The Stop, Relax & Think system is designed to guide kids in managing their emotions and making better choices, especially when faced with difficult situations. It teaches children how to pause, relax, and think before reacting, which can help with stress, anxiety, and impulsive behaviors. The aim is to help kids express their feelings, solve problems, and develop essential skills such as self-awareness, self-control, and social abilities. It’s perfect for children who struggle with frustration or behavior challenges, and can be used in a variety of environments. You can choose from a card game, board game, or workbook, or buy all of them together as a complete set.
Card Game
This interactive card game helps children learn to talk about their emotions, relax, and think through problems. Each player gets six cards from three categories: Feelings, Relaxing, and Thinking. The objective is to collect all three suits by drawing cards and acting out the scenarios.
- Feeling cards help children recognize and discuss different emotions.
- Relaxing cards teach techniques for calming down and relaxing.
- Thinking cards prompt children to think through problems and develop solutions.
- Stop cards make players lose a turn, allowing them to practice handling surprises.
For older children, three additional cards—Stressed, Confused, and Discouraged—are introduced. When a player draws one of these, they must ask another player for a specific card and demonstrate how they would use it to cope with their emotions.
Contents: Instruction sheet, 72 cards (16 Feeling, 16 Relaxing, 16 Thinking, 9 Stop, 12 blank, 1 Stressed, 1 Confused, 1 Discouraged)
Players: 2-4
Ages: 6-12
Workbook
The workbook offers enjoyable activities that help kids understand how their actions impact themselves and those around them. Using cognitive behavioral strategies, it teaches skills like self-regulation and making thoughtful decisions. Children complete puzzles and games that help them stay focused, follow instructions, remain calm, and think before responding.
Contents: 85 pages of activities; access to a digital version in PDF form.
Ages: 6-12
Board Game
The Stop, Relax, and Think board game helps children practice important self-regulation skills. Players move through sections of the board—Feelings, Stop, Relax, and Think—gathering chips along the way.
- In the Feelings spaces, players answer questions to recognize emotions and signs of stress.
- On Stop spaces, players practice pausing and thinking before acting in response to challenges.
- On Relax spaces, players practice calming techniques to help them unwind.
- On Think spaces, players reflect on problems and discuss possible solutions.
Contents: Game board, 8-sided dice, 6-sided dice, 6 pawns, 30 tokens, Stop cards, 36 Feelings cards, 36 Think cards, and instructions.
Players: 2-6
Ages: 6-12
This system is a fun, interactive way for kids to practice emotional regulation and make thoughtful decisions!
