10 Deep Breathing Cards for Kids

Looking for a simple, engaging way to help kids practice deep breathing skills in a way that feels engaging and not forced?

This therapist-created, low-prep resource helps kids learn and practice deep breathing through visual prompts and creative tracing guides.

Use this resource to:

• Help kids practice calming strategies in a concrete, approachable way
• Build coping skills before big feelings take over
• Support regulation during transitions, stress, or moments of dysregulation
• Introduce breathing tools through play, movement, and repetition

This resource includes:

• Instruction sheet
• 10 deep breathing cards with visual tracing prompts
• Colorful, kid-friendly breathing images
• Breathing cues embedded into each card

This tool gives kids a hands-on way to practice regulation skills instead of just talking about them. Rather than presenting breathing as another “skill to remember,” these cards help make coping feel playful, accessible, and easier to use in real moments.

Ideal for individual sessions, calm-down corners, school counseling, brain breaks, or as a grab-and-go coping tool for home.

Pair this with the Feeling Flashcards + Emotion Mats to help kids identify what they’re feeling before practicing regulation or  the DBT STOP Skill to extend coping and problem-solving.