Here are 75 easy and engaging science-backed strategies to help calm kids down and improve their emotional regulation skills. As you read, don’t forget to download your free printable guide of these techniques to have available when your child’s anger or anxiety flares up.
**Table of Contents**
Developing emotional regulation is a crucial part of a child’s growth and is a strong predictor of future success. Given your child’s still-developing nervous system and brain, it’s understandable that they often struggle with managing their emotions effectively. Let’s be honest, many adults are still working on this skill too!
As a parent, one of the best things you can do to raise an emotionally intelligent child is to introduce them to a variety of calming strategies that promote emotional regulation. While it might seem like these skills should come naturally, it’s through lots of practice, teaching, and repetition that your child will learn to find healthy ways to cope with strong feelings.
You might be wondering what makes these calming techniques stand out. These methods are research-backed and effective because they:
1. Are based on the neuroscience of emotional regulation, explaining how your child’s brain handles stress and intense emotions.
2. Include activities that involve co-regulation, highlighting the importance of close support from a caregiver to help a child achieve a calm state.
3. Focus on physical movements that provide calming sensory feedback to the brain and nervous system.
For example, breathing exercises for kids are incredibly effective for quickly calming your child and reducing their stress response.
Writing letters about feelings or challenging situations can also be very helpful.
Essential oils are great too! They influence the parts of the brain that control emotions, having a significant impact on mood. We have some kid-friendly options to share.
Using ‘squeeze balls’, putty, or squishes can send calming sensory input to the brain, helping to relax.
Watching animals can teach mindfulness and bring calm.
Inversion, like hanging upside down, can quickly help calm the autonomic nervous system.
Try naming five things you see, four things you hear, three things you can touch, two things you smell, and one thing you can taste to ground yourself and step away from stress.
Connecting with nature, whether directly or through media, has a soothing effect on the brain.
Focusing on gratitude can help soothe and deactivate the emotional parts of the brain.
A specific position, known as the ‘prone position,’ can help regulate the nervous system.
Focusing on a cognitive task can divert energy to the ‘thinking center’ of the brain and away from intense emotions.
Remember, what works for one child might not work for another. Every child has unique needs when it comes to calming down, and these may change over time. Helping your child learn how to care for their brain and body during emotional highs is a significant aspect of raising an emotionally intelligent child. This list of techniques is a great starting point!
Don’t forget to grab your free printable list of these calming strategies—it’s a handy resource to have on busy days.
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This article was originally published on January 30, 2020, and has been updated.
**About Angela Pruess LMFT**
Welcome! I’m Angela, a Licensed Children’s Mental Health Professional, Positive Parenting Coach, and mom to spirited kids who teach me something new every day. I believe every child deserves the chance to live their best life, and emotional health is the key to lasting success and happiness. You can learn more about me and the Parents with Confidence manifesto.
