3 self-regulation activities for toddlers

Self-regulation is a term we hear a lot in early education and care as something that promotes good learning outcomes, healthy relationships and strong development. But what does it actually mean and how can we support it in practice?

Self-regulation refers to the ways we recognise and manage our emotions to improve self-control, and minimise impulsive and irrational behaviour. It’s about catching our feelings before they catch us!

Self-regulation is unique to us all, but consistency is key. Here are some strategies to try in setting and discuss with families to support emotional regulation.

Feelings box

One important aspect of self-regulation is the ability to recognise emotions and identify these feelings in order to develop strategies to respond to them and share them with others.

Feelings boxes can be created with resources such as:

• Feelings fan: a helpful resource to support children in putting words to their feelings. This might include facial expressions and a variety of terms, but also actions they might associate with the impulse of the feeling, like running away, crying, jumping up and down, and hand flapping.
• Sensory items: tactile, scented and illuminated objects are great for bringing us back to the moment and grounding children to focus on their present self.

Mindfulness

Mindful practices play a key part in our thinking about self-regulation because they provide an opportunity to be in the moment and become in tune with ourselves in a new way.

Techniques that can be visualised with direct actions are helpful for supporting children to calm their physical bodies and clear their minds.

Games that involve waiting

Another aspect of emotional self-regulation involves developing our patience and ability to control our impulses. Classic games like ‘Red Light Green Light', ‘Duck, Duck, Goose!’ and ‘Musical Statues’ can be played in a classroom or at home 1-1. They are great for developing listening skills but also an ability to wait and lose without losing control of our feelings too.