Purple Splash Studios

The Grow and Lead Adventure Club is in full swing and it's been fun learning and growing together. It's amazing how much these kids have accomplishments and there’s still plenty more creative adventures ahead.

If your school or community is interested in programs that strengthen confidence, social‑emotional skills, teamwork, and overall well‑being through evidence‑based, creative, and engaging activities, I’d love to connect. Please reach out to explore bringing these workshops to your community.

Tools That Help Kids Regulate at Home and Why They Work

🏖️ Kinetic Sand

Kinetic sand gives the hands something soothing to do. The slow squeezing, molding, and letting it fall activates proprioceptive input, the body’s “pressure and position” sense, which helps settle the nervous system. The repetitive motion also supports mindfulness and lowers stress hormones.

🥁 Steel Tongue Drum

Soft, melodic tones from a steel drum create auditory regulation. The vibrations are grounding, and the predictable, gentle sounds help shift the brain into a calmer rhythm. Kids don’t need musical skill, just tapping creates instant soothing.

🔍 Fidget Toys

Fidget toys such as maze toys, infinity cubes, clicking fidgets give the hands a job, which reduces excess energy and supports focus. They work by providing tactile and fine‑motor stimulation, helping the brain filter out distractions and settle into a regulated state.

⚖️ Balance Board

Balance boards activate the vestibular system, which is responsible for balance and spatial awareness. Gentle rocking or shifting weight helps kids reset when they’re dysregulated, overwhelmed, or restless. It’s especially helpful for kids who need movement to calm down.

🫧 Bubbles

Blowing bubbles is actually a breathing exercise disguised as play. Slow, controlled exhales activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and signals safety to the brain. Watching bubbles float also adds a visual calming effect.

🛏️ Weighted Blanket

A weighted blanket provides deep pressure input, which is one of the most effective ways to calm the nervous system. The gentle, even weight signals the body to release serotonin and reduce cortisol, helping kids feel grounded, safe, and settled. It’s especially helpful during bedtime, transitions, or moments of overwhelm. Compression clothes can work, too.

When kids engage these systems, their brain shifts from “fight or flight” into “rest and regulate.”

What calming tools or activities help your child feel regulated at home?

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Here are a few clips from some of the team‑building and creative sessions I led this summer. I love watching people connect, laugh, and learn together.

If you’d like to book a party, workshop, or team‑building experience for your family, community group, school, or workplace, I’d love to support you. I design creative experiences tailored to your goals, whether that’s building social‑emotional skills, strengthening collaboration and communication, or simply having fun together.

Thank you to all the kids, families, and educators reading and using our books/journals. My mom would be smiling knowing our stories and journals are living on through you. I hope they fill your homes and classrooms with joy, your minds with wisdom, and your hearts with self-love and empathy. 💜

I'm still reminiscing over the joy of this Family Dance Party last month. It was so wonderful to meet, groove, and connect with you all. A big thank you to the Federal Way 320th Library for welcoming me and to the KCLS Foundation for sponsoring this event.

Hope to see you all at studio: Body Language Studio.

Want to book your own creative arts therapy, life coaching, or movement event or workshop for your community, school, birthday, or family, please reach out to me, (Purple Splash Studios).

When your child is having strong emotions, here’s a simple, yet effective art therapy activity you can do together. This one is good for parents or anyone who works with kids.

Draw a gingerbread person and ask the child, “Where do you feel your feelings?” Let them color the spots where emotions are showing up in the color of their choice. Maybe anger feels hot in the cheeks, sadness feels heavy in the chest, or worry feels tight in the tummy. It is not about how the art looks and more about how it feels.

This technique is powerful because kids often feel emotions before they can talk about them. By coloring the sensations, they learn to tune into their bodies, understand what’s happening, and express it safely. It helps them move from overwhelm to awareness, and to realize they may be experiencing a mix of emotions. It also helps you see what they’re experiencing so you can respond with calm, connection, and compassion.

A brand‑new 3‑month adventure kicks off today. I loved meeting our new group of kids for the Grow & Lead Adventure Club. Such bright energy, big hearts, and eager learners. Here’s to building social-emotional skills, friendships, and leaders together.

What a beautiful way to wrap up the season! Our final summer program at the Renton Library brought together wonderful families for a My Emotions Workshop filled with creativity, games, movement, music, and so much heart. We learned about emotions, explored how emotions feel in our bodies, and practiced calming tools that will empower children and families as they go back to school.

Huge thanks to the Renton Library for welcoming us and to the KCLS Foundation for sponsoring this meaningful experience.

Fall programming is coming, and I can’t wait.

This Family Dance Party was such a blast. So many families showed up and besides for dancing they got to enjoy crafts, face paints, food, and books. I'm grateful I got to be a part of the end of summer joy. Thank you to the Renton Highlands Library for organizing this amazing event and to the Allied Arts of Renton to sponsoring.

Join us for my next My Colorful Emotions Workshop at the Renton Library on August 30th at 3pm.

Perfect for kids aged 5-8, we will learn about our emotions and healthy ways to express and navigate them through games, art, and movement. It incorporate evidence-based techniques I use in my creative arts therapy practice.

I'm excited to see you there!