Emotional Regulation Activities for Children Aged 3 to 8

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage and respond to our emotions in healthy ways. It is one of the most important skills a child can develop. And like reading or riding a bike, it's something they need to be taught.

Children aged three to eight are still developing the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for managing impulses and regulating emotions. This means big feelings can genuinely overwhelm their ability to cope. They're not being naughty. They're being human... to be fair this part of the brain does not fully develop until age 25. So finding gentle age appropriate ways to learn about emotional regulation will be an ongoing part of the journey of parenting.

Here are some age-appropriate activities that support emotional regulation in young children.

Bubble breathing

Ask your child to imagine they are blowing the biggest, slowest bubble they can. This naturally slows the breath and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the body's calm response. Even three-year-olds can do this, and it works surprisingly quickly during moments of distress.

The feelings check-in

Create a simple daily ritual where your child checks in with how they're feeling. This might be a feelings chart on the fridge, a jar they put a coloured stone into, or simply a question at dinner: 'What was the best part of your day and the hardest part?' Consistency matters more than complexity.

Drawing and writing feelings

For children who struggle to verbalise emotions, drawing or writing can be a powerful release. Encourage them to draw what a feeling looks like, or write it down and fold it up. The act of externalising the feeling, getting it out of their body and onto paper, can reduce its intensity significantly. Painting, particularly finger painting can be a wonderful release for children.  Give them a large canvas and the space to truly relax into it. It will be messy but it's a powerful experience for children, it's ok to be messy.  It's ok to explore, to feel the paint in their little hands and enjoy the sensation of exploring with their hands is very freeing.  

The body scan

Help children become aware of where they feel emotions in their body. 'Where do you feel worried? Is it in your tummy? Your chest?' This builds body awareness and helps children recognise their emotional states earlier, before they reach overwhelm.

Calm-down kits

A small box or bag containing a child's personal calming tools can be enormously helpful. This might include a favourite soft toy, a notepad and pencils, a glitter jar, a stress ball, or a card with their favourite breathing exercise. The act of choosing what goes in it gives children agency and ownership over their own calming process.

Storytelling and imaginative play

Children process experiences through play and story. Allowing children to act out scenarios, create narratives with toys, or engage with stories where characters face big feelings gives them a safe emotional rehearsal space.

Where The Good Witch fits in: The Good Witch ritual combines several of these activities into one gentle daily practice, bubble breathing, writing or drawing feelings, and placing them safely with a trusted comfort toy. It's a calm-down kit and an emotional ritual all in one, designed for children aged four to nine.