Whether you’ve already experienced the toddler stage or are living through it right now, there’s one thing we can all agree on—they have a lot of energy. And while that’s par for the course in toddlerdom, sometimes, especially in public spaces like restaurants or grocery stores, that well-meaning rambunctiousness can be tricky. What if you had a few secret weapons that help calm kids and better prepare them for a place not specifically designed for their special brand of enthusiasm (or meltdowns)?
Well, you’re in luck. A mom who happens to also be a pediatric occupational therapist answered the call of toddler parents everywhere, sharing an Instagram post with four easy ways to calm kids before heading into a public space.
In her video, @thesimpleot explains that while her toddler might seek sensory input through gross motor movements like jumping, climbing, spinning, or running, she recognizes that those activities aren’t necessarily appropriate for public places like libraries, restaurants, and stores. “Teaching my child how to regulate is an important role of parenting and I wanted to share how I have been teaching it personally,” she says. (She mentions in another video how she knows that her tot is high on energy and in need of some regulation activities: they’re constantly moving, climbing everything in sight, frequently fidgeting, jumping, spinning, and/or hitting.)
Related: 5 Easy Sensory Activities That Help Prevent Meltdowns & Tantrums
Here’s how she takes her toddler down a notch before heading out and about.
First, she starts with heavy work.
As Colleen Beck, OTR/L explains in The OT Toolbox, “Heavy work is activity that requires effort from our muscles. These tasks usually involve the activation of the muscles and joints of the body through the proprioceptive system by movements such as pushing, pulling, or lifting. The movement activities create resistance input to the muscles, and this feedback is ultimately what calms and regulates the sensory system.”
What kind of heavy work does The Simple OT do with her child? She has a set of quick activities they do before heading anywhere that might require a wriggly little kid to regulate their sensory system.
1. Curb Jumps – 10x
This is what it sounds like! Jumping on and off a curb for a set number of times.
2. Ball Crawls – 2x
Using two tennis balls, have your toddler “walk” the balls up a wall and back down twice.
3. Hand presses – 2x for 5-10 seconds
For this exercise, press your hands against your toddler’s and push!
4. Balloon Breaths – 3x
This is fun because you can add some pretend play to the movements. Take your toddler’s hands and while they’re breathing in deep, raise their arms above their head—like a balloon rising into the sky.
Then, she chats with her toddler.
“I then have a quick convo about expectations (i.e. we are about to go into this library where we need to talk quietly), and I will sometimes reference a past experience where my toddler did a great job with a similar skill,” she says. Reminding kids of a time when they managed to regulate themselves is great reinforcement for future good behavior.
Finally, she helps them recognize how they’re feeling and takes a minute to connect.
The key here is that it’s about teaching kids to recognize signs that they’re ready or not ready to regulate. She’ll have her child pay attention to all their internal flags and decide whether they’re ready to enter the public space. For example, do they still feel like they have the zoomies? Is their breath slowing down? Is their body relaxed?
“As our kids get older, the hope is that they will be able to independently regulate and be able to adjust their energy levels accordingly,” she says.
In the second video, she adds a final show of confidence and connection: a big hug, singing a song, or making them laugh, all in the hopes of helping her little one feel “safe, secure, and heard” before heading out into the big world together.
