PRINTABLE Upstairs and Downstairs Brain
The Upstairs and Downstairs Brain Resource for Kids
Introducing our interactive visual resource designed to help children understand and harness the power of their "upstairs" and "downstairs" brains. Inspired by the work of Dr. Daniel Siegel, this tool teaches kids about brain function in a fun and accessible way, promoting emotional regulation, improved decision-making, and overall mental well-being.
We've created 8 characters to represent different functionalities of our upstairs and downstairs brain. This makes it memorable and easier for children to understand and engage with.
The UPSTAIRS BRAIN is the the smart and kind part of your brain. It helps you think, make good choices, and understand how other people feel.
The DOWNSTAIRS BRAIN is like the guard of the house. It’s in charge of keeping you safe and taking care of basic needs. The downstairs brain can react quickly to keep you safe, but sometimes it makes you feel too strongly or quickly.
The upstairs and downstairs brains need to work together. When the downstairs brain reaction is making too much noise, the upstairs brain breaks off and can no longer use the ladder to communicate!
Sometimes, this is a good thing when it’s keeping us safe. We can join back together later on when we are out of harm’s way. But when it’s not real danger, we need to find a way to get the two brains working together again. We can do this by taking deep breaths, naming our feelings, talking to someone or moving our body.
Use the brain resource to talk through different scenarios to start developing your child’s understanding. We’ve included some digital downloads and a parents guide to print alongside this resource.
Product details
What is included in the digital download?
How to use
Let customers speak for us
Absolutely brilliant resource for anyone with a child struggling with their emotions. Lovely pictures and helps simplify things for them if they are struggling to find their words. A friend has already asked for the shop name so they can buy one
My kids have been drawn to the vibrant colours and easy to understand visual symbols. Really like that it is metal rather than flimsy plastic. thank you!
These are great resource and beautifully made. I especially like that the tiles could be made our own.
I absolutely love this, a gift from a friend. I then gifted her one and a colleague bought herself one. I work as a teaching assistant and so have two kids so I use it to remind me of self care and how to help them!!! Lovely company! I would love to buy a journal from you !!
Lovely, useful and cute. Will be using it daily.
As a mother of 4 kids, I think I need it!
Delivered in a beautiful packaging and within a week. I am 100% happy.😊
I purchased this and some other items for my son a few months ago, he absolutely loves them! I just purchased two more personalised name matching mats for friends children as birthday presents. They will love them - thanks 🙏🏻
This visual timetable is perfect for my daughter who struggles with organisation. We’ve only been using it for a few days and I can already see improvements in her anxiety about getting out of the door with everything she needs for school. Such a great resource. Thank you
I bought the key ring for my 12 year old daughter, the quality is amazing and the leaflet to explain how to use it is so thorough.
She hasn’t use it much yet, but she’s keeping it close by ready for when she’s feeling overwhelmed or anxious.
Great toolkit for teens and pre-teens.
I’m over the moon with this beautifully crafted tool to help my toddler learn how to spell and write his name. He already loves playing with it and using it to help him. Thank you so much!
I purchased these along side a negative emotions keyring set and had a custom design created also.
The order arrived very quickly, and they are amazing. Such a lovely size and easy for my children to use, they have already started.
Couldn't be happier for the customer service and the products.
Thank you!
Having our now, next, then board has transformed our lives from a constant battle of wills and tantrums from our 3 year old, to a calm and collaborative environment. She loves to look at the tokens and help to make decisions about what she wants to do. We've spent a lot more time on things that are important to her, like sticker books, baking and painting. We've also managed to get her outside more by offering her the tokens playground, park and farm and letting her choose. She's also understanding that some things are more inevitable, like doctors appointments and nursery.
The tokens communicate so clearly that she has no problem identifying what the activities are. They are beautifully crafted on aluminium, and the only issue we have is that she would love to play with them!
Kim is friendly and professional. She was more than willing to help me confirm my order and adjust it when I'd made mistakes. I am already planning to add more tokens to our collection. Couldn't recommend her more to any parents of headstrong pre school children.
I'm a repeat customer of Craftly, and Kim remains my favourite small business of all time.
Her product quality is amazing, her customisations are wonderful, her communication is excellent.
I will use her again and again.
Such a great idea to help children manage their big feelings! We've been using this over the weekend and can already see the difference in how quickly my daughter is able to calm down.
I'm a repeat customer with Craftly because I think their products are fantastic and created with genuine love. This lanyard with the 'now and next' mini timetable is a perfect gift for my non-verbal nephew. Most recommended!
I let my Son (9) open the planner when it arrived and he was so pleased with it. It's given him the ability to be a little more independent and take on that responsibility of managing his routines without getting overwhelmed or frustrated. He sets all his tokens up ready for the next day himself. We've been using it for almost a couple of weeks now and it's made such a difference! Instead of me having to keep track of everything he has to do I just have to say, have you checked / completed your planner! He loves it as I'm not "nagging" (his words!) him and I love it as it's released some of my own mental load. I also love the magnetic tokens as he is neurodivergent I don't think he would have coped with the velcro (noise/sensation). I had considered a routine board before but dismissed them because of the velcro. I love that we can also write things if needed and Kim suggested a separate board for spare tokens which was a great call to keep the board clear and not overwhelming. His younger sister (age 3) now also wants one! I think it will be a great gift for her for when she starts school in September with a new unfamiliar routine to manage. Great versatile lovely product, but for a child with ADHD it's made a huge impact - thanks so much!
Why buy from us?
Hi, I’m Kim, a mum, maker, and big believer in the power of mindfulness for both kids and grown-ups. I started Craftly because, like so many parents, I was feeling overwhelmed and unsure how best to support my child’s big feelings.
Over the past 12 years, I’ve been designing routine, emotions and learning resources alongside my lovely mum - a Teaching and Emotional Literacy Support Assistant with over 24 years of experience. Together, we listen closely to what families and children actually need, and we create tools that are simple, visual, and made with purpose.
