Our Favourite Tools and Activities for Building Emotional Regulation

Helping Children Understand, Express and Manage Big Feelings

Emotional regulation is one of the most important skills we can help children develop — and like any skill, it can be taught, practiced, and strengthened over time. Whether you’re a parent, carer, or educator, having a few simple tools in your emotional regulation toolkit can make all the difference when it comes to managing meltdowns, big emotions, or tricky transitions.

At Harper’s Health, our team of occupational therapists, psychologists, speech pathologists and behaviour support practitioners use a range of fun and evidence-based strategies to help children understand and regulate their emotions. Here are some of our favourites:

1. Zones of Regulation

A classroom and clinic staple! This framework helps children identify how they’re feeling using four coloured zones:

• Blue (low energy, sad, tired)

• Green (calm, focused, ready to learn)

• Yellow (frustrated, silly, nervous)

• Red (angry, panicked, out of control)
  

Try it at home: Print out a Zones chart for the fridge. Check in with your child using statements like “Which zone are you in right now?” or “Let’s think of a Green Zone activity together.”

2. Calm-Down Boxes

A personalised calm-down box is a fantastic tool to help children learn what helps them feel safe and calm.

What to include:

• Stress balls or fidget toys

• Weighted lap buddies

• Noise-cancelling headphones

• Drawing materials or stickers

• A photo of a safe person or pet

• A visual of calming strategies (deep breathing, counting, stretching)
  

Tip: Let your child help pick what goes in the box. Ownership increases buy-in!

3. Mindfulness & Breathing Exercises

These don’t have to be formal or complicated! We often teach children simple techniques like:

• Rainbow Breathing: Trace a rainbow shape with your finger while breathing in and out slowly.

• “Smell the flower, blow the candle”: Inhale like you’re smelling a flower, exhale like blowing out a candle.
  

Even 30 seconds of mindful breathing can help reset the nervous system and prevent escalation.

4. Emotion-Based Games

Play is a powerful way to teach social-emotional skills. Some favourites:

• Feelings Charades

• “What Would You Do If…” scenario cards

• Guess the Emotion with emoji cards or faces

• Commercial games like The Mindfulness Game, Inside Out Emotions Game, or The Mood Cards

Games offer low-pressure ways to talk about feelings and problem-solving.

5. Storybooks that Teach Emotional Literacy

Stories give children a safe way to explore emotions. Some of our team’s go-to books:

• “The Colour Monster” by Anna Llenas

• “When I’m Feeling…” series by Trace Moroney

• “A Big Worry for Little Warriors” by Aisling Omeara

• “How Big Are Your Worries, Little Bear?” by Jayneen Sanders

Ask questions while reading: “How do you think they felt?” or “What helped them feel better?”

Need More Support?

If your child is struggling with emotional regulation, our team is here to help. We offer individualised therapy support, collaborative strategies for home and school, and parent coaching sessions to help you feel confident supporting your child’s emotional development.

📍 Available at our East Maitland and Morpeth clinics

🧾 Services available under NDIS (Improved Daily Living or Improved Relationships), Medicare, and private health.