but the most effective ones will be those that resonate with them.

How do I teach my child to be positive?

One complaint I hear from a lot of parents is that their child is negative. Some kids seem to be born with a “glass half empty” mentality. While positive affirmations are not going to completely change a child’s personality, they will improve your child’s outlook.

The way that a child sees themselves shapes the way they see the world. When a child sees themselves negatively, they will also see everything around them through that lens.

Practising positive affirmations can help a child to see themselves in a more positive light. This then allows them to see those people and circumstances around them more optimistically as well.

Practising intentional gratitude will also help a child to be more positive. They can do this by:

writing or saying five things they are grateful for each day
writing thank you notes
drawing what they are thankful for
using Post-its to jot down what they are grateful for
making positive observations about what they see, smell, touch, taste, or hear

We have a gratitude hallway covered in Post-its. It makes me smile. The kids add Post-its whenever they want.

Please note:

Positive affirmations do not address underlying trauma or special needs. They aren’t a “quick fix”. But even for children who have early childhood trauma issues or other factors that negatively affect their mindset, positive affirmations are not harmful. They can be one tiny piece of the puzzle towards healing.

Adorable Unicorn Affirmations for Kids:

These free printable unicorn affirmation pages are adorable! They include the following positive affirmations:

I am confident.
I am happy.
I am kind.
I am brave.
I am patient.
I am loved.
I am a good friend.
I am proud of myself.
I am safe.
I am awesome.

To download your printable unicorn affirmation pages for kids to colour, just submit your email below.

The Best Things to Include in a Calm Down Kit

By Sharla Kostelyk

When I created a calm down kit for our daughter, it was a turning point for all of us. It helped her in so many ways. It gave her tools and strategies to calm herself and help regulate her emotions. She is empowered. These suggestions of the best things to include in a calm down kit should be helpful for you to create your own.

It is important to note that what works best in a calm down kit for one child will not necessarily work for another. You’ll start to see in time what is most effective for your child.

It’s only once you’ve used the kit a number of times that you’ll get a sense of what items might not be necessary and even what type of things to perhaps include more of.

It’s important to teach your child to use the kit and “practise” using it when they are calm. During a meltdown or period of anxiety, a child can go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, making it difficult for them to make decisions and think logically.

Practising using the calm down kit during down times will enable them to know what things help in times of distress.

What to Include in a Calm Down Kit:

calm down cards
small container of bubbles
chewelry
weighted stuffed animal
calm down bottle
emotion cards
weighted blanket or soft blanket
playdough (this calming lavender playdough is perfect)
noise cancelling headphones
stress ball (easily make your own)
water bottle with a chewable straw
sound machine
slime or silly putty
Rescue Remedy
fidgets
I Spy wand
kaleidoscope
favourite book or a book about feelings
affirmations colouring book and crayons
liquid motion bubble timer
squishies
small framed photo of their family or beloved pet
mini Etch-a-Sketch
palm massager
harmonica
smell bottles
textured sensory balls
pinwheel
sensory bag

Lego Sensory Chew Necklace Noise Cancelling Headphones Conair Sound Therapy Sound Machine Kids Rescue Remedy Natural Stress Relief Drops Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty Retro Voyage Map Kaleidoscope Wonder Tubes Liquid Motion Bubble Timers Palm Massager

For younger kids, it is sometimes best to use pictures on the calm down prompt cards even if the child can read. If they are in a state of fight, flight, or freeze, reading will be difficult for them. The easier you make it, the better.

What to Include in a Calm Down Kit for Older Kids:

anything from the list above
calm down cards
hard candies to suck on
favourite book
chewing gum
puzzle
Rubik’s cube
bubble wrap (for popping)
Big Life Journal
colouring book and markers or pencil crayons
weighted lap pad
instant camera (for taking “selfies” to better understand their emotions)
yoga pose cards
journal and pen
knitting or crocheting (for kids who know how to knit or crochet)

Big Life JournalBuy Now Lava Lamp Sensory Weighted Lap Pad Rescue Remedy Rescue Chewing Gum Bach Rescue Remedy Hard Candy Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards Instant Camera

If possible, provide a quiet area in the home or classroom that the child can go to use their calm down kit. This could be a corner with a bean bag chair or exercise ball to sit on. One thing to keep in mind when making an anti-anxiety kit for your child is to personalize it. One way to do this is to consider their sensory preferences (ie: a child who is sensory avoidant for auditory would prefer noise cancelling headphones in their kits whereas a child who is sensory seeking for auditory would prefer an audiobook or harmonica in theirs).

Another way to personalize the kit is to consider what interests your child has and include those. If your child loves dinosaurs, you could include this dinosaur chew necklace, this dinosaur squeeze ball, this dinosaur sensory slap bracelet, and this dinosaur fidget.

Creating a personalized kit for each child is also a great way for them to feel known and special. You can choose any theme that suits them.

Get printable calm down cards to include in your kit.

Read about how we use our calm down kit and other tips here:

Create Your Own Calm Down Kit for Children