20 Products You Need to Create the Ultimate Self-Care Toolkit 

Written By Parent Self Care

Written by Kristi Yeh, LMFT

When things are going well, most of us do not want to think about our mental wellness. However, identifying ways to help you manage stress and boost your calm is easier during times of ease. Taking the time to plan for the ups and downs of life will pay off, and creating your own self-care toolkit can be a fun and creative project for kids and adults. 

I wanted to share some of my favorite self-care products that have helped me and my clients for the past decade. You do not need all of these products for your toolkit, but perhaps you might add a few to things you already have at home. Also, calming toys do lose their luster after some time, so I hope this will help you refresh your own or your child’s self-care toolkit for the years to come. 


Feelings and Coping Skills

  • Kimochis Feelings Pillows. The foundation of emotional wellness is learning to identify and express emotions. These pillows are pricey, but they are hands down the best “feelings chart” I’ve ever used with children and teens. The pillows make the feelings more tangible and engaging, and I get a lot fewer sighs and eye rolls when I ask a client, again, how they are feeling. You can sometimes get a 6-pack of the feelings pillows on Amazon at a discount and you don’t need the huge pack of feelings for home use. If you are a therapist, I would recommend getting the larger pack of feelings pillows directly from the Kimochis shop.

  • Big Life Journal Coping Skills Poster. Posters and printouts are options that many of us can access. I recommend printing them in color to make them more engaging. They serve as a visual reminder of calming tools we may forget in the heat of the moment. For parents, hanging up a colorful and beautifully designed poster is all that’s needed to plant seeds. Kids will wander up and read when they are interested, and that allows you not to play the role of the therapist and just be their parent. In addition to Big Life Journal’s amazing coping skills poster, I also love Wholehearted School Counseling’s yoga and calming posters as well. 

  • Little Luminaries Affirmations Cards. I love these affirmation cards for kids and teens because most kids love animals, and the affirmations are short and easy to understand. I have kids pick a card they are drawn to, or pick one at random to see what their affirmation is for the day. I enjoy ending therapy sessions using a variety of affirmation card decks. 

Fidget Toys

  • SHASHIBO Shape Shifting Magnetic Cube. This is one of the most popular items in my fidget box when kids visit my office. It’s pricey, but it is well made and well-loved by children and teens. This one is so popular I do not loan it out to students because I do not want them to lose it or forget to bring it back. 

  • Flow Ring Arm Magic. This is another popular fidget item. The flow ring can bend and shift, and it feels calming when it rolls up and down your arm. These are not as pricey, and the one I’ve linked comes in a three pack. This is helpful because too much fidget-fun with this toy, and the rings will bend and lose their luster.

  • Tangle Toy. This toy is small and portable. Kids enjoy this fidget, but they are not as obsessed compared to the shape shifting cube and flow ring. I have purchased a couple different manufacturer versions of these toys, and the one I linked I have found to be more durable.

  • Spiky Hedge Balls. These are great for kids because it gives sensory feedback when they rub them in their palms, and they are not too distracting in public settings due to the small size. These are cost-efficient fidgets, but you need it because they are small and they often go missing! 

  • Marble Fidgets. These fidgets fall into the same category as the spiky hedge balls. Small, portable, and not too distracting--but, they are not as popular as the first three on this list and they come in packs with multiple marble fidgets because they are easy to lose.  

Calming Products

  • Glitter Stick or Jars. This is another one of my most utilized calming tools in my office. Kids enjoy the old-school glitter sticks we grew up with as kids, and they also love making their own glitter jar. If you want my glitter jar tips after making more than I can count with kids ages 5-16, you can check out my blog and an article about how teachers and parents can frame the calming glitter jar for kids.

  • Desk Zen Garden. This is a favorite in my office or in other teacher’s calm corners. Raking the sand is soothing for many kids and adults alike. This item is not as portable as other items featured on the list.

  • Magic Sequin Fidget Pillow. Reversible sequins became the rage a few years ago. It became so popular kids could literally wear this calming product on shirts (although some kids find them itchy on their skin if it’s not lined well) or bring it with them to school in a pencil pouch. Kids often gravitate towards this pillow in my fidget basket, and find rubbing the sequins back and forth to change the color of the pillow soothing.

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  • Stress Balls. I have tried so many over the years, and some are more durable than others. I often find my favorite stress balls at toy shops or Paper Source. Some of my favorites over the years include:

    1. The Giant Stress Ball. The larger size is something novel and fun for kids and adults alike.

    2. Glitter Stress Ball. This has been very popular since I picked it up at Paper Source. The texture feels durable, and kids love the little extra hint of glitter.

    3. Squishy Mesh Ball. I typically order these on Amazon, and here is another option from Paper Source. Some kids love squeezing the ball and having the goo come through the mesh holes, and other people find it gross! I do find the mesh net balls are a bit less durable in general.

    4. Nee Doh Stress Balls. This company has many options, and kids tend to be drawn to the consistency and designs (such as different animals), or glitter features.

    5. Orbeez Stress Balls. When I am refreshing my stress ball supplies, I often do an Amazon search for Orbeez stress balls and new ones since there are a variety of options.

    6. DIY Stress Balls. Kids also love making their own stress balls. This is a really easy self-care DIY activity. You can make many different consistencies, and decorate them with Sharpie pens as well. 

  • Aaron’s Thinking Putty. I love Aaron’s putty, and it’s a big hit with kids and teens. They have different types, such as ones that change color. The tin is portable, and the putty is hard to squish offering sensory input and stress relief. They also have a stress ball consistency that gets harder the more you play with it.

  • Kinetic Sand. Kinetic sand is a neat consistency that can take shape without water, and also fall loosely through your hands. This is a messier item, so if having sand around the house will drive you bonkers I would stay away from this one. I store mine in this container that works well to keep things contained and easy to move from home to my therapy office. 

  • Puzzles. Puzzle books are great books to keep in a calm kit in addition to jigsaw puzzles. Ravensburger puzzles are high-quality jigsaw puzzles that do not break as easily as other brands. 

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  • Lavender Eye Pillow. Eye pillows provide some sensory input for your eyes, and a calming lavender smell. These pillows are small and portable as well. Linked is a pillow I’ve used and gifted to others.

  • Room Spray, Candles or Essential Oils. Room sprays are small and can give an instant self-care for the senses boost! Essential oil roller sticks are easy to take to school or leave in your self-care kit. At home, candles could be a great option as well (depending on the age of the child). You can also make your own room spray, which is a fun DIY self-care activity that is also featured in my book, “Self-Care 101: Self-Care Inspiration for Busy Parents.”

Books and Journals

This list could be endless, but here are a few of my self-care favorites for kids and adults. Also, people can pick comforting books they have read before that have nothing to do with emotional wellness or self-care. You could also add coffee table books that are visually calming as well. Whatever you pick will be the most beneficial.

Kids:

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Parents:

Journals for Kids:

Journals for Adults:

Art

  • Crayons and Pens. Splurge a little on some nice colored pencils, crayons, or pens for your self-care kit. Kids love glitter pens, and I enjoy finding nice art supplies in shops instead of ordering a typical Crayola crayon or pen kit. 

  • Nice Paper or Coloring Books. Grab a sketch pad with drawing paper, and pick the size that works best for your self-care kit. You can also explore endless coloring book options, and here are my recent favorites for kids and adults.

    1. Mindfulness Coloring Book for Children by The Future Teacher Foundation

    2. Self-Care Coloring Book: Women + Patterns + Plants by Wild Suga

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Music and tv shows or movies that are calming or funny are also great items for your self-care toolkit. But, the time of CDs and DVDs have passed, so you can create a playlist and save movies or TV shows on your profile or DVR. In Meik Weiking’s book, “The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living,” has a wonderful section on building your own self-care kit. Weiking also includes some high quality chocolate and jam in the Danish self-care kits, and that’s something I can get behind! The hygge-inspired self-care toolkit is also included in my book, “Self Care 101: Self-Care Inspiration for Busy Parents.” This book is available in hardcover at Barnes&Noble, and digitally in the Parent Self-Care shop.

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Even though the title of the blog says you need these products, I mostly wrote that to grab your attention! Your self-care toolkit is whatever works for you, and this list is here to provide inspiration. Enjoy getting creative and taking the time to do things now that your future self will thank you for. 

Parent Self Care https://parentselfcare.com
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