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.