The last area of our calm corner is the bookshelf, filled with different types of books that all serve different purposes from keeping our children in the present moment to helping them recognize different emotions and how they present in the body. Right now, ours is geared towards children of younger ages (we have an 18 month old and a 3.5 year old), so overtime, this space will change and grow with our kids.
So what books are in our calm corner right now?
- Tap! Tap! Tap!: Dance! Dance! Dance! by Herve Tullet - This book is very hands-on. Kids need to stay present, and focus on the directions on each page.
- It's Nice to be a Narwhal by Rosie Greening - This book is hands-on and visual with bright colors. Kids can feel the sequins and see them change color on each page.
- Say Hello and Let It Go: I am Not My Emotions by Jocelyn Soliz - This book is about naming the emotion, and then letting it go.
- My Body Sends a Signal by Natalia Maguire - This book talks about how an emotion feels in the body.
- Listening to My Body by Gabi Garcia - This book also shows kids how an emotion can feel in the body.
- Press Here by Herve Tullet - Another hands-on read. Kids need to stay present, and focus on the directions the author provides on each page. It also involves quite a bit of shaking, so this is good if your kid is mad or frustrated and needs to use that energy in more positive ways.
- Listening with My Heart by Gabi Garcia - This book identifies emotions, and then shows how you can be compassionate to yourself despite any negative emotions you may have.
- In My Heart by Jo Witek - This book shows a variety of emotions and how all of them are within your heart and loved.
- Breathe Slow and Steady, Teddy by Rachel Accurso - This book teaches deep breathing as a strategy to use when facing different scenarios and emotions.
- Where's Bluey? - We have this in our corner as another activity book. It keeps kids in the present moment, and focused on one thing at a time.
- LeapFrog 100 Words and LeapFrog 100 Animals - These books read to my kids when I'm not able to be present with them. They focus my children's attention on learning different words/animals and touching the pictures.
- Lovevery Emotions Books - This came with one of our kits. The books discuss different emotions and what to do in different scenarios. My kids pull these books out all the time, and absolutely love them!
- The Color Monster by Anna Llenas - This book helps kids identify their feelings and sort them out when they feel all jumbled up and don't know how they're feeling.
- Bookshelf
There are so many books out there; I definitely didn't even scratch the surface! And we love so many others that aren't in this bookshelf right now. But, keep reading a bunch of different kinds of books, see what your kids gravitate to, and continue evolving your corner.
If you would like to see what else is in our calm corner, here's the blog post about our calm corner in general, and the one about the specific toys.
Let's build a generation of mindful children together!
If you're interested in developing a daily journal habit with your child, we have one for 4-7 years olds and one for 8-10 year olds!
