30 Games and Activities for Self-Regulation

What is Self-Regulation?

When we talk about self-regulation in kids, we’re referring to the ability to maintain an arousal level that is appropriate for any given situation.  Self-regulation also involves having the ability to generate appropriate behavioral and sensory responses to the input in the environment and the ability to demonstrate self control: to monitor and control behavior, attention, motor output, emotions, and social interactions.

Self-regulation examples might include a child maintaining his composure and problem-solving or asking for help when another child takes his toy or being able to recognize that he should keep his voice quiet in the library.  Self regulation in the classroom or school might include a child being able to attend and stay at his desk while the teacher is talking or being able to stay with his class and walk in line in the hallway.

It sounds like a lot, doesn’t it?  That’s because self-regulation is extremely complex.  It involves cognition, the sensory systems, behavior…and so much more!  Many children struggle with one or more of these areas, making self-regulation challenging.

How Can You Tell if Your Child is Struggling With Self-Regulation?

Kids who are having difficulty with self-regulation may:

-Act overly silly or “out of control”

-Have tantrums or meltdowns

–Struggle with transitions between activities

-Have difficulty waiting or taking turns

-Struggle with being in close proximity to others (e.g. circle time)

-Demonstrate problems during social interactions (e.g. talking too loud, standing too close, touching others)

-Have difficulty walking or waiting in line

-Move too quickly or with too much force

-Grab or touch objects impulsively

How to Help Kids Develop Self-Regulation

Even though self-regulation can be a challenging skill for many children, research has shown that games and fun activities can be effective in promoting the ability to self-regulate for children who are struggling.

Games and therapy tools that support planning and problem solving, memory, attention, motor control, and sequencing can help kids develop the ability to self-regulate despite challenging situations and circumstances.  Calming techniques, self-awareness exercises, and mindfulness activities can also be effective in supporting the development of self-regulation.

The following 30 games and activities can be great ways to introduce self regulation strategies with kids!  And if you’re looking for even more fun games and activities that teach academic concepts while working on skills like turn-taking, waiting, attention, and engagement – check out our book, Playful Learning Lab for Kids!

Games and Activities for Self-Regulation

1 || Red Light, Green Light

2 || Simon says

3 || Partner Obstacle Course

4 || Duck Duck Goose

5 || Freeze tag

6 || Partner painting

7 || Hide and seek

8 || Wacky Relay

9 || Freeze dance

10 || Musical Chairs

11 || Mirror Mirror

12 || Parachute play

13 || “Counting down” or anticipation activities (e.g. setting out a beanbag chair and helping the child wait by counting down – “3…2…1…JUMP!” and then jumping onto the bean bag chair.  And then repeating the activity so the child knows to wait before jumping)

14 || Hand clapping games

15 || Hedbanz

16 || Dancing – practice dancing fast and slow to different types of music

17 || Suspend

18 || Balloon volleyball

19 || Jenga

20 || Operation

21 || Simon

22 || Sequencing motor tasks (e.g. do 3 jumps, then 2 hops, then stand on one foot for 3 seconds)

23 || Bop It

24 || Spot It

25 || Breathing techniques

26 || Guided meditation for kids

27 || Yoga

28 || Zones of Regulation

29 || Calming sensory strategies (school)

30 || Calming sensory activities (community outings)

Self-Regulation Strategies

Below, you’ll find some of our favorite self-regulation strategies to use at home, in therapy, or in the classroom.  You’ll find lots of practical ideas that you can put into practice right away depending on your setting.

1 || These reset activities can help calm kids who are dealing with tantrums.

2 || Try these great calming techniques and transition strategies between activities throughout the day.

3 || Check out these 4 Surprising Ways to Support a Child’s Self-Regulation.

4 || These calming sensory strategies for the classroom can be great ways to support kids at school.

5 || Kids often have difficulty with self-regulation and arousal level at bedtime and naptime.  These sensory-friendly sleep tips are great for kids who have trouble sleeping.

6 ||  Try these calming games and activities for outings where kids have to wait or transition in public places.

7 || These calming breathing techniques for kids are awesome for promoting calm behavior.

Self-Regulation Programs

These two programs are commonly used to address self-regulation with kids in various settings.  Both child development resources have printable/tangible tools and fun lessons to give kids the skills they need to help themselves stay regulated throughout the day.

1 || Zones of Regulation

2 || The Alert Program

Books About Self-Regulation

1 || Self-Reg by Stuart Shanker

2 || Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Helping Students Learn How to Learn by Richard M. Cash Ed.D

Other Resources About Self-Regulation

1 || Developing Young Children’s Self-Regulation Through Everyday Experiences, National Association for the Education of Young Children.  Ida Rose Florez

2 || Self-Regulation Excerpt from Child Development Principles and Perspectives, by J.L. Cook, G. Cook, 2009 edition, p. 352-355.

3 || Self-Regulation: A Cornerstone of Early Childhood Development. Linda Groves Gillespie and Nancy L. Seibel.  National Association for the Education of Young Children.

4 || Executive Function & Self-Regulation.  Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University.

5 ||  Discover the sense of interoception, a lesser known sensory system that can have a big impact on self-regulation.

What are your favorite therapy tools, games, and activities for supporting regulation in kids?  Share them in the comments below!

Check out our DIY Calm Down Kit and these sensory ideas for calm kids on-the-go.

Want to learn more about the sensory systems and how sensory processing difficulties may be contributing to behavior and self-regulation problems in kids?  Check out our book, Sensory Processing 101!

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Claire Heffron

Claire Heffron is co-author at The Inspired Treehouse and a pediatric occupational therapist in a preschool/primary school setting. She began her career with a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism but quickly changed course to pursue graduate studies in occupational therapy. She has been practicing therapy for 10 years in public and specialized preschool/primary school settings. She is a mom to three funny, noisy boys and relies on yoga, good food, and time outside to bring her back to center.

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