Emotional Regulation Activities for Preschoolers

Introduction

Preschoolers experience many big emotions every day. A child may be laughing one minute and crying the next, become frustrated when a toy doesn’t work, feel nervous about a new situation, or become angry when someone takes a favorite toy. These reactions are a normal part of early childhood because young children are still learning how to understand, communicate, and manage their emotions.

Emotional regulation doesn’t mean teaching children to stop feeling angry, sad, excited, or worried. Instead, it means helping them recognize what they are feeling and gradually learn safe and appropriate ways to respond. These skills develop over time through practice, supportive relationships, and repeated experiences.

The good news is that emotional regulation can be practiced through simple games and activities. Breathing exercises, movement, storytelling, sensory play, drawing, music, and pretend play can all give preschoolers opportunities to explore their emotions in an age-appropriate way.

In this guide, you’ll discover 25 emotional regulation activities for preschoolers, along with practical tips for parents and teachers to help children build emotional awareness and healthy coping skills.

What Is Emotional Regulation?

Emotional regulation is the ability to notice, understand, and respond to emotions in ways that are safe and appropriate for the situation.

Preschoolers are still developing this ability. They may know that they are upset without knowing how to explain why. They may also react physically by crying, shouting, hiding, hitting, or refusing to cooperate.

Adults can help by giving children simple language and practical strategies.

For example, instead of saying, “Don’t be angry,” you might say:

“You look really frustrated. Let’s take a breath and figure out what happened.”

This approach acknowledges the emotion while helping the child learn what to do next.

Why Emotional Regulation Matters for Preschoolers

Learning to manage emotions is an important part of early childhood development. Children who practice these skills can gradually become better at communicating their needs, handling frustration, waiting for turns, solving problems, and interacting with others.

Emotional regulation activities can also support:

• Emotional vocabulary
• Self-awareness
• Communication
• Patience
• Problem-solving
• Social skills
• Impulse control
• Confidence
• Empathy
• Independence

These skills aren’t learned in one activity. Preschoolers need many opportunities to practice them in everyday situations.

How to Teach Emotional Regulation to Young Children

Before introducing calming strategies, remember that preschoolers often need help from a calm adult before they can calm themselves.

Keep instructions simple and concrete. Rather than explaining complicated psychological concepts, use phrases children can understand.

Try statements such as:

“Your body looks very upset. Let’s help it slow down.”

“Are you feeling angry, sad, or worried?”

“Would you like to take some deep breaths or have a quiet cuddle?”

“Let’s think about what we can do next.”

Most importantly, practice these activities when children are already calm. It can be difficult for a very upset child to learn a new strategy in the middle of a difficult moment.

25 Emotional Regulation Activities for Preschoolers

1. Balloon Breathing

Ask your child to imagine that their belly is a balloon.

Have them slowly breathe in through their nose as if they’re filling the balloon. Then slowly breathe out as if the balloon is gently deflating.

Repeat several times.

Keep it playful rather than insisting that the child perform the exercise perfectly.

What it teaches: Awareness of breathing and slowing down.

2. Smell the Flower, Blow the Candle

Pretend one hand is holding a flower and the other is holding a birthday candle.

Ask the child to:

Smell the flower by taking a slow breath in.

Then blow the candle by slowly breathing out.

This simple technique gives children an easy visual reminder for slow breathing.

What it teaches: A simple calming strategy children can remember.

3. Feelings Charades

Write or draw simple emotions on cards, such as:

• Happy
• Sad
• Angry
• Scared
• Excited
• Surprised
• Worried
• Calm

Take turns acting out an emotion without saying its name.

The other person guesses the feeling.

Afterward, discuss situations when someone might experience that emotion.

What it teaches: Emotional vocabulary and recognizing facial expressions.

4. Make a Feelings Wheel

Create a large circle from cardboard or paper.

Divide it into sections and draw different facial expressions.

Add an arrow in the center that children can spin.

When the arrow lands on an emotion, ask:

“Have you ever felt this way?”

“What can make someone feel this way?”

“What could help someone feel better?”

There are no wrong answers as long as the conversation remains respectful and age-appropriate.

What it teaches: Identifying and talking about emotions.

5. Draw Your Feelings

Give children paper and crayons or washable markers.

Ask:

“What does your feeling look like today?”

A child might draw a happy sun, an angry scribble, a blue rain cloud, or something completely unexpected.

Avoid correcting the artwork. The purpose is emotional expression rather than artistic perfection.

What it teaches: Expressing emotions creatively.

6. Calm-Down Glitter Jar

Create a sealed sensory jar filled with water and appropriate decorative materials.

Shake the jar and watch the contents move around.

Encourage the child to sit quietly and watch everything slowly settle.

Use this as a visual metaphor:

“Sometimes our feelings feel busy like the jar. We can give ourselves time to settle.”

Make sure the container is securely sealed and supervise its use.

What it teaches: Patience and taking a pause.

7. Animal Breathing

Turn breathing practice into a game.

Pretend to breathe like different animals:

Bunny: Take several tiny breaths.

Snake: Take a slow breath and make a gentle “ssss” sound while breathing out.

Elephant: Take a deep breath and slowly breathe out through the trunk.

Keep the activity playful and stop if the child becomes uncomfortable.

What it teaches: Awareness of breathing and body sensations.

8. Feelings Matching Game

Make pairs of cards showing different emotions.

Mix them together and ask children to find matching emotions.

You can also match emotions with situations.

For example:

Feeling: Sad
Situation: A favorite toy breaks.

Feeling: Excited
Situation: Going somewhere special.

What it teaches: Connecting emotions with everyday experiences.

9. The Calm-Down Corner

Create a small, comfortable space where children can take a break.

You might include:

• A soft cushion
• Picture books
• Emotion cards
• A stuffed animal
• Paper and crayons
• A simple breathing poster
• A sensory item that is safe for the child

A calm-down corner should not be used as a punishment area. Its purpose is to give children a peaceful place to practice calming strategies.

What it teaches: Taking appropriate breaks and recognizing when a quiet space may help.

10. Emotion Puppet Show

Make simple puppets from paper bags, socks, or craft sticks.

Create a short story about a character experiencing a big feeling.

For example, a puppet might become frustrated because a tower keeps falling down.

Ask your child:

“How do you think the puppet feels?”

“What could the puppet do?”

“What could a friend say?”

What it teaches: Empathy, communication, and problem-solving.

11. Freeze Dance

Play music while children dance.

When the music stops, everyone freezes.

You can then introduce emotions:

“Freeze like you’re surprised!”

“Freeze like you’re excited!”

“Freeze like you’re calm.”

This combines movement with emotional expression.

What it teaches: Body awareness, listening, and impulse control.

12. Blow the Cotton Ball

Place a lightweight cotton ball on a table.

Ask children to slowly blow it across the surface.

Turn it into a game by creating a simple finish line.

This activity encourages controlled breathing while keeping children engaged.

What it teaches: Breath control and focus.

13. Emotion Mirror Game

Stand in front of a mirror with your child.

Make different facial expressions together.

Try happy, sad, surprised, worried, angry, and calm.

Ask your child to notice what happens to their eyebrows, mouth, cheeks, and eyes.

What it teaches: Recognizing emotional cues.

14. Five-Senses Observation Game

Ask children to pause and notice their surroundings.

Depending on their age and ability, ask:

“What are three things you can see?”

“What are two things you can hear?”

“What can you feel?”

“What can you smell?”

You can simplify the activity for younger preschoolers.

What it teaches: Attention and awareness of the present moment.

15. Teddy Bear Breathing

Place a small stuffed animal on the child’s tummy while they lie comfortably on their back.

Ask them to watch the toy gently move up and down as they breathe.

Don’t force deep breathing. Keep the activity comfortable and relaxed.

What it teaches: Awareness of body movement during breathing.

16. Feelings Story Time

Choose children’s books that feature characters experiencing different emotions.

Pause during the story and ask:

“How do you think the character feels?”

“Why might they feel that way?”

“What could help them?”

This turns reading time into a social-emotional learning opportunity.

What it teaches: Emotional vocabulary, empathy, and perspective-taking.

17. Emotion Sorting

Prepare pictures showing different facial expressions.

Create categories such as:

Feels good

Feels uncomfortable

Explain that uncomfortable feelings aren’t “bad.” They are signals that something is happening inside us.

Children can sort the pictures and talk about their choices.

What it teaches: Emotional awareness without labeling feelings as wrong.

18. Frustration Practice With Blocks

Give your child blocks and encourage them to build something.

If the structure falls, resist immediately fixing it.

Instead, ask:

“That didn’t work. How are you feeling?”

“What could we try differently?”

Help them experiment with another solution.

What it teaches: Persistence, problem-solving, and coping with frustration.

19. Calm Music and Movement

Play soft music and invite children to move slowly.

Try stretching, swaying, walking slowly, or pretending to move through water.

Afterward, ask:

“Does your body feel different now?”

What it teaches: Awareness of how movement and quiet activities can affect feelings.

20. Emotion Color Painting

Assign no fixed meaning to colors. Instead, let children choose colors that represent how they feel.

Ask:

“If your feeling were a color, what color would it be?”

Allow them to paint freely.

What it teaches: Emotional expression and self-awareness.

21. “What Could We Do?” Cards

Create cards showing everyday problems.

Examples include:

• Someone took your toy.
• Your tower fell down.
• You lost a game.
• You don’t want to leave the playground.
• A friend won’t share.
• You made a mistake.

Ask children to think of safe responses.

For example, they might choose:

“Ask for help.”

“Take a breath.”

“Use words.”

“Try again.”

What it teaches: Problem-solving and flexible thinking.

22. Feelings Thermometer

Draw a simple thermometer with levels from calm to very upset.

Use facial expressions instead of complicated numbers if your child is young.

Ask:

“Where is your feeling right now?”

The goal isn’t to judge the emotion. It’s to help children notice when their feelings are becoming stronger.

What it teaches: Recognizing emotional intensity.

23. Cozy Reading Break

Create a predictable routine where children can choose a quiet book when they need a break.

Sit nearby if they want company.

Reading can provide a gentle transition from high-energy activity to quiet time.

What it teaches: Choosing an appropriate calming activity.

24. Practice Asking for Help

Teach children simple phrases they can use when emotions become overwhelming.

Practice saying:

“I need help.”

“I need a break.”

“I’m frustrated.”

“Can you help me?”

“I don’t like that.”

Role-play these phrases when everyone is calm.

What it teaches: Healthy communication and self-advocacy.

25. Family Calm-Down Routine

Create a short routine that the whole family can practice.

For example:

Stop → Breathe → Name the feeling → Choose what to do next

Parents can model the process during ordinary frustrations.

For example:

“I’m feeling frustrated because I can’t find my keys. I’m going to take a breath and look again.”

Children learn a great deal by watching adults handle their own emotions.

What it teaches: Emotional awareness through modeling and repetition.

Activities for Specific Big Feelings

Different emotions may require different approaches. The goal isn’t to eliminate uncomfortable feelings but to help children understand and safely express them.

When Your Preschooler Is Angry

Try:

• Breathing games
• Movement
• Drawing
• Calm-down corner
• Naming the emotion
• Asking for help
• Simple problem-solving

Avoid telling children that they shouldn’t be angry. Instead, separate the feeling from the behavior.

You can say:

“It’s okay to feel angry. It’s not okay to hurt someone. Let’s find a safe way to handle the anger.”

When Your Preschooler Is Sad

Offer connection and reassurance.

Reading together, cuddling when welcomed, drawing, talking, or listening to calming music may help.

Sometimes children don’t want to talk immediately. Giving them space while remaining available can also be supportive.

When Your Preschooler Is Frustrated

Frustration often appears when children can’t complete a task or don’t get the result they want.

Try breaking the task into smaller steps.

Say:

“That was hard. Let’s try one small part together.”

Puzzles, blocks, simple cooking activities, and art projects can provide opportunities to practice handling mistakes.

When Your Preschooler Is Worried

Listen without immediately dismissing the concern.

Try:

“I can see that you’re worried. Let’s talk about what you’re thinking.”

Then focus on what the child can control.

Simple breathing, storytelling, drawing, and predictable routines can also provide opportunities to practice coping skills.

How Parents Can Model Emotional Regulation

Children learn emotional regulation partly by observing the adults around them.

You don’t need to appear calm every second. Instead, let children see healthy ways of handling ordinary frustration.

For example:

“I’m getting frustrated, so I’m going to take a slow breath.”

“I made a mistake. I’ll try again.”

“I need a quiet minute before we talk about this.”

This shows children that emotions are normal and that people can choose how they respond.

How Teachers Can Support Emotional Regulation

Preschool teachers can incorporate emotional learning into the daily classroom routine.

Consider using:

• Morning feelings check-ins
• Emotion picture cards
• Story discussions
• Calm-down spaces
• Movement breaks
• Breathing games
• Puppet scenarios
• Art activities
• Cooperative games

Keep expectations developmentally appropriate and repeat strategies regularly. Preschoolers often need many opportunities to practice a skill before they can use it independently.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Expecting Immediate Self-Control

Preschoolers are still developing impulse control. They may understand a rule but struggle to follow it when highly upset.

Give them time and repeated practice.

Trying to Stop Every Negative Emotion

Sadness, anger, frustration, and disappointment are normal parts of childhood.

The goal is not to make children happy all the time. It is to help them experience emotions safely and learn appropriate ways to respond.

Using Calm-Down Activities as Punishment

A calm-down space should feel supportive rather than shameful.

Avoid phrases like:

“Go to the corner because you’re being bad.”

Instead try:

“Your body needs a break. Let’s use our calm space.”

Teaching Strategies Only During Meltdowns

Practice breathing, emotion identification, and problem-solving during calm moments.

When children are very upset, keep language short and supportive.

How to Build Emotional Regulation Into Everyday Life

You don’t need a separate lesson every day.

Emotional regulation can become part of normal family routines.

During breakfast, ask how everyone feels.

During story time, discuss characters’ emotions.

During play, practice taking turns.

After a disagreement, talk about what happened once everyone is calm.

Before bedtime, ask children to name one happy moment and one difficult moment from their day.

Small, repeated conversations can make emotional learning a natural part of childhood.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are emotional regulation activities for preschoolers?

They are playful activities that help young children recognize emotions, understand body signals, communicate feelings, and practice appropriate coping strategies.

Examples include breathing games, feelings wheels, emotion charades, storytelling, drawing, movement activities, and calm-down routines.

At what age should children learn emotional regulation?

Emotional development begins from infancy and continues throughout childhood. Preschool is an especially useful period for introducing simple emotion vocabulary and coping strategies because children are becoming increasingly independent.

How can I help my preschooler calm down?

First, remain calm and make sure the child is safe. Use simple language, acknowledge the feeling, and offer a familiar strategy such as breathing, a quiet space, movement, or connection.

Don’t expect a highly upset child to immediately explain everything or solve the problem.

Should I let my child cry?

Crying is a normal way for children to express strong emotions. Rather than treating crying as misbehavior, provide reassurance and help the child communicate what they need when they are ready.

What is a calm-down corner?

A calm-down corner is a comfortable space where children can take a break and practice appropriate calming strategies. It should not be used as a punishment or isolation area.

How long does it take for children to learn emotional regulation?

There is no single timeline. Emotional regulation develops gradually and varies from child to child. Consistent modeling, supportive relationships, and repeated practice can help children build these skills over time.

Final Thoughts

Emotional regulation is an important skill that develops gradually during childhood. Preschoolers aren’t expected to handle every disappointment, frustration, or strong emotion independently. They need patient adults who can help them understand what they’re feeling and practice safe ways of responding.

The 25 emotional regulation activities for preschoolers in this guide provide simple opportunities to practice these skills through play, movement, art, stories, breathing, and everyday conversations. The most effective approach is to keep activities playful and age-appropriate and to practice them regularly when children are calm.

Remember that the goal isn’t to eliminate big emotions. Instead, help children learn that all feelings are allowed, while not every behavior is appropriate. With consistent support, modeling, and practice, preschoolers can gradually become more confident in recognizing their emotions, communicating their needs, and choosing healthier ways to respond.

If a child’s emotional reactions are unusually intense, persistent, interfere significantly with everyday activities, or raise concerns about safety or development, it’s appropriate to discuss those concerns with the child’s pediatrician or another qualified child-development professional.