Their Body Has Been Holding It Together All Day
Three ways to help them finally let go
A big thank you to Sky Zone for sponsoring this post and keeping it free for TWFC community.
Spring break is almost here, and your kids need to move. Check out the Spring Play 4 Pack: Four 2-hour jump sessions to use over 60 days. Buy it now, use it whenever. Spring break, a random Wednesday, the afternoon when everyone’s losing it and you need somewhere to take them. It’s available through April 12th.
Their Body Has Been Holding It Together All Day…Three ways to help them finally let go
A few years ago, I volunteered for lunch duty at my daughter’s school.
I watched the first graders pour into the cafeteria after outdoor recess, amped, loud, sweaty, and cold at the same time, and completely overstimulated.
They clamoured around too small tables, opening lunch boxes, slimy yogurts dripping, kids pushing, and the smell of cafeteria milk.
They waited impatiently for their table to be called so the lunch buyers could line up for cafeteria food, where steamy, pungent foods were being dolloped onto lunch trays.
Between the smells, the fluorescent hum of the lights, and the expectation to stand in a line and remember your lunch ID while making a decision about chocolate milk or juice, I felt really overwhelmed on behalf of these kids.
How did they do this every single day?
I did my forty-minute shift and left feeling wired and depleted at the same time.
I couldn’t figure out what I needed. Coffee? Silence? A long walk? I was absolutely cooked for the rest of the day…
And I’m a grown adult.
All this to say that when my kids come home from school and fall apart a little over something small, or nothing at all, I’m never surprised. They’ve been holding it together all day. Something has to give.
Mural Drawing
Very low prep, accessible to all ages (grown-ups too!), and encourages your kids to unwind from “following the rules” all day and create their own rules.
Roll out a big piece of paper (this is our fave roll paper) or tape a bunch of pieces of paper together to create one giant table-sized piece of paper.
Grab a picture book off the shelf and trace the outline with a marker to make lots of repeating rectangles or squares.
Put out markers, crayons, or paint sticks and a big tray of snacks. Let your kids discover it on their own and create however they want.
Toddlers will scribble outside the lines, and that’s okay! Preschoolers, grade schoolers, and tweens will all approach these boxes in unique ways. It is fascinating to watch.
Don’t direct, just sit, enjoy some snack, and color your own box.
Leave this out for a few days- kids will dip in and out of creating.
Soap Foam
This one is always in my back pocket for all ages. Five minutes to make, easy to clean up, and kids of every age sink their hands into it like it’s the best thing they’ve ever touched.
The recipe: 2/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons of soap (baby shampoo works great — no stinging eyes), a few drops of food coloring or liquid watercolor if you want it. Hand mixer on high for two minutes until you get stiff peaks. That’s it.
Set it up in the kitchen sink, a sensory bin, or the bathtub.
For your littles, drop in some cars, dinosaurs, baby dolls, rocks, whatever they’re into right now. Dim the lights, and let them play.
Babies can explore a small amount on the high chair tray. Toddlers love it with a few scoops and spoons. Preschoolers will invent entire worlds, car washes, animal rescue missions, and road trips to imaginary hotels.
Do you have a tween? Set them up with a warm bath and a big bowl of soap foam. The spa-like experience feels grown-up enough to draw them in, while the foam will have them back to playing in no time at all.
The five minutes you spend making it will buy you a very long play session.
Warm water is soothing to the sensory system. The combination of temperature, texture, and repetitive hand movement is so calming, which is why this one works especially well when kids come home overstimulated and need to come down.
Let Them Lead
Take a walk, let your child lead the way.
I know. It sounds too simple. But it works.
Your child has been following directions, sitting still, and transitioning on command all day. Giving them twenty minutes to set the pace, choose the route, and talk or not talk is a game-changer.
Your job on this walk is to be quiet. Don’t ask about their day. Don’t fill the silence. Just follow their lead and let them decompress. You’ll be amazed at what comes out when you stop asking.
These are not perfect solutions. Some days, the only answer really is to get outside, get them moving their bodies, even when it’s cold and annoying and you’d rather not. Active kids usually come back calmer than they left.
But on the days when you need something with minimal setup and maximum output, these three are a good place to start.
x. Lizzie
PS You Asked For It and I Delivered…
Here is our 2026 Workspace for Children Easter Gift Guide
If you are looking for more simple, fun, and developmentally appropriate play prompts, check out the play plans for your bigs and littles. They are only $11!
Subscribe to The Workspace for Children
By Something Playful · Hundreds of paid subscribers
Lizzie Assa, MS Ed, Author of But I'm Bored, Real-life ideas for less chaos and a childhood that feels like childhood.
