One of the questions families sometimes ask us is how we support children who are having a hard moment.
A child who is overwhelmed, over-excited or simply exhausted does not need to be told off or moved on. They need to be understood. The Just Right Programme gives us, and the children themselves, a shared language for doing exactly that.
What Is the Just Right Programme?
The Just Right Programme is a colour-based emotional regulation system developed in Brighton and Hove for use in early years settings. It gives children a simple, visual way to understand and communicate how they are feeling, without needing to find complex words for big emotions.
The programme uses four colours, each representing a different state of alertness and arousal. Children learn to recognise which colour they are in at any given moment, and practitioners learn to spot the signs too. The goal is not to make children feel a particular way, but to help them understand themselves, and to give everyone the tools to move gently towards a calmer, more settled state when that is needed.
At Young Friends, the Just Right Programme is used as a whole-setting approach. Every child benefits from it, not just those who find emotional regulation more challenging. Learning to name and understand your feelings is one of the most important things a young child can do.
The Four Colour Zones
| Colour | Zone | What is looks like | What helps |
| Green | Just Right | Calm, alert and focused. Ready to learn, play and connect with others.hat is looks like | This is the goal. Staff notice and gently support children in returning here when needed. |
| Blue | Floppy or Fidgety | Low energy, tired, bored or under-stimulated. The child may seem withdrawn or restless. | Comfort, movement, a change of environment, or a quiet one-to-one moment with their key person. |
| Orange | Fizzy | Anxious, overexcited, hypervigilant or overwhelmed. Bubbling but not calm. | Calming strategies: breathing, yoga, sensory circuits, a quieter space, or reduced stimulation. |
| Red | Crisis | Intense feelings. The child may be unable to cope, showing challenging behaviour, or shutting down.. | Close, calm adult support. Children at red are not in trouble. They need co-regulation and safety. |
The colour coding creates easy to communicate ‘sign-posing’ to a child’s current emotional state. Rather than asking a young child to explain that they feel anxious, overwhelmed or dysregulated, words that even adults can struggle with, they simply need to identify a colour. That small shift makes it possible for even very young children to communicate something important about their inner state.
How We Use It at Young Friends
Our team are trained to observe each child carefully and to recognise what each colour looks like for that individual. Because children are different, green for one child might look slightly different from green for another. Key persons get to know their children well enough to notice the subtle signs before a situation escalates.
Where a child needs more tailored support, we create a Just Right Profile. This records what each colour looks like for that child, what tends to trigger a shift away from green, and which strategies are most helpful for bringing them back. All staff who work with that child have access to the profile, so the approach is consistent across the whole day.
At Young Friends, we know that calm-down moments, rebooting and meditation are crucial for early childhood learning and development. They promote emotional regulation, cognitive growth and overall wellbeing.
We offer mindfulness time both before and after lunch, as this can be a trickier time of day for many children. Depending on what a child needs, this might include sensory circuits, breathing exercises, child meditation or yoga.
Why Emotional Regulation Matters in the Early Years
Self-regulation, the ability to manage your own thoughts, emotions and behaviour in order to achieve something, is one of the most important skills a child can develop. It underpins everything from the ability to sit and listen, to making and keeping friendships, to coping with frustration and disappointment.
Young children are not born with the ability to regulate themselves. It develops gradually, with the support of calm, attentive adults who model it and help children practise it. This is called co-regulation, and it is something our whole team is trained to provide.
Children who develop strong self-regulation skills in their early years are better equipped for school, for friendships and for life. The Just Right Programme is one of the tools we use to help that development happen in a way that is warm, consistent and child-centred.
What This Means for Your Family
One of the things families tell us they appreciate most is that the Just Right language travels home. When a child can say “I am feeling a bit blue today” or “I am going fizzy,” that is a real communication. It gives parents and carers something to work with, and it opens up conversations about feelings that might otherwise be hard to start.
You do not need to do anything formal at home. Simply knowing the colours and using them naturally if they come up can make a real difference. If you would like to know more about how your child is getting on with the programme, or what their Just Right Profile says, you can speak to their key person at any time.
