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Deep Breaths

Kindergartners learn to take deep, calming breaths — “smell the flower, blow out the candle” — a simple, healthy way to feel calmer when feelings get big.

KindergartenCASEL: Self-Management25 minutes1 class periodCASEL SELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Notice big feelings.
  • ✓Take a deep breath.
  • ✓Order the steps.
  • ✓Feel calm.
Essential Question

Sometimes your feelings get really BIG. When that happens, you can take deep breaths to feel calm. How do you take a calming breath?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Deep-Breath Steps

Project this and have children put the deep-breath steps in order — smell the flower, blow out the candle.

🌬️ Put the breathing steps in order!Try it
Tap the first step!
The Lesson · SEL Flow (Check-In · Learn · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

25 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Check-In — Big Feelings

3 min

Sometimes feelings get BIG — what can help you feel calm?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a calm check-in.
  • Ask what helps.
  • Be caring.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Check in.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Deep Breaths

7 min

Children learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show smell-the-flower.
  • Show blow-the-candle.
  • Breathe together.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Smell it.
  • Blow it.
  • Breathe.
3

Practice — Order the Steps

7 min

Children practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Order the Deep-Breath Steps.
  • Put them in order.
  • Breathe along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order them.
  • Breathe.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Breathe

5 min

Children apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Take three deep breaths.
  • Feel calmer.
  • Say when to use it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Breathe.
  • Feel it.
  • Say when.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a deep breath.
  • Say when it helps.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Say when.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL 5 Social & Emotional Learning Competencies.

CASEL
Self-Management

Use deep breathing to calm down.

CASEL
Self-Management

Begin to show self-control.

CASEL
Self-Awareness

Notice big feelings.

CASEL
Self-Management

Practice a calming skill.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Breath picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I breathe to feel ___.”
  • Breathe together.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with breathe in and out.
  • Use a flower/candle.
  • Do one breath.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add a calm-down spot.
  • Teach a friend.
  • Draw a calm place.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🌸A flower and candle (props)
  • 💻Order the Deep-Breath Steps
  • 🧸A soft toy
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

breathair in and outdeep breatha big, slow breathcalmpeacefulsmellbreathe in through your noseblowbreathe outslownot fastfeelinghow you feelbig feelinga very strong feeling
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What do you do first in a deep breath?
Smell the flower — breathe in slow.
QUESTION 2
What do you do to breathe out?
Blow out the candle.
QUESTION 3
How do you feel after deep breaths?
Calmer.

Reflect: breathe calm.

Have children practice “smell the flower, blow out the candle” when they feel a big feeling. A printable deep-breath sheet is in the SEL library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Self-Management: Deep BreathsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Self-Management: Deep BreathsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Self-Management: Deep BreathsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: big feeling, blow, breath, calm, deep breath, feeling, slow, smell
  1. a very strong feeling
  2. how you feel
  3. a big, slow breath
  4. breathe out
  5. not fast
  6. peaceful
  7. breathe in through your nose
  8. air in and out

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What do you do first in a deep breath?
  2. What do you do to breathe out?
  3. How do you feel after deep breaths?
Answer key — Part A: 1) big feeling · 2) feeling · 3) deep breath · 4) blow · 5) slow · 6) calm · 7) smell · 8) breath
Part B: 1) Smell the flower — breathe in slow. 2) Blow out the candle. 3) Calmer.