Introducing Becker’s Cozy Corner Solution

Get To Know Our Cozy Corner Solution

 

Our Education Team is so excited to introduce one of our new products, the Cozy Corner Solution, a place-based system to support emotional and sensory regulation for children. This product is really close to the heart of everyone on our education team. As teachers, we would have appreciated such a practical, intentional, and comprehensive resource during our classroom years. As parents, we wish that our children and their teachers had access to a tool like this to support their experience.

 

Stepping Stones of Regulation

 

Co-regulation and self-regulation are key components of children's development. Co-regulation is the process where adults provide external support to help children manage their emotions, behaviors, and meet their physical and sensory needs. This includes modeling strategies, offering reassurance, and creating predictable routines. Co-regulation lays the foundation for self-regulation by helping children feel safe and understood. Children can exercise self-regulation when they can do these things independently. The early childhood years are all about developing a deep well of co-regulatory experiences to build a foundation for a child’s self-regulation skills. Early educators are helping children learn strategies and self-awareness, and grow the cognitive, social, and emotional “muscles” to begin to use these tools in everyday experiences. Co-regulation is essential because young children rely on responsive adults to guide them through stressful situations, gradually building the skills needed for self-regulation as their brains mature.

 

The purpose of the Cozy Corner Solution is to give educators concrete tools to practice co-regulation tools that will build children’s capacity for self-regulation. Explicitly teaching and offering many opportunities to practice regulation strategies during moments of calm will help children develop a toolbox of strategies to draw from during more challenging moments. It’s important to plan for and integrate co-regulation strategies throughout your day. The combination of materials, tools, visual resources and training included in the Cozy Corner Solution offers everything teachers and program leaders need to support this process.

 

Cultivating Space for Social & Emotional Learning

 

What is a “place-based solution”? We know that environments shape our experiences, relationships and learning. When we intentionally create a space that is comfortable and comforting, and that includes a collection of supportive materials, we demonstrate our commitment to children’s social and emotional growth. A Cozy Corner is like a home base where your tools for sensory, emotional, and physical support can always be found. Nothing is worse than knowing that a specific material would be helpful for a child during a challenging moment, but not knowing exactly where to find it. Beyond the practicalities of the physical “stuff” and space, our environment can also affect our regulatory system.

 

When we have many positive, comforting experiences in a specific space, and associate a particular area with connection and co-regulation, simply entering that space supports regulation. Our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, and tells our brain, “You are safe.” In response, our heart rate and respiration begin to regulate, and our emotional responses adjust in parallel. This isn’t a magic solution – our challenging moment doesn’t totally dissolve. But we’re likely to be less agitated and better able to access the resources that are collected in our Cozy Corner. Having a space that is a hub for connection, regulation and co-regulation makes it more accessible for children.

 

What’s Included in the Cozy Corner Solution?

 

There are two options for the Cozy Corner Solution for classrooms: one for Toddlers and one for Preschool and Primary aged children. Both include a versatile microsuede Cocoon Cushion with a removable and washable cover. It can be used as a horizontal cushion and is just the right size for a teacher and child, or can be propped on its side and functions like a cozy chair.

 

 

Each set includes an age-appropriate collection of materials and sensory tools. Some items, like photo albums, are wonderful for all age groups. Others are more specific to either Toddler or Preschool & Primary, based on safety or developmental use. Tools like headphones and noise cancelling earmuffs are included in the appropriate sizes for each set. Other items like sand timers, a book about feelings, and many options to pull, squeeze and squish. The Bouncy Balance Board, a tool for proprioceptive and vestibular input, is included only with the Preschool and Primary Cozy Corner.

 

 

Finally, at the heart of the Cozy Corner Solution is our Visual Toolkit and Training Collection. The Visual Toolkit includes a Problem Solving Plan Poster, “I Feel” Poster, “I Breathe” Poster, “I Move” Poster, and “I Choose” Solution Cards Set. Each of these visual supports has a QR code linked to its own video. The training videos are concise, but with clear, developmentally aligned instruction to introduce each tool with the children in your classroom and how to integrate these resources into daily use. As we developed the Cozy Corner, we recognized the importance of teachers having access to training resources right away, without enormous time or financial investments. We also wanted to support continuity if there are staffing changes or even if there is a substitute. A new teacher or sub could easily scan the code, watch the video, and be equipped to help a child through a breathing exercise, or how to help a child use the Feelings Faces Poster.

 

The Problem Solving Plan is an overview of all the visual resources. Like a map or menu, teachers and children work together to come up with their plan – or even just their first step. We developed this circular design to reinforce that there isn’t one “right” way, or a specific order to progress through steps, and to highlight the child and their teacher as the center of the process. Some children might find the Feelings Faces Poster a reassuring place to start, while others might really need to move their bodies first. The Problem Solving Plan makes space for a variety of entry points for the process.

 

 

The Feelings Faces Poster features an acrylic mirror, 10 pockets, and a set of 23 Feelings Faces Cards. Teachers can use the mirror to help children begin to recognize and be more connected to physical cues about how they’re feeling. Teachers could share, “It looks like your eyebrows are scrunched together in the middle of your forehead” or “Your shoulders are really up high by your ears.” That creates opportunity for further reflection: “Do you notice anything about how that’s feeling for you?” Seeing our expressions reflected in a mirror is powerful and helps us notice cues that we might not be aware of. The Feelings Faces Poster also includes ten pockets and 23 Feelings Faces Cards. Yes, there are more cards than pockets! This flexibility helps this resource grow along with children’s understanding of emotions. Initially, children might only be familiar with happy, mad, and sad. But eventually, we can expand from “mad” to more nuanced emotions like frustration and disappointment. Teachers can support children’s exploration with questions like: What’s the difference between frustrated and disappointed? What does your face do when you feel that way? How does that feel in your body? Each Feelings Faces Card features a single emotion with a clear black-and-white illustration on one side and a vivid photo of a child expressing this emotion on the other side. Some children might find the illustrations more accessible and less distracting while other children might connect more strongly with the real-life photographs.

 

The The “I Breathe” Poster is a visual guide for six different breathing exercises that teachers and children can learn and practice together. Visit Becker’s Breathing to Balance blog to learn more about breathing techniques as an important tool for regulation in your classroom.

 

Eight big body movements are featured on the “I Move” Poster. Movement is an important component of regulation that teachers don’t always feel comfortable exploring. When children are having a hard time controlling their body, it might feel counterintuitive to invite them to move. These big body activities help teachers support children’s movement needs with intentional, purposeful strategies.

 

Becker’s “I Choose” Solution Cards include 18 double-sided cards collected on a ring, and speak to a variety of challenges that are frequently encountered in early childhood classrooms. Strategies include options to address emotional, physical, social and sensory needs, and many align with the materials offered in the Cozy Corner Sensory Tools Collection. Solution Cards are available as extra sets to have in your classroom, for use outdoors, or share with enrichment teachers.

 

All four posters and the Solution Cards have a QR code that links to a video featuring Becker’s Director of Education and Development, Erin Murray, teaching how to introduce and use these tools in your classroom. The videos feature real kids and teachers going through the steps of each strategy as they learn the tools. The visual guides for both age groups look the same – we intentionally chose to keep the images consistent from one age group to the next. But the videos that are linked from each Toolkit are specific to that specific age group so that instruction is targeted for the appropriate developmental range. The posters included in the Cozy Corner for Toddlers have their own QR codes that link specifically to Toddler videos. In the Preschool & Primary Cozy Corner, the QR codes link to videos for Preschool & Primary teachers. Teachers can rewatch the videos as needed, simply scan the QR code for a refresher.

 

 

Ready to Learn More?

 

Watch the introductory video below:

 

 

 

Our upcoming webinar about Self-Regulation in Early Childhood will take a deeper dive into each of the strategies that are included in Becker’s Cozy Corner Solution. Join us to learn more!

 

 

Christine Murray is an Early Childhood Education Specialist with Becker’s Education Team.
As an educator, coach and leader, Christine is inspired by the curiosity, joy and wonder that children so generously model for us. She earned her M.A. in Innovative Early Childhood Education at the University of Colorado Denver and loves collaborating with and supporting others in the field. Grounded in relationships and guided by empathy, Christine is always learning, connecting and creating.