Nervous System Regulation for Kids — Big Feelings, Explained by 3 Animals | 36 Printable Pages

Help your child name their big feelings and calm their body — using three friendly animal "brains" they will never forget.

Highlights

• 36 printable pages with an original colour illustration on every single page
• Story pages, colouring pages, activity cards and cut-out badges — not just worksheets
• Teaches nervous-system states through the calm Otter, the quick Hare, and the curled-up Hedgehog
• Built for children who do not want to read much: big pictures, few words
• Instant printable PDF for home, classroom, or therapy

About this workbook

When a child is flooded with big emotions, "calm down" rarely works. This workbook gives them something better: a simple, playful way to understand what is happening inside their own body.

Three friendly animals carry the whole idea. The Otter floats on its back, relaxed and connected — that is calm. The Hare bolts in a heartbeat — that is fight or flight. The Hedgehog curls into a ball to protect its soft parts — that is shutting down.

Children get bored by pages of instructions, so around half of this book is picture-led — comic-strip stories, big colouring pages, illustrated activity cards, a poster to hang up, badges to cut out. The learning happens while they are having fun.

What is inside

• Three pages of illustrated activity cards: bringing the Otter back, moving my body, quiet things that help
• Two comic-strip stories (no task, just read and talk)
• Two full-page colouring sheets and a draw-your-own page
• Six cut-out badges to earn and keep, plus a match-the-pairs page
• Meet the Otter, Hare and Hedgehog brains, with pages to colour
• Body-clue awareness and a feelings weather report
• Breathing games: dragon breaths, rainbow tracing and teddy belly breaths
• A gentle toolkit for uncurling the Hedgehog after a hard moment
• A personal "Back to Otter" plan and a weekly tracker
• A co-regulation guide written for the grown-ups

Who it is for

Children ages 5 to 10 who struggle with big emotions, anxiety, or sensory overwhelm — and the parents, teachers, and therapists guiding them.

Format and delivery

• Instant digital download. One PDF, 36 pages, US Letter size (prints on A4 with "fit to page").
• No physical item is shipped.
• Print as often as you like for your own family, classroom or practice.
• All sales are final due to the digital nature of the product, but we are happy to help with any download issues.

How to use your file after purchase

1. After checkout, you will receive an email with your secure download link.
2. Save the PDF to a computer or tablet (links can expire).
3. Print the pages you need, or use them digitally on a tablet.
4. Start with a story or colouring page. Save the worksheets for a calm moment, not mid-meltdown.

All text and illustrations are original to Mindful Roots. This workbook is a general emotional-learning tool, not therapy or medical advice. If your child experiences frequent, intense distress, a licensed child therapist or your pediatrician can help.