A fun way to calm down

OSBURN –– On Wednesday night, Silver Valley CARES partnered with the Osburn Public Library to host a fun workshop where they created sensory "calm down" bottles. 

Calm-down bottles are a trendy time-out alternative for young children – Instead of simple isolation and silence, the child can quietly sit and marvel at the contents of the bottle, which has been shown to have a more successful calming and restorative effect on the child’s mind than traditional time-outs. 

SV CARES is a local nonprofit group whose mission is to support and promote mental health within Shoshone County, fostering resilience, compassion, and emotional well-being.

“These bottles are essentially containers filled with various materials that create a visually appealing and calming effect when shaken or observed,” SV CARES member Jenna Grant-Arthun said. “The workshop was designed to serve a dual purpose. First, it provided a creative and engaging activity for families, allowing them to bond while crafting something meaningful. Second, the sensory nature of the bottles makes them a useful tool for managing stress or anxiety. It's a tangible way for both parents and children to explore and express their emotions.”

Roughly a dozen littles made their way to the library with their parents or grandparents to get creative – and did they ever. 

“The success of the workshop was evident in the turnout, positive atmosphere, and the abundance of glitter,” Grant-Arthun said with a laugh. “The children, accompanied by their parents and grandparents, fostered a sense of community. The creativity displayed by the children in crafting their unique sensory bottles added a personal touch to the workshop. No two bottles looked the same.” 

Grant-Arthun explained that the partnership between SV CARES and the library is a strategic one for multiple reasons. The first one being simply the space that the library has at its disposal. 

But also, as a community resource, the library is a perfect place to offer a workshop that benefits the surrounding community. 

“Together, we aimed to create an inclusive and supportive environment for families to participate in a constructive and educational activity,” Grant-Arthun said. “Our public libraries are one of our most essential but often underutilized resources - especially in smaller communities like the Silver Valley. By partnering with them on activities like the Sensory Bottle Workshop, we hope to promote and bring recognition to the local libraries as a vital community asset.” 

Silver Valley CARES (Community, Advocates for Resilience, and Emotional Support) has a lot of special events in 2024, including a mental health first aid class, an Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) tapping workshop, a youth mental health first aid class, another Alzheimer's and Dementia discussion, scholarships for free youth ski and snowboard season rentals, and more fun workshops like the one earlier this week.

“SV CARES will continue organizing events that blend creativity with mental health awareness. The library is likely to remain a key venue for many of these activities,” Grant-Arthun said. Keep an eye out for them as SV CARES continues its commitment to supporting mental health through free engaging initiatives.”

This is an example of a sensory "calm down" bottle. Silver Valley CARES co-hosted an event at the Osburn Public Library where local kids and their families made the color bottles.