Playground Powers
“Use your power tools today, to calm your body down to play.”
Coach Calm the Koala teaches children that big feelings are a normal part of play, and gives them simple tools to calm their body and feel ready to make powerful choices.
Big feelings are a normal part of play. Coach Calm teaches children that those feelings are okay, and that with the right tools, they can calm their body, manage tricky thoughts and feel ready to make powerful choices.
Coach Calm is the emotional regulation guide of the Playground Powers program. Before children can solve problems, use friendship skills or navigate tricky playground moments, they often need support settling their body and brain first. That’s exactly what Coach Calm is here for.
Coach Calm builds the foundational skills children need to regulate their emotions and return to confident, connected play.
Noticing big feelings in the body before they take over.
Simple, repeatable tools children can use anywhere, any time.
Trusting that big feelings pass and they can handle them.
Feeling settled and ready to make strong choices in play.
Coach Calm’s Power Tools are practical, child-friendly strategies designed to work in real time, on the playground, in the classroom and at home.
Open paw, breathe in slow. Close your paw, let it go.
Power Paws uses breath and movement to help children slow down a big feeling before it leads to a big reaction. Simple enough to use anywhere, powerful enough to make a real difference.
Think it. Pop it. Swap it.
When tricky thoughts get loud, Power Pop gives children a three-step process to notice an unhelpful thought, let it go and replace it with a Power Thought that helps them feel stronger and more capable.
Stop. Walk away. Power back to play.
Some feelings are too big to work through straight away. Power Break teaches children that stepping away is a smart and brave choice, not a failure. They learn how to take a safe break, calm down and return to play feeling ready.
Stop. Shield up tight. Power up to feel good again.
When unkind words knock a child’s confidence, Power Shield helps them protect their sense of self. Coach Calm teaches children how to keep their inner strength steady even when others say something hurtful.
Helping children practise fairness, turn-taking and sharing through real everyday moments of play.
Understanding a social skill before trying it during everyday play.
Building confidence before using skills in real situations.
Using new strategies during games, friendships and play.
Using Playground Powers during classroom activities and group work.
Learning that setbacks are part of the learning process.
Building resilience through reflection, repair and practice.
Playground Powers was created because many children struggle with social situations, but are rarely taught these skills in a clear and supportive way.
A set of visual emotion cards that help children recognise, name and talk about different feelings in a simple, child-friendly way.
Printable affirmation cards that build confidence, positive self-talk and emotional resilience through everyday encouragement.
A visual self-regulation tool that helps children identify how they are feeling and choose strategies to feel calm and in control.
