Get Back to Green Box (Getting Ready to Learn)

This year in social skills group, my Special Education teacher and myself have been teaching the Zones of Regulation. As part of this instruction, we wanted the students to have tangible items that help them “get back to green”, or in simpler terms “ready to learn”.

We worked for multiple weeks on their Green boxes, for their classroom use.  Here is what they look like:

 

1. Shoe boxes were covered with butcher paper and then decorated green. The idea was remind students that this is to help them get to green.

2. Various fidget items were added to the box. We made yarn pom-poms for the box. We added stuffing, cotton balls, bubble wrap and a strip of Vecro.

3. We learned many breathing and sensory techniques to calm the body. These were put onto a key ring and added to the box for reminders.

4. We made sparkle water bottles with glitter, water, and a tiny drop of food coloring (important: hot glue the lid on to prevent students from opening the bottle once it is complete)

And for the finale, the students each were responsible for explaining how one thing in the box could help them get to green. We recorded each student giving their explanation and made it into an iMovie to send to their teachers. This not only reinforced the concepts of the box, but also educated the teachers as to how and why the students need these in the classroom.

 

Have you ever made a calming box with your students? What was in your box?