The Feelings Jar: A Tiny Craft For Emotional Regulation
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Time to read 4 min
Children can go from calm to overwhelmed in seconds. One moment they’re playing, the next they’re crying, shouting, or shutting down. Big feelings arrive fast, and for many children, they feel confusing, scary, or “too big” to name. As adults, we want to help… but in the heat of the moment, it’s not always clear how.
The Feelings Jar is a simple craft with a powerful purpose, supporting your childs emotional regulation. It offers children a way to visualise their emotions; something tangible to see, hold, and use when feelings are intense. This turns emotional learning into a concrete and safe experience. When your child shakes the jar and watches the glitter settle, their body calms, too.
Ready to make one together? First, let’s explore why this craft matters and how it can become a calming routine in your home.
📄 What You'll Need
- Clear plastic jar or bottle
- Warm water
- Clear glue or glitter glue
- Glitter
- One drop of food colouring (optional)
- Superglue or strong tape to seal the lid
Keep small parts and glue out of reach of young children and supervise throughout.
Why This Craft Matters for Your Child's Emotional Regulation
Children feel things deeply. Their bodies react quickly, and their words often lag behind. When they don’t yet have the language to explain what’s happening, big feelings can feel overwhelming.
The Feelings Jar gives them a visual story of their emotions:
- When you shake the jar, the glitter swirls, just like big feelings rushing around inside.
- As the glitter slows, it mirrors the body calming down.
- When the water becomes clear again, it shows what it feels like to be steady and ready.
It’s a gentle way to help children learn about emotional regulation without lectures, giving them a simple, hands-on way to practise calming down—and move from "I don’t know what’s happening" to "I can handle this."
We use these tools with families every day. It’s a simple, playful, and genuinely effective way to talk about emotional regulation. If you want more ideas for emotional regulation and supporting big feelings, explore our Calm Corner Guide or our Feelings Kit.
How to Make The Feelings Jar With Your Child
Make the jar together so it becomes their tool for emotional regulation, something they helped build, understand, and trust.
- Together, fill the jar halfway with warm water.
- Add clear glue — this slows the glitter, making the jar feel calming to watch.
- Add glitter. Let your child choose colours that feel right to them.
- Yellow might mean happy. Blue might mean calm. Pink might mean love.
- Add a drop of food colouring for extra colour (optional).
- Fill the rest of the jar with warm water.
- Seal the lid tightly with superglue or strong tape.
- Now the jar is ready. Shake the jar and watch the glitter swirl and settle.
A Simple Script for Explaining Big Feelings and Teaching Emotional Regulation
Here’s a gentle way to explain the jar to your child:
The following script can help children understand that big feelings are normal, and that calming down is a process, not a switch. Remember to adapt the words to fit your child. You know them best.
“Sometimes your feelings move really fast, just like the glitter in this jar. When we shake it, everything swirls around; that’s what big feelings can feel like.
Now watch the glitter slow down. It doesn’t rush. It takes its time. Your body can do that too. When you’re upset, you don’t have to feel calm straight away. You just need time and some tools to help you settle.”
Helping Your Child Use The Emotion Jar For Every Day Emotional Regulation
Once your child understands the idea, let them know the jar is theirs to use whenever they need it.You might say:
“Let’s keep this somewhere you can reach. When your feelings are big or too fast, you can pick up your jar, shake it, and watch the glitter settle. You don’t have to ask. It’s here for you whenever you need it.”
Place it somewhere accessible, such as a shelf, a bedside table, or Calm Corner.Model using it yourself sometimes. Children learn about emotional regulation by watching the adults around them.
Interested in building this into a full calm corner?
The Emotion Jar pairs beautifully with:
- Coping Cards, especially the Breathe It cards, for our Anxiety and Anger kits.
- The Anger and Anxiety kit
- Calm Corner Tools
Together, these tools create a gentle family routine for lifelong emotional regulation.
FAQs
What if my child doesn’t use it?
That’s okay. Offer it as a choice, not a requirement. Keep it visible and use it yourself. Children often return to helpful tools when they’re ready.
What if my child plays with it instead of using it to calm down?
Play is learning. Let them explore. The more familiar they are with the jar, the more likely they’ll use it during big feelings.
Is this activity right for my child?
Most children aged 3–10 enjoy it, but younger and older children may love it too. Follow your child’s lead.
How long should they use it?
There’s no set time. The goal is to help their body slow down. Let their body guide them.
A Final Note From Us
The Feelings Jar is small, but the understanding it brings can be huge for your childs emotional regulation. If you make one, we’d love to see it — tag us on Instagram @thefeelingskit.
If you want more ideas, updates, or early access to new tools for emotional regulation, join our community. Our newsletter is full of tiny, practical things you can use today. We’re building something small but meaningful. If you want to help children grow braver, kinder, and more confident with feelings, walk with us. Try the kit. Share a tiny win. Stay close as we grow.
Together, we can make learning about emotional regulation part of everyday family life, one small tool at a time.
Caitlin & Jake
The information in this blog is for general guidance only and is not a substitute for professional medical, therapeutic, or clinical advice. Every child and family is different, so please use what feels right for you. The Feelings Kit cannot diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. If you have concerns about your child's wellbeing, behaviour, or mental health, we recommend speaking with a qualified professional such as a GP, teacher, or mental health specialist. For further information, please read our safety statement, which you can find on the footer of our website.