Grounding has become a great exercise for traumatized children to stay in the present or “come to” if they are struggling to stay engaged because of memories or flashbacks. It involves using the five senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste. Not every sense is needed for grounding to be effective, but using one or more of them can help tremendously.
I taught myself grounding even before there was a term for it. In order to stay grounded I did various thing, some which may seem silly, but as a child and teenager, they worked. If I was in the middle of a flashback, I sometimes put toothpaste in my mouth. The strong mint flavor took me out of the memory and brought me back to the present. I also jumped up and down, counting my steps as I went. With my feet stomping on the ground, it took away my fears and thoughts of the trauma. Other techniques I taught myself were stroking a stuffed animal to feel its soft fur, singing or humming a favorite song, or just taking a deep breath and holding it.
As I have said before, kids are very resilient. Helping a child learn grounding techniques with their five senses, can help them become even more resilient. I encourage you to learn more about grounding, or ask a therapist to show you how to best help your child (or yourself, for that matter).