Personal and Professional Wellness

KHST Activity Rationale

For the ‘Kids Have Stress Too!’ activity, I chose to create what I call a ‘Fidget Kit’, which

consists of a variety of different ‘fidget’ type items which I have created using mostly

Dollarama materials which is intended for Preschool age children. These items ranges

from fairly to very durable, and even if they do break, these items are very easy and

inexpensive to make. The latest craze over fidgeting items such as fidget cubes and

fidget spinners demonstrates just how great of a need there is for these kinds of items

and how useful they can be. This resource is meant to act as a symptom reduction

strategy, if a child is feeling stressed, upset, or angry, using these materials may help to

calm them down and bring their focus back to the world around them. These items can

also be used as ‘stimming’ tools for children on the Autism Spectrum, as well as to relieve

various compulsions and prevent children from injuring themselves or others in these

compulsions, they can also help children who have difficulty paying attention to focus

without distraction.

As the kit consists of different types of fidgeting items, a child can pick and choose which

item works for them in that situation. This type of choice can help children to think critically

about how they are feeling and help them to understand exactly what can help

them. KHST Key Concept 3 states that “Children who can recognize, acknowledge and

express their feelings appropriately, cope better with stress” (Psychology Foundation,

2016), by allowing the children to assess their feelings in this way, even if they do not yet

have the vocabulary needed to express their feelings, they can learn to better understand

them and how to handle them appropriately and effectively. Furthermore, Key Concept
4 states that “relaxation strategies can reduce a child’s reaction to stress” (Psychology

Foundation, 2016), as this resource acts as a symptom reduction strategy and it is meant

to calm the child, it can then also be used as a relaxation strategy, which the KHST terms

as a “valuable skill that children can learn and practice throughout their lives” (Psychology

Foundation, 2016).

By integrating this resource into an Early Learning classroom, I would intend for it to help

the children gain a sense of control and enable them to build their capacity for self-

regulation. By giving the children these strategies and allowing them to use them

whenever they need them, and helping them to develop this sort of control over their

emotions and actions, we help children to build positive self-esteem and prepare them for

the future. Strategies like these can truly be help children throughout their lives and can

make them feel, and therefore be, more capable and successful.
 References

Schooling Active Monkeys. (2017, May 22). Classroom Friendly Fidget Toys. Retrieved

from: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/840484349181007358/

The OT Toolbox. (2017, May 2). DIY Fidget Toys. Retrieved from:

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/840484349181007279/

The Psychology Foundation of Canada (2016). Kids Have Stress Too! Preschool and

Kindergarten Program.