My Red Zone Story: Leo and the Block Tower

Leo loved building with blocks. He would spend a long time carefully stacking them, one on top of another, to make the tallest towers in his classroom.

One sunny afternoon, Leo was building a super-duper tall tower. It almost touched the ceiling! He put the very last block on top, feeling so proud.

Suddenly, CRASH! Another student accidentally bumped the table, and Leo's magnificent tower tumbled down. Blocks scattered everywhere.

Leo's face got hot. His eyebrows scrunched together so tightly they looked like one long line. His hands squeezed into tight fists, and his jaw felt stiff. He felt a big, boiling feeling bubbling inside him. This was Leo's Red Zone feeling. He was super, super MAD!

Leo wanted to yell. He wanted to kick the blocks. But then, he remembered what his teacher taught him about big feelings.

He took a deep breath in through his nose, like he was smelling a delicious cookie. Then, he blew the air out slowly, like he was blowing bubbles. He did this three times.

Next, Leo counted slowly in his head, "One... two... three... four... five."

After his breaths and counting, Leo still felt a little mad, but the boiling feeling wasn't quite as big. He knew he was moving out of the Red Zone.

He looked at his friend who had bumped the table, and instead of yelling, he said, "I'm mad my tower fell down." His friend said, "Oh no! I'm sorry, Leo. Can I help you build it again?"

Leo nodded. Together, they started picking up the blocks, ready to build a new, even stronger tower. Leo learned that even when feelings are super big, he has tools to help him calm down and make things better.

Red Zone Coping Skills Chart

When you feel your body getting hot, your eyebrows scrunching, and a super big, mad feeling bubbling inside, you might be in the Red Zone!

It's okay to feel mad, but it's important to have tools to help your body and mind calm down. Here are some of our favorite Red Zone Rescue tools:

Your Red Zone Rescue Kit!

1. Take 3 Deep Breaths:

   • Breathe in slowly through your nose, like you're smelling a yummy flower (hold for a tiny bit).
   • Breathe out slowly through your mouth, like you're blowing out a birthday candle.
   • Do this 3 times! Feel your belly get big and then small.

2. Count to 5 Slowly:

   • Quietly or in your head, count: "1... 2... 3... 4... 5..."
   • This helps your brain think about something else for a moment.

3. Ask for a Break:

   • If you're in class or with friends, you can ask an adult, "May I please have a break?"
   • Sometimes a few minutes in a quiet space can help you feel better.

4. Squeeze and Release:

   • Squeeze your hands into tight fists, hold for 3 seconds (1-2-3!).
   • Then, let them go loose and floppy. Repeat a few times. This helps your body let go of some of that big energy.

Remember, these tools are here to help you move out of the Red Zone and back to a calmer feeling!

Feelings Candy Land Game: Red Zone Rescue!

Materials Needed:

• Candy Land game board (or a similar path-based game board - you can draw one!)
• Game pawns/tokens for each player
• Dice (or the original Candy Land spinner/cards for movement)
• Feeling Cards (print and cut out the prompts below)

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Place all the Feeling Cards face down in a pile near the game board. Each player chooses a pawn and places it at the START space.
2. Take Turns: Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their pawn that many spaces along the game path. Alternatively, if using a Candy Land board, players draw a color card and move to the next matching colored space.
3. Draw a Card: When a player lands on any colored space, they draw the top Feeling Card from the pile.
4. Follow the Prompt: The player must follow the instruction on the Feeling Card. Encourage students to participate and share. For 1st/2nd graders, encourage more detailed responses; for K, focus on acting out or simple verbal responses.
5. Discussion & Reinforcement: After each turn, briefly discuss the feeling or coping skill. Provide positive reinforcement for participation and effort, especially for sharing or demonstrating coping skills.
6. Winning the Game: The first player to reach the END space wins, but everyone wins by learning about their feelings!

Feeling Cards Prompts:

(Print, cut out, and place face down in a pile. Create multiple cards for each type!)

Red Zone Cards (Focus: Mad, Angry, Frustrated)

• Red Zone! Oh no, you landed on RED! Your eyebrows scrunch up when you're mad. Show us a mad face (no sounds!). What is one coping skill you could use when you feel this way? (e.g., take 3 deep breaths, count to 5).
• Angry Action! You're feeling angry. Act out being angry with your body (e.g., stomping feet gently, clenching fists), then tell us one thing you could do to feel calmer.
• (1st/2nd Grade) Red Alert! Think of a time you felt really mad. What made you feel that way? What did you do to help yourself? (K students can draw a mad face instead).
• Super Mad! You feel super mad, like Leo in our story. Show us how you would take 3 deep breaths to help yourself.

Yellow Zone Cards (Focus: Worried, Frustrated, Silly, Wobbly)

• Wobbly Feeling! You feel a bit wobbly or silly. Act out being silly! What could make you feel calm again?
• Worried Thoughts! Sometimes we feel worried. Show us a worried face. What is one thing you can do if you feel worried?
• Frustrated Friend! You're trying something new and it's frustrating! What does your body feel like when you're frustrated? (e.g., tight shoulders).

Green Zone Cards (Focus: Happy, Calm, Focused, Ready to Learn)

• Happy Heart! You feel happy and ready to learn! Show us a happy face. What makes you feel happy?
• Calm and Ready! You feel calm and focused. Show us a calm body pose. What helps you feel calm?
• Green Zone Superstar! Share one thing you love to do when you're feeling happy.

Blue Zone Cards (Focus: Sad, Tired, Sick)

• Sleepy Time! You feel tired. Show us how you would rest your head. What do you do when you're tired?
• Sad Day? Sometimes we feel sad. Show us a sad face. What could make you feel a little better if you were sad?
• Gentle Feelings! You feel a little down. Who is someone you could talk to if you felt this way?