Being kind increases happiness and decreases stress. Even small acts of kindness can help create a greater sense of belonging, improved self-esteem and self-worth. Have all family members write a kind note to one another or do a small random act of kindness for a week.

Using the five senses — sight, sound, smell, taste and touch — can help children take in the world around them. They can be of great help in slowing down and living in the moment.

Children can experience big emotions and it is important to help them identify and understand how they are feeling, as well as the various facial expressions connected with those emotions. Have your child draw a big circle and divide it into 8 sections. Have your child name 8 emotions and draw respective emojis in each triangle.

Teaching breathing strategies help children increase their ability to focus on just one thing at a time and relaxing their bodies. Trace your child’s hand and let your child decorate it however they want. Write up and down arrows around the fingers and have your child slowly trace the arrows while practicing taking slow deep breaths in and slow deep breaths out.

Positive self-talk is a powerful tool for increasing children’s self-esteem, self confidence and motivation. Help your children identify positive statements about themselves. Materials: blank piece of paper, crayons or colored pencils.

Find out what it means to me! No, seriously, ask one another what it means to be respectful. Listen to one another’s answers, and then create a family list of ways in which you can actually see and hear respect.

Did you know that being physically active can help to improve our mood, sleep, concentration, and memory?! Brainstorm as a family as many indoor and safe outdoor activities as you can. Write each activity agreed upon on a small sheet of paper, fold it, and put it in a jar, bag, hat, or some other container! Draw one activity to do together each day for at least 10 minutes!

Rainbows are often associated with hope and optimism, something many of us could use right now! Take this challenge to draw a rainbow using only primary colors. This is a great activity to do with chalk because it’s easy to blend and kids (and adults!) typically like the hands-on approach. Don’t have chalk, that’s ok – share your rainbows with us any way you create them.

For those times when feelings are escalating or you or your child just need a little break...a Calming Toolbox could be just the thing to help you through. Have fun creating a Calming Toolbox together and pull it out later as needed.

We all need help managing stress from time to time! Glitter Jars (idea credit to Parents Magazine March 2019) fun and calming for children, teens and adults!

It’s time to look for some creatures, big and small! Let’s take a walk – to your window, backyard, or some other safe location! Take a deep breath and give yourself permission to just focus on one task – finding as many animals as you can – everything counts, ants, beetles, lizards, birds, fish, cats, dogs, etc.! Enjoy your safari and share your “finds” with us!

Welcome back, SDIRC! We are going to share a daily activity to promote connection and Build Resiliency. We are kicking off our first post with an activity that you can continue through the remainder of the year – start a gratitude jar or journal to which each member of the family contributes! Aim to make a note at least every other day! Show us your jars or notebooks!