Pmr for Kids
A playful progressive muscle relaxation for kids: squeeze pretend lemons, hide like a turtle, and melt from robot to noodle, with calm check-ins before and after.
Your muscles can help you calm down
When you feel worried, mad, or super wiggly, your muscles squeeze up tight all by themselves. Tight muscles can make your whole body feel yucky and stuck. Here is the trick: when you squeeze a muscle on purpose and then let it go, it turns extra soft and relaxed. That soft, floppy feeling tells your brain it is safe to calm down. Ask a grown-up to read this with you the first time. Practice when you already feel okay, so the moves are easy to remember on tough days.
How to play squeeze and relax
For each move, squeeze as hard as you can without hurting while you slowly count to 5. Then let go all at once and stay soft and floppy while you count to 10. While you are floppy, notice how that part of your body feels. Lots of kids say warm, heavy, or tingly. One more rule: keep breathing the whole time. Squeeze your muscles, not your breath.
Before you play: how does your body feel?
Check in with your body right now, before your first squeeze.
The squeeze moves
1. Lemon squeeze: pretend you are holding a juicy lemon in each hand. Squeeze out every last drop... now drop the lemons and let your hands go floppy. 2. Turtle shoulders: pretend you are a turtle hiding in your shell. Pull your shoulders way up to your ears... now come out of your shell and let your shoulders slide back down. 3. Stinky sock face: oh no, someone waved a stinky sock under your nose! Scrunch up your whole face, eyes, nose, and mouth... now let your face go smooth and soft. 4. Mud squish: you are standing barefoot in cool, squishy mud. Curl your toes and push them deep into the mud... now wiggle your feet free and let them rest. 5. Robot to noodle: make your whole body stiff and strong like a robot, arms, legs, and tummy... now turn into a cooked noodle, all soft and bendy. This one is the big finish, so do it twice.
Which moves did you try?
Check off every move you did today. You can do the whole list or just your favorites.
After you play: how does your body feel now?
Check in with your body again. Did your number move, even one step? That means the squeezes are working.
Your favorite move
Which move made your body feel the most calm and floppy? That is your go-to move for tough days.
When could squeeze and relax help you?
This game can help any time your body feels tight or wiggly. Check the times you want to try it.
What did you notice?
Tell about your body today. Which parts felt the most tight before you started? What felt different after you let go? You can also tell a grown-up one thing you noticed.
Fewer clicks. More care.
One place for your team, your clients, and every clinical workflow, so nothing quietly slips through the cracks.
Free for practices with up to 20 clinicians.