Emotional regulation is a skill that develops over time, and for many children (and adults), it does not come naturally. Big emotions can feel overwhelming, confusing, or even scary without the right supports in place.
For individuals with sensory processing differences, ADHD, autism, anxiety, or trauma histories, emotional regulation can be especially challenging. Sensory tools help by supporting the nervous system directly, often before words or reasoning are effective. When the body feels safe and regulated, the brain is better able to process emotions, communicate needs, and make decisions.
Below are 21 of our favorite sensory tools that support emotional regulation:
1. Calming Breathing Exercise Cards
Calm minds, relax bodies, and boost focus with this delightful deck of 30 oversized Breathing Exercise Cards. Designed especially for kids, but perfect for teens and adults, too, these durable cards make mindfulness easy and engaging.
Each card features:
- A colorful graphic of a real child demonstrating a breathing exercise
- Step-by-step instructions with tips and variations on the back
- Fun, easy-to-follow techniques to promote self-regulation and mindful breathing
Our soothing Emotions Sensory Bottles help slow overactive minds, calm racing thoughts, and teach emotional awareness. Each self-regulation tube pairs a different mesmerizing filler with a unique facial expression to represent a specific feeling, making them both calming visual fidgets and engaging social-emotional learning tools.
This cozy quilted weighted blanket features soft, plush fleece on one side and comfortable cotton flannel on the other, creating the perfect blend of warmth and comfort. Our washable weighted blankets provide calming deep-pressure input that can help slow down and soothe the nervous system. They’re filled with non-toxic, hypoallergenic poly pellets for safe, long-lasting use.
The Intriguing Breathing Ball is a mesmerizing sensory and mindfulness tool that supports deep breathing exercises, stress reduction, and emotional regulation. Lightly grasp the star-shaped sphere and gently expand it as you inhale… then slowly push it inward as you exhale. This rhythmic movement helps reinforce calming breathing patterns and supports self-regulation.
5. Wooden Mindful Breathing Mazes
Wooden Breathing Mazes are soothing, museum-quality tools that encourage mindfulness, deep breathing, focus, and emotional regulation. Each durable, chunky wooden board features smooth, grooved paths with a starting arrow and color-coded dots that guide when to inhale and exhale. As you trace the paths with your fingers, these mindfulness breathing boards help slow the body and calm the mind.
Experience the calming magic of Color Mixing Tubes—8″ sensory tubes filled with two vibrant colors that swirl, bubble, and blend when you shake, invert, or turn them. Then, simply watch as the colors slowly separate back into their original shades for a mesmerizing, stress-relieving visual experience.
7. Exploding Emotions Feelings Cards and Game
The Exploding Emotions Feelings Cards and Game offer a fun, engaging way to build social-emotional learning skills. Created by a speech therapist, this versatile set works as both a feelings education tool and a playful “Apples to Apples”-style scenario game that kids and adults will love.
The set includes 40 beautifully illustrated emotion cards, each labeled with a feeling and paired with coping strategies on the back. It also comes with 70 oversized, double-sided scenario cards (140 everyday situations in total).
8. 2 lb. Scented Weighted Plush Teddy Bear
You’ll fall in love with this cuddly weighted plush teddy bear, featuring ultra-soft, curly fur and a gentle lavender scent. Weighing approximately 2 pounds, this cozy sensory bear offers soothing deep pressure input to help calm and regulate the nervous systems of kids, teens, and adults.
Endless, screen-free fun awaits with the award-winning Shashibo fidget toy! This mesmerizing, shape-shifting magnetic fidget cube transforms into over 70 different shapes-twisting, turning, and snapping into place with a satisfyingly smooth click.
With its vibrant colors and kaleidoscopic patterns, the Shashibo fidget toy offers calming visual and tactile input that helps reduce anxiety, increase focus, and engage restless hands. A top pick for individuals with OCD, ADHD, trichotillomania, dermatillomania, and visual sensory-seeking needs.
The Feelings Flip Book is a premium-quality board book that comes with 14 sturdy pages, each devoted to a different feeling. Kids simply select a tab and flip to the chosen emotion to see a visual representation of the feeling plus a list of “I can” actions for managing or expressing that emotion in healthy ways.
You’ll love these visually mesmerizing 8″ Sensory Stick fidget tubes! Each water-filled tube offers a unique, soothing effect when flipped, ideal for relaxation, focus, and sensory exploration at home, in classrooms, or in calming corners.
Available in four engaging styles:
-
Erupting Volcano – vivid “lava” bubbles erupt upward from the enclosed volcano.
- Spiraling Gel Dots – gel dots slowly spiral downward in a soothing cascade (similar to a visual timer).
-
Magical Glitter Storm – 2 colors of swirling glitter; one erupts upward and the other flows downward.
-
Waterfall Beads – tiny beads drift, shimmer, and make gentle “clicking” noises.
12. 2 lb. Scented Weighted Plush Pony
Meet your new favorite sensory companion, our 2 lb. Scented Weighted Plush Pony! This irresistibly soft weighted plush horse offers deep pressure input and a soothing lavender scent, making it an ideal calming tool for kids, teens, and adults.
Versatile, double-sided, 2-in-one Dry Erase Emotions Meter / combo mindfulness breathing cards! One side features 16 vibrantly colored (labeled) faces depicting common feelings and emotions. The flip side has a figure-8 finger, tracing / breathing path that helps promote calm and focus (and includes written inhale / exhale prompts). Therapists, teachers, speech therapists, and social workers love using these durable coated cards as a social-emotional teaching tool
14. Mindful Breathing Pup Light
The Mindful Breathing Pup Light is a kid-friendly sensory tool that teaches children deep breathing for calm and focus. With lighted inhale and exhale prompts, kids learn to breathe in as the light brightens and breathe out as it fades, making mindfulness fun and easy to follow. It also comes in an adorable kitty option!
15. Mandala Labyrinth Tracing Disks
Mandala Labyrinth Tracing Disks are a wonderful calming focus tool for busy fingers and active minds. These sturdy 8″ disks feature mesmerizing mandala-inspired labyrinth designs that invite endless finger or stylus tracing. Simply select a path and trace, there’s no beginning or end, no right or wrong way. This open-ended design encourages relaxation, focus, and stress relief while building fine motor and finger skills. A reusable alternative to coloring, these disks provide a soothing multisensory activity for all ages.
16. Simple Mindful Practices for Everyday Life
Bring awareness, calm, and balance to your life with this lovely set of easy-to-use mindfulness cards that feature simple, easy-to-implement practices in everyday life. These neat 3-1/2’x5-1/2′, color-coded cards help promote personal reflection, kindness, insight, relaxation, and joy. Each card has an inspiring phrase on the front and a bite-sized mindfulness exercise on the back. Select a single card each morning to form an intention for the day or pull several cards to promote a variety of mindfulness activities throughout the week.
17. Feelings Mirror
Our Feelings Mirror is a one-of-a-kind teaching tool that helps kids learn to identify emotions and facial expressions. This sturdy 8″ mirror includes six pull-out tabs, each showing a different feeling.
18. Vibrating Minkee Poof Pillow
The Vibrating Sensory Poof Pillow is a velvety soft, pressure-activated sensory pillow that doubles as a cozy furry seat! Simply hug or sit on it to enjoy calming vibration that provides soothing tactile sensory input.
The Dual Splendor Gel Timer is a sleek 5″ curved sensory timer featuring two vibrant gel colors that slide and glide down a series of ramps, creating a mesmerizing visual display. This silent, stress-relieving tool is perfect for self-regulation, calming, and focus at home, school, or the office.
20. Feelings and Emotions Coloring Book
The Feelings and Emotions Coloring Book is a fun, hands-on way to help kids identify, express, and understand their emotions. This 32-page resource combines engaging illustrations with simple captions that explain each feeling in an age-appropriate way.
Children can explore a wide range of everyday emotions, including happy, kind, proud, calm, relaxed, angry, sad, afraid, and more while coloring. In addition to building emotional awareness, coloring supports calming, focus, fine motor development, pre-writing, and eye-hand coordination skills.
The Glittering Vortex Lamp creates a mesmerizing visual display as sparkling glitter swirls in a vortex, illuminated by a rainbow of enchanting colors. Shaped like a classic lava lamp, this soothing visual sensory tool is perfect for calming kids before transitions, easing anxiety before tests or bedtime, and providing peaceful sensory breaks throughout the day.
More articles you might enjoy:
23 Sensory Tools for Practicing Mindfulness
Visual Timers and Schedules: Helping Kids Manage Time and Transitions