The Best Calming Activities for Girls' Groups That Reduce Overwhelm

Support Girls With Gentle Tools to Reset, Recharge, and Regulate Their Emotions

Sometimes what a girls' group needs most isn’t more talking, more energy, or more activity—it’s calm. A space to exhale. A moment to just be. Especially when girls are overwhelmed, stressed, or emotionally drained, calming activities can help them come back to themselves—and feel safe, grounded, and supported again.

Whether you're wrapping up a high-energy session, supporting girls through anxiety, or simply want to create more peace in your circle, these calming activities are perfect for slowing things down, tuning in, and gently helping girls regulate their emotions.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Calming activities support emotional regulation, nervous system resets, and inner peace

• Overwhelmed girls need gentle, sensory, and mindful tools to feel safe and supported

• Creating calm isn’t about silence—it’s about intentional stillness and soothing connection

• These activities work beautifully in workshops, afterschool groups, or 1:1 coaching

1. Glitter Jar Mindfulness

Have girls make simple calming jars with clear glue, water, glitter, and food coloring. When shaken, the glitter represents a “stormy mind,” and as it settles, so do emotions. Girls can use the jar as a breathing anchor, watching the glitter while taking slow, steady breaths.

2. Guided Grounding Meditation

Invite girls to close their eyes and do a short body scan or grounding meditation. Guide them to notice their breath, feel their feet on the ground, and check in with how they’re feeling—no pressure to change it, just awareness. You can even use soothing music or nature sounds to enhance the calm.

3. Create “Calm Cards”

Let girls decorate small affirmation or coping strategy cards to use when they’re overwhelmed. Include messages like:

• “I am safe right now.”

• “This moment will pass.”

• “Breathe in strength, breathe out stress.”
  They can keep their cards in their backpack, locker, or journal as a personal calming toolkit.

4. Color & Reflect Journaling

Offer girls calming coloring pages (mandalas, nature shapes, doodles) along with gentle reflection prompts like:

• What helps you feel grounded when life feels too big?

• What does calm feel like to you?

• What’s one thing you want to let go of right now?
  The combination of creativity and quiet reflection is powerfully soothing.

5. Breathing Beads Bracelet

Girls create bracelets using beads, where each bead represents a breath—inhale, exhale, pause. As they move their fingers across the bracelet, they take one breath per bead. It becomes both a calming practice and a wearable reminder to slow down.

6. Scent & Sound Soothing Station

Set up a mini sensory station with calming scents (like lavender or peppermint), gentle music, and soft textures. Let girls explore the station in silence or while journaling. Engaging the senses can help anchor girls in the present and reduce overwhelm quickly and naturally.

7. “Let It Go” Release Ritual

At the end of a session, invite girls to write down something that’s been weighing on them—stress, anxiety, self-doubt. Fold it up and place it in a “Let It Go” jar or shred it. This symbolic release helps girls acknowledge their feelings and leave a little lighter.

8. Group Gratitude Moment

Close with a calming group gratitude practice. Ask each girl to share one thing she’s grateful for or something that helped her feel calm today. Gratitude gently shifts focus away from stress and into peace, connection, and presence.

Ready to guide your girls through more moments of calm, clarity, and emotional strength? The Managing Stress and Emotions Coaching Kit is a 4-part series designed to help girls understand their emotions, manage stress, and build inner calm through fun, reflective, and empowering tools. You’ll get ready-to-use lesson plans, journaling prompts, calming activities, and group guides to support your girls—no matter what they’re feeling.

You don’t have to have all the answers. You just need to create the calm—and the confidence will follow. Let me know which activity brings the most peace to your group. I’m always cheering you on!

- Kate