Using art in therapy helps children express and process emotions. By encouraging creativity, you can also make therapy skills or techniques more approachable. The Belly Breathing Coloring Sheet allows children to interact with the characters of Tiny Toad and Bailey the Beaver, both of whom appear in the educational story Toad Learns Belly Breathing.
By practicing the belly breathing instructions included on the coloring sheet, children can learn to manage their emotions when feeling overwhelmed. Let children simply have fun and color to reinforce learning. Or, get creative and add some special instructions!
- "Draw something that makes you mad as a reminder of when to use belly breathing."
- "Draw what you might look like before and after using belly breathing."
- "I want you to practice belly breathing every day. Draw a picture of yourself practicing before bed."
To help children get the most out of this resource, discuss situations for which the breathing technique is helpful, share the information with caregivers, and encourage children to take the coloring sheet home as an aid for further practice.
