Love Calm Down Jar with Printable Calming Affirmations

Calm down jars have become a very popular item in the last few years. There are quite a few varieties to be found and tons of suggested uses. To celebrate Valentine’s Day and our love of calming tips for anxious kids, we have decided to share our newest love calm down jar. However, I didn’t want to share just another calm down jar, so I have included some printable calming affirmations that can be used to help your child be mindful during their frustration.

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Calm Down Jars are nothing new. In fact, I have seen some pretty amazing ones over the years as an early childhood educator. You can find them on Pinterest, Facebook, and linked in almost any sensory processing support group. One of our most popular posts ever on this site is our Lego Calm Down jar.

What is a Calm Down Jar?

Calm down jars can be any jar filled with a simple mixture of glue, glitter and warm water. If you are like us, you add in one of your favorite toys, too… LEGO! Any time your child (or you) need a break, give the jar a GREAT BIG shake (I promise the shaking is part of the “therapy”) and then watch and wait for the glitter to settle. The wait can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes.

You can read much more about why and how calm down jars work, by checking out our Lego Calm Down Jar.

How to Make Your Calm Down Jar

Simple Calm Down Glitter Jar

What You Need:

Recycled Jar ( I love VOSS plastic jars)
Glitter Glue
Extra Glitter (for extra shine)
Warm Water

We started by adding in about 3 tubes of pink glitter glue from the dollar store. Followed by a full bottle of clear glue. Then we added in some hearts confetti to give the children something to watch while the jar settled.

We added in warm water, enough to almost fill the jar. (Save room for shaking and movement in the bottle)

Add in a tad bit of extra glitter (otherwise you will see the particles of glue separate and it won’t look as uniform.)

Note: If you have a younger child or one that will open, I suggest hot gluing the lid closed.

NOW SHAKE! SHAKE LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW. In fact, when we were making our jars for the first time, we turned on some music and had a dance party! You’re ready to go!

How to Use Your Love Calm Down Jar

A calm down jar is meant as a mindfulness activity to help children calm their minds and refocus their attention. One of our favorite things to do while we are using our calm down jar is to repeat calming affirmations that remind us just how much we are loved.

When a child is in the middle of a meltdown or is needing some space, a calm down jar can be the perfect way to help them calm their thinking. Since children with anxiety, sensory processing disorder, or big emotions often can’t see the positive in things, it is our job as parents, educators, or caregivers to help them with this train of thought at an early age.

One of my son’s favorite things to hear me whisper when he is upset is “You are calm.” or “You are safe.” Lately, we have been working very hard on him using this language and using “I am… ” statements. We have put just a few of our favorites in this little printable here.

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This post is part of the Discovery Bottles Blog Hop, where you can find lots of discovery bottles that can also be used for calming and soothing an anxious or overwhelmed child. This month each sensory bottle is Valentine’s Day themed.

Color Mixing Sensory Bottle | Preschool Inspirations

“Full of Love” Calm Down Jar with Printable Calming Affirmations | Lemon Lime Adventures

I Spy Love Sensory Bottle | Modern Preschool

Alphabet Discovery Bottle: Valentine’s Day Activity for Kids | Sunny Day Family

Floating Hearts Sensory Bottle | Teaching Mama

Water bead Hearts Discovery Bottle | Sugar Aunts

Slow Falling Hearts Sensory Bottle | Rhythms of Play

Heart Glitter Jar | Fun-A-Day