Emotional Regulation Techniques

Activities	Materials	Strategy	Concept
Breathing exercises (e.g., belly breathing)	Quiet space, calming visuals	Teach children to focus on their breath to calm emotions	Self-regulation, Calmness, Focus
Guided imagery (imagining a calm place)	Soft music, guided script	Use visualization techniques to create a peaceful mental space	Relaxation, Imagination, Coping strategies
Progressive muscle relaxation	Soft mats, calming music	Guide children to tense and relax muscles to reduce physical tension	Body awareness, Relaxation, Tension release
Mindful listening to calming sounds	Nature sounds, soft music	Encourage children to focus on listening to calm sounds	Mindfulness, Attention, Relaxation
Emotion charades (acting out different emotions)	Emotion flashcards, space	Use dramatic play to identify and express emotions	Emotional expression, Empathy, Social interaction
Counting to 10 slowly	Quiet space, a timer	Encourage children to count slowly when they feel upset or angry	Self-regulation, Patience, Coping strategies
Using a calm-down jar (glitter jar)	Clear jar, glitter, water, glue	Teach children to shake the jar and watch the glitter settle for calming	Focus, Relaxation, Self-regulation
Using a «feelings thermometer» to track emotions	Paper, markers, stickers	Visualize emotions on a scale to help children understand intensity	Emotional awareness, Self-regulation, Communication
Deep breathing with animal poses (e.g., lion’s breath)	Space, soft music, animal visuals	Pair breathing exercises with animal movements to engage and relax	Breathing, Movement, Relaxation
Creating a «calm down» corner	Pillows, stuffed animals, sensory toys	Set up a safe space where children can go to regulate their emotions	Emotional safety, Self-regulation, Quiet time
Guided «body scan» relaxation	Soft mats, calming voice	Lead children through a body scan to notice and release tension	Body awareness, Relaxation, Mindfulness
Using «I feel» statements to express emotions	Emotion cards, mirror	Teach children to express their emotions using «I feel» statements	Emotional expression, Communication, Empathy
Gentle stretching or yoga	Yoga mats, soft music	Use simple stretches to release tension and promote calmness	Relaxation, Flexibility, Self-regulation
Creating an «emotion wheel» to identify feelings	Paper, crayons, spinner	Help children identify and label their emotions using a wheel	Emotional awareness, Language development, Self-regulation
Guided «take a break» time	Timer, quiet space	Encourage children to take a break when feeling overwhelmed	Self-regulation, Emotional safety, Coping strategies
Using «feelings» songs (e.g., songs about emotions)	Music, lyrics, visuals	Use songs to help children recognize and label emotions	Emotional expression, Music, Language development
Relaxation through progressive relaxation and storytelling	Soft music, pillows, storybook	Combine relaxation with a calming story to engage children	Relaxation, Imagination, Emotional regulation
Offering fidget toys for self-soothing	Fidget spinners, stress balls, textured toys	Provide sensory toys to help children self-soothe when anxious	Sensory processing, Self-regulation, Coping strategies
Talking about emotions using «emotion faces»	Mirrors, emotion charts	Use visual aids to help children recognize and discuss emotions	Emotional awareness, Language development, Empathy
Creating a «calm-down» breathing buddy (a stuffed animal)	Stuffed animal, quiet space	Have a stuffed animal «guide» the child through breathing exercises	Self-regulation, Empathy, Calmness
Visualizing a «safe space»	Soft music, nature images	Guide children to imagine a peaceful place when upset	Relaxation, Imagery, Emotional safety
Practicing «stop and think» moments	Visual prompts, cards	Encourage children to pause and think before reacting in difficult situations	Impulse control, Self-regulation, Decision-making
Journaling feelings using pictures	Paper, crayons, markers	Encourage children to express their emotions through drawings	Emotional expression, Creativity, Self-awareness
Positive self-talk practice (e.g., saying «I am calm»)	Quiet space, mirror	Help children practice using positive affirmations during stressful moments	Self-regulation, Self-esteem, Positive thinking
Role-playing calming scenarios (e.g., calming down after an argument)	Dolls, props, space	Use role-play to practice calm responses in challenging situations	Problem-solving, Empathy, Emotional regulation
Using a «feelings checker» tool	Paper, visuals, stickers	Provide a simple tool for children to check in with their emotions throughout the day	Emotional awareness, Self-regulation, Communication
Listening to a calming story with breathing pauses	Storybook, soft music	Read a story that encourages children to pause and breathe during intense moments	Emotional regulation, Mindfulness, Relaxation
Counting breaths with fingers	Hands, quiet space	Encourage children to count each breath on their fingers to focus and calm down	Focus, Breathing, Self-regulation
Teaching «soft hands» for managing anger	Soft toys, visuals	Teach children to use «soft hands» to express frustration non-violently	Anger management, Self-regulation, Respect
Playing «emotion charades» with group participation	Emotion cards, space	Have children act out emotions for peers to guess, promoting empathy and understanding	Emotional expression, Social interaction, Empathy
Practicing gentle touch techniques (e.g., tapping to self-soothe)	Calm music, soft textures	Teach children calming techniques like tapping or light touch	Self-regulation, Sensory processing, Relaxation
Using a «time-out» space for reflection	Quiet space, visual timer	Encourage children to use a quiet space to reflect on their emotions	Emotional regulation, Reflection, Self-regulation
Emotion-based art therapy	Paper, paints, crayons	Use creative art as an outlet for emotional expression	Emotional expression, Creativity, Self-awareness
Building a «stress ball» to use during moments of anxiety	Balloons, flour, rubber bands	Teach children how to create a stress ball to calm themselves	Sensory regulation, Coping skills, Self-soothing
Practice «belly breathing» with a stuffed toy	Stuffed animal, quiet space	Place a stuffed animal on the belly and watch it rise and fall with breathing	Breathing, Relaxation, Body awareness
Creating an «emotion journal» to track feelings over time	Journal, crayons, stickers	Encourage children to track their feelings and moods daily	Emotional awareness, Self-expression, Reflection
Playing «feeling match-up» with cards	Emotion cards, space	Have children match faces or words to different emotions	Emotional recognition, Empathy, Communication
Using calming scents (e.g., lavender or chamomile)	Essential oils, diffuser, cotton balls	Provide calming sensory input through pleasant scents	Sensory processing, Relaxation, Self-regulation
Practicing «mindful walking» through a peaceful path	Space, visual cues	Encourage children to walk slowly and mindfully, focusing on each step	Mindfulness, Body awareness, Relaxation
Practicing «taking a break» with a calming object (e.g., stuffed animal)	Stuffed animal, calming blanket	Allow children to use a comforting object to self-soothe during moments of stress	Self-soothing, Emotional regulation, Comfort
Creating a «calm down» visual schedule	Visual schedule, markers, paper	Provide a visual reminder of steps to calm down during emotional outbursts	Self-regulation, Routine, Coping skills
Using a «calming wheel» to choose coping strategies	Wheel with coping strategies listed	Let children spin a wheel to select different calming techniques	Choice, Coping strategies, Self-regulation
Incorporating sensory activities (e.g., using playdough, sand)	Playdough, sand, sensory bins	Provide sensory experiences that help children relax	Sensory processing, Relaxation, Focus
Talking about «zones of regulation»	Color-coded visual charts	Introduce the concept of different emotional zones (e.g., blue for calm, yellow for frustrated)	Emotional regulation, Awareness, Coping skills
Offering «calm down» books (stories about emotions)	Emotion-focused storybooks	Read books about emotional regulation and coping skills	Emotional awareness, Storytelling, Empathy
Practicing «mindful breathing» with a pinwheel	Pinwheel, quiet space	Teach children to blow gently on a pinwheel to practice deep breathing	Breathing, Mindfulness, Relaxation
Sharing «calm down» strategies with peers	Space, visuals, chart	Encourage children to share their calming strategies with peers to build community support	Communication, Social interaction, Emotional regulation
Using a «magic cloud» to blow away stress	Soft cotton balls, visual cards	Let children imagine blowing away their stress by using a «magic cloud» visualization	Imagination, Relaxation, Self-regulation
Playing «emotion memory» games	Emotion cards, space	Use matching games to reinforce the identification and understanding of emotions	Memory, Emotional awareness, Learning
Engaging in «mindful eating» (slowly savoring food)	Small snacks, quiet space	Encourage children to eat slowly and mindfully, focusing on tastes and sensations	Mindfulness, Self-regulation, Sensory processing
Practicing «kindness breathing» (deep breaths while thinking of kind acts)	Quiet space, calming music	Teach children to breathe deeply while focusing on kind thoughts	Kindness, Breathing, Self-regulation
Using animal breathing exercises (e.g., «snake breath»)	Space, animal visuals	Use animal-themed breathing exercises to engage children in calming techniques	Breathing, Imagination, Relaxation
Talking about feelings with a peer buddy	Peer buddy, emotion cards	Encourage children to talk about their emotions with a buddy in a safe, supportive way	Peer support, Emotional expression, Social interaction

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