The Grafton Recreation Department holds a Summer Days Program every summer! Grades 1-8 of all abilities are encouraged to attend this summer program ready to play, make friends, enjoy field trips, and even experience some fun learning opportunities. The program is held at a local elementary school.

A Dedicated Cool Down Room

We have a Cool Down Room within the school that allows participants to have a quiet area to manage emotions, channel energy, and overall help kids learn to calm down utilizing various techniques. It is a small room, all white walls, consisting of two bean bag type chairs, a handful of pillows, five colorful floor mats, and large crash pillows.

The S&S Calming Kit was a great addition to the room to use as tools for kids. Throughout the summer, children used this space daily whenever they felt overwhelmed, upset, or simply needed a break. A staff member was always present to supervise and provide support as needed.

Calming Kit Benefits

The Calming Kit became a cornerstone of the cool down room. Participants often:

• Relaxed on the crash pad
• Colored while wearing noise-canceling earmuffs
• Used a weighted pad for comfort
• Played with fidget objects to regulate movement
• Engaged in quiet make-believe play

Popular Items from the Calming Kit

The most popular items from the kit include noise-canceling earmuffs, fidget objects, and sensory toys.

Noise-Reducing Earmuffs

The Noise-Reducing Earmuffs were used not only in the Cool Down Room, but also on field trips, during special guests, and various other moments throughout the day. Our summer program has a range of participants each week, with our busiest week having almost 140 participants. At times, the day could become loud, especially when everyone was gathered for lunch or large group activities. These earmuffs became incredibly helpful, especially with the 1st-2nd graders. They became comfortable asking to use the headphones when they started to feel overwhelmed by the noises. We also brought these headphones on our field trips to places such as Launch, baseball games, and arcade centers.

Sequin Discs

The Color Changing Sequin Discs were also used often. Various participants seemed to find this frisbee shaped sensory item calming. Often entering the sensory room feeling upset, they would sit with a disc while running their fingers through the sequins or creating designs in the sequins, this allowed them to leave in a much calmer space.

Sensory Toys & Fidgets

The various sensory and fidget items in the kit offer kids hands-on ways to self-regulate. The Weighted Gel Lap Pad provides gentle, calming pressure that can help reduce anxiety and improve focus. Many kids naturally regulate better when they feel a steady, grounding weight. In a busy recreation environment, the lap pad offers a quiet, non-distracting way for children to self-soothe while still engaging in calming activities like coloring or reading.

The Liquid Motion Toy helps with visual stimulation through slow, flowing movement, which can be mesmerizing and relaxing. Watching colorful liquid droplets move can lower stress, improve patience, and encourage mindfulness. These toys often become a favorite for kids who need a visual anchor to re-center their emotions.

Helpful Tips for Your Cool Down Room

We discovered a few helpful practices when using the kit:

Reset the Space After Each Use – Restack the pads on the ground, move the pillows against the wall, and pick up all the calming kit items to place back inside their storage tote. This allows the next child to enter a well-organized room.

Limit Choices – Encourage the use of 1-2 sensory or fidget items at a time. It can easily become overwhelming to be offered 10 different items at once and being asked to use just one. Offering this or that options work well.

Balance Space with Support – Offer the child space while using the calming kit items but be prepared to offer support as needed. We found that at times our participants needed to be offered space but still liked to know that a staff member was present if they wanted to talk about what they were feeling.

Looking Ahead

The Grafton Recreation Department will continue using the Calming Kit at future events and summer programs. It has become a trusted tool in helping children feel comfortable, supported, and ready to rejoin group activities.

Check out the S&S Calming Kit options here >

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About the Author:

Bridget Durward is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. Bridget works for the Town of Grafton as a Recreation Coordinator, focusing on Therapeutic Recreation programs and the summer program.