Key Takeaways
- Emotional regulation is a learned skill – not something kids are born with. With the right support, children can learn to recognise, name, and manage big feelings calmly.
- Start early with calming activities like breathing games, sensory play, and co-regulation to build resilience, focus, and self-awareness from as young as 1–2 years old.
- Safe spaces, visual routines, and emotion charts help children feel secure and in control, especially during transitions and tantrums.
- Repetition and play-based tools like glitter jars, storytelling, and role-play support emotional literacy and help kids apply regulation strategies in real life.
- The Shichida Method nurtures emotional intelligence through mindfulness, parent-child collaboration, and structured class activities that support calm, confident behaviour.
Introduction to Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids
Meltdowns, tears, and frustration are a normal part of growing up. But within these big emotional moments lie valuable opportunities. Emotional regulation is a skill – just like walking or talking – and with the right support, children can learn to calm their bodies, understand their feelings, and respond with increasing confidence.
In early childhood, emotions are often big and overwhelming. Children might cry over the “wrong” cup or scream because it’s bedtime. These responses aren’t signs of poor behaviour – they’re signs of developing brains learning how to manage intense feelings.
By introducing calming, age-appropriate emotional regulation activities for kids at home, parents can help children move from emotional outbursts to emotional awareness, and from chaos to calm.
Simply stated: emotional regulation activities for kids help them identify their feelings, understand emotional triggers, and practise appropriate responses in a supportive environment.
Sensory play is a great way to develop emotional regulation through tactile activities for kids. Download a free Sensory Play Guide filled with ideas for your young child!
Sensory play can help nurture resilience and development. Download a free sensory play guide here.
If your child enjoys these types of activities, a Shichida trial class is a great way to see how structured play can support coordination, focus, memory and early learning confidence.
Book a trial class or contact us to find your nearest centre.
Why Focus on Emotional Regulation?
Emotional regulation is the ability to recognise, understand, and manage feelings in a healthy way. It’s not about avoiding emotions, but learning how to express them calmly and constructively.
Children aren’t born with this skill – it’s something they develop over time with guidance and support. When children learn to regulate their emotions, they build resilience, communicate more clearly, and navigate challenges with greater confidence. These skills lay the foundation for better focus, stronger friendships, and lifelong emotional wellbeing.
This is what Shichida shines at! Want to help your child build calm, confidence and stronger thinking skills? Book a Shichida trial class and see how our fun, brain-boosting activities support emotional regulation, focus and early learning.
Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers playing “guessing games” – where children need to make quick decisions – help develop intuition, emotional regulation and resilience during the early years.
16 Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids to Try at Home
Aim to play 3 to 5 emotional regulation activities for kids each week. Repetition helps build self-awareness, and regular practice makes it easier for children to apply these skills in everyday situations.
1. “Name It to Tame It” (Label Emotions Out Loud)
Age: 2+
Help your child identify and name their emotions, even if they’re yelling or crying. Use a calm voice and short phrases:
- “You’re feeling really mad right now.”
- “It’s hard when things don’t go your way.”
Why it works: Naming emotions reduces activity in the amygdala (the fear/anger center) and helps children re-engage the prefrontal cortex (thinking brain).
2. Regulation Through Rhythm
Age: 1+
Use rhythm-based activities to help calm the nervous system:
- Rocking in a chair together
- Gentle drumming on their back
- Walking and counting steps in rhythm
Why it works: Predictable, patterned, repetitive input (PPRI) is soothing to dysregulated children. It mimics the rhythmic safety of the womb.
3. “Turtle Technique”
Age: 3–7
(Developed by Schneider & Robin, 1990)
Teach your child to:
- Stop and think when they feel overwhelmed
- Imagine pulling into a turtle shell (a quiet, safe place)
- Take a few deep breaths
- Come out of their shell ready to solve the problem
This is taught when the child is calm and practiced regularly, not just during meltdowns.
4. Safe Space or Calming Corner
Age: 2+
Create a non-punitive “calm down corner” at home with soft pillows, fidget tools, calming visuals, books about feelings, and a feelings chart.
The message: “This is a space to feel safe and come back to calm. You are not in trouble.”
5. “Body Check” Game
Age: 4+
Help your child learn to identify physical clues of dysregulation:
- “Is your heart beating fast?”
- “Are your hands clenched?”
- “Does your face feel hot?”
Then pair those clues with calming strategies like breathing or getting a drink of water.
6. Deep Pressure + Heavy Work
Age: 2+
For sensory-sensitive or high-energy kids, calming the body helps calm the mind. Use:
- Big hugs or a weighted lap pad
- Wall pushes (hands on wall, pushing with strength)
- Carrying a laundry basket with soft toys across the room
- Crawling through tunnels or under blankets
This is known as proprioceptive input — it grounds the child and supports regulation.
7. Co-Regulation Through Breathing
Age: 2+
Don’t just tell your child to “take a breath.” Do it with them:
- Hold hands, breathe in sync
- Use bubbles, pinwheels, or feather blowing games
- Pretend to blow out birthday candles
Keep your own breath slow and visible – children mirror adult regulation more than they follow instructions.
Image by Shichida Australia: Emotional regulation activities for kids often begin with co-regulation – when adults model calm behaviour and guide children through big feelings step by step.
8. Post-Tantrum Repair & Storytelling
Age: 3+
After a tantrum, once your child is calm, gently revisit what happened. Use story-based language:
- “You were feeling really mad because we had to leave the park. Then you screamed and hit. But then you calmed down and we cuddled.”
- Let them fill in parts of the story.
This builds emotional literacy and reinforces the idea that emotions come and go — and that you are their safe base.
9. Visual Schedules + Transitions
Age: 2–6
Many tantrums stem from lack of predictability. Use:
- Visual routines (pictures showing what comes next)
- 5-minute countdown warnings
- Transition songs (e.g. “It’s time to tidy up, tidy up…”)
These tools reduce anxiety and improve cooperation, especially for neurodivergent children.
10. Emotion Coaching – Not Dismissing
Age: All ages
Even if a child’s reason for the tantrum seems small to you, their feelings are big and real. Say things like:
- “It’s okay to feel angry. I’m here to help you.”
- “You’re not bad. You’re just having a hard time.”
Long-term, this builds trust and resilience.
11. Emotion Thermometer
Age: 3+
Create a visual “feelings thermometer” (0 = calm, 10 = furious). Teach your child to “check their temperature” during the day:
- “Are you feeling like a 3 (frustrated) or a 7 (really mad)?”
- Over time, link each level with a strategy: “If you’re a 5, you can do belly breaths. If you’re a 9, you might need space.”
This encourages emotional awareness and supports self-regulation before a meltdown hits full force.
12. “Five-Finger Breathing”
Age: 3+
Guide your child through this tactile breathing method:
- Hold out one hand like a star.
- Use the pointer finger of the other hand to trace each finger up and down while breathing in (up) and out (down).
- Repeat until calm.
This technique combines breathing, touch, and visual focus, which is very grounding for anxious or overwhelmed kids.
13. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Age: 4+
Teach your child to tighten and then relax different muscle groups:
- “Squeeze your hands into fists… and let them go like spaghetti.”
- “Scrunch your shoulders… and drop them.”
PMR calms the nervous system, especially when paired with a soothing voice or story.
14. Emotion Sorting with Toys or Cards
Age: 2–6
Use toy faces, stuffed animals, or emotion flashcards to sort feelings:
- “Let’s put all the happy animals here, and the grumpy ones there.”
- Ask, “Which one feels like you today?”
It builds emotional vocabulary and makes feelings more manageable through play.
Image by Shichida Australia: Through games, role play, and movement, emotional regulation activities for kids teach them how to recognise emotions and respond in healthy ways.
15. Calm-Down “Toolbox”
Age: 3+
Build a physical box with your child that includes:
- A fidget toy or stress ball
- A photo of something they love
- Headphones with soft music
- A calming scent (like lavender or vanilla)
- Visuals of breathing exercises
Let them use the toolbox when they feel overwhelmed. It gives a sense of control and ownership over their own calming strategies.
16. “Glitter Jar” or “Calm Bottle”
Age: 2+
Make a sensory bottle filled with glitter, warm water, and glue. Shake it up during intense moments and say:
“Your thoughts and feelings are like this jar — all stirred up. Let’s watch it settle.”
Watching the glitter fall visually mimics the process of calming down. It’s a gentle, soothing way to pause and reset.
How the Shichida Method Supports Emotional Regulation
At Shichida Australia, emotional intelligence is integral to our holistic educational approach. Our program incorporates engaging activities that naturally build emotional regulation skills:
Mindfulness Exercises: Regularly incorporated into class, mindfulness and breathing exercises help children focus, self-regulate, and respond calmly to emotional triggers.
Interactive Activities: Collaborative tasks like problem-solving activities, encourage empathy, cooperation, and emotional awareness.
Parent-Child Collaboration: We actively involve parents, equipping you with strategies you can seamlessly incorporate at home, reinforcing emotional learning beyond the classroom.
Looking for effective emotional regulation activities for kids? Ready to experience how Shichida can make a difference in your child’s life? Get expert strategies you can start using at home today!
Book a trial class today and explore our holistic approach to raising emotionally intelligent children.
Image by Shichida Australia: Emotional regulation activities for kids help develop self-awareness, impulse control and coping strategies essential for daily life and learning.
FAQs About Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids
Emotional regulation activities help children practise recognising feelings and finding ways to respond to them. Examples include naming emotions in stories, gentle breathing games, pretend play and using a feelings chart. The aim is to support understanding and expression, rather than stop children from feeling angry, sad or frustrated.
For toddlers, start with simple, shared experiences: name a feeling, sing a familiar song or show how a teddy might need comforting. Offer reassurance and help them settle when upset. Toddlers still need considerable adult support, so activities should not depend on them explaining feelings or calming themselves independently.
Preschoolers can practise identifying emotions in pictures, acting out a character’s feelings, tracing their fingers while breathing gently or choosing a comforting item for a calming corner. Keep instructions simple and offer choices. Different children find different activities helpful, so follow their responses.
Co-regulation is the support a trusted adult provides to help a child manage feelings and reactions. Self-regulation is the child’s developing ability to do this themselves. Young children learn through responsive relationships and adult examples, and continue needing help when feelings become overwhelming. Read more about self-regulation from Raising Children Network.
During a tantrum, focus first on safety and calm support. Your child may be too overwhelmed to follow breathing instructions or answer questions. Stay nearby, use few words and offer comfort if welcomed. Introduce new strategies later, when your child is settled. Raising Children Network explains how to help children calm down.
Offer brief, regular opportunities during everyday routines rather than aiming for a fixed number of activities each week. Talk about a character’s feelings during storytime or revisit a familiar calming game during quiet play. Keep practice enjoyable and adjust it to your child’s interest and energy.
Choose a comfortable space with a few familiar items, such as cushions, a favourite book or a soft toy. Introduce it when your child is relaxed and explain that you can spend time there together. It should be a supportive place to pause, not a punishment or somewhere your child must stay alone.
Avoid forcing the activity. Your child might prefer quiet company, a familiar story or less noise around them. You can offer breathing games another time when they are comfortable. Building emotional regulation involves finding helpful responses together, rather than making one technique work for every child.
Speak with a GP or child and family health nurse if your child’s reactions are causing significant distress, affecting everyday participation or creating safety concerns. You can also share observations with their educator. Professional guidance can help identify what support suits your child and family. See Raising Children Network’s guidance on regulation difficulties.
Shichida incorporates breathing exercises, parent-child interaction and shared activities that give children opportunities to practise turn-taking, persistence and handling small frustrations with support. Parents participate alongside their children and can build on these experiences at home. Shichida is an early learning program, not a treatment for emotional or behavioural difficulties.
