A warm place for little minds and big feelings

Fuzz and his woodland friends rebuilding together beneath the old oak

Classroom guide

The Storm Inside Classroom Guide

A trauma-aware read-aloud guide for body signals, frustration, repair and asking for help without turning the story into an interrogation.

Suggested for ages 3–8; adapt to the group

Download the guide Back to schools

PDF · A4 · about 12 KB

Accessible web version

Before you read

  • Read the story first and identify a calm-space option that does not feel punitive.
  • Plan how children may pass, draw, move or listen without answering.
  • Avoid scheduling the discussion immediately after a known incident involving a child in the group.
  • Know who will provide individual follow-up if the story opens a concern.

What the session may support

These are cautious intentions, not guaranteed outcomes or formal curriculum claims.

  • Notice that behaviour can communicate a need before words arrive.
  • Explore body signals connected to frustration or overwhelm.
  • Identify several forms of help rather than one prescribed calming strategy.
  • Model repair and reconnection after something goes wrong.

Optional read-aloud prompts

  1. 1

    What small things collected in Fuzz’s cloud?

  2. 2

    How did his tummy, head and heart try to communicate?

  3. 3

    What did the friends do after the tower fell?

  4. 4

    Which kinds of help did Olive and Berty make room for?

  5. 5

    What could a classroom signal for ‘I need a little help’ look like?

Optional activities

Offer a path.
Never require a disclosure.

Weather without disclosure

Invite children to choose weather for a story character or an imaginary day. Nobody has to describe their own experience.

Body-signal silhouettes

Mark where a fictional character might feel tight, hot, fast, shaky or still. Emphasise that bodies communicate differently.

Rebuild together

Use blocks or loose parts to practise beginning again after a shared structure falls, with no blame attached.

Calm-space choices

Co-design a small menu: quiet, movement, water, sensory object, drawing, trusted adult or returning later.

Safeguarding note

Keep the route
around the child.

If a child shares a concern, listen calmly, do not promise secrecy and follow the setting’s safeguarding procedure. This guide does not replace the DSL, SENCO, pastoral team, healthcare support or an individual plan.

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