Emotional Boxes: Helping Children in Ukraine Regulate Emotions and Build Resilience
For children in Ukraine, especially those growing up in regions affected near the frontline, emotions can often feel overwhelming. Fear, sadness, anger, and anxiety are daily realities. Without healthy tools to manage these feelings, children may withdraw, act out, or carry the weight of trauma into their futures.
At the Ukraine Volya Foundation, we believe that a child’s mental and emotional well-being is just as important as their physical safety. This belief inspired us to create the Emotional Box – a simple yet powerful toolkit that helps children feel safe, supported, and in control of their emotions.
Each Emotional Box is carefully prepared with items that engage children’s senses, spark creativity, and encourage calm:
Emotional Barometer – a color-coded chart with expressive faces to help children identify what they feel (anger, sadness, fear, calm, joy).
Activity Cards – created by our team, with child-friendly suggestions like “When I feel sad, I can draw, cuddle under a blanket, or write in my journal.”
Stress-relief toys – stress balls, pop-its, fidgets, and puzzles to release tension.
Comfort items – soft textures, an eye mask, small objects for grounding.
Creative tools – crayons, coloring pages, notepads, and playdough for emotional expression.
Soothing elements – calming scents, bubbles, or simple breathing exercise reminders
How It Works
The Emotional Barometer guides a child to identify their “zone” of feelings:
Red = anger
Blue = sadness
Green = calm
Yellow = excitement
Purple = anxiety
Linked to each color are activity cards, suggesting coping strategies. For example:
In the blue zone, a child can draw, breathe deeply, or cuddle under a blanket.
In the red zone, they might squeeze a stress ball, count stones, or take a quiet break.
In the green zone, they are encouraged to play, share joy, or help others.
This interactive system helps children self-regulate and transform overwhelming emotions into manageable, positive actions.
Our First Delivery: 45 Boxes for Kherson Region
In our pilot initiative, the Ukraine Volya Foundation prepared and delivered 45 Emotional Boxes to children in the Kherson region, an area where young lives are scarred daily by the horrors of war.
For these children, the boxes were more than gifts — they were lifelines. Each box became a personal treasure chest, offering moments of calm, opportunities to self-soothe, and proof that they are not forgotten.
The Emotional Box is more than a set of toys. It is a tool for resilience. By giving children the skills to identify, accept, and manage their emotions, we help reduce stress, prevent destructive behavior, and strengthen their ability to heal from trauma.
Research shows that children who learn emotional regulation are more resilient, have stronger relationships, and a greater sense of stability. The Emotional Box provides exactly that — a way forward, one small step at a time.
Every box is a message of love, safety, and hope. Every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and valued.
