🧰My Coping Toolbox
Build your own kit of tricks for when feelings get big.
Choose personal coping skills to keep ready for hard moments.
Coping skills for kids
My Coping Toolbox is a free interactive that helps kids ages 6–12 build a personalized set of coping skills for kids. Therapists, parents, and teachers can use it to help children identify which calming tools, movement breaks, and social supports work best for them — and have them ready before the next big feeling hits.
Common questions
What are the best coping skills to teach kids?
The most evidence-supported skills fall into four buckets: body-based (breathing, movement, water), calming (music, cozy spaces), connection (asking for help, hugs), and play (drawing, building, jokes). This toolbox includes options from all four.
When should kids practice coping skills?
During calm moments, not during meltdowns. Coping skills are like a fire drill — you practice when nothing's on fire, so the routine is automatic when it matters.
How is this different from being told to 'calm down'?
Telling a child to calm down is an instruction. This is a menu. Letting the child pick their own tools builds agency and dramatically increases the chance they'll actually use them.