5 Toys for Emotional Regulation in Young Children
Emotional regulation is key for child development. These five toys provide a creative and supportive way for children to learn how to manage their emotions through play.
1. Sensory Fidget Toys
Age Group: 3-6 years
Benefits: Sensory fidget toys help children release tension and focus, promoting emotional regulation by providing a calming activity.
How to Play: Children manipulate the toys—squeezing, twisting, or stretching—to help calm their emotions.
Time: 5-10 minutes of play.
Materials Needed: Fidget spinners, stress balls, or sensory rings.
Parent-Child Interaction: Parents can use 3Miles kids Walkie Talkies to guide their children through calming activities with sensory toys.
2. Feelings Chart
Age Group: 4-6 years
Benefits: A feelings chart helps children identify and label their emotions, supporting emotional awareness and regulation.
How to Play: Ask children to point to the emotion they are feeling on the chart, then discuss why they feel that way and how to manage it.
Time: 10-15 minutes of guided emotional exploration.
Materials Needed: A printed or digital feelings chart.
Parent Interaction: Parents can use 3Miles kids Walkie Talkies to engage children in conversations about their emotions.
3. Glitter Calm Down Jars
Age Group: 3-6 years
Benefits: Glitter jars provide a calming visual for children, helping them relax and manage emotions.
How to Play: Shake the jar and have children watch the glitter settle as they take deep breaths, promoting relaxation.
Time: 5-10 minutes when emotions are high.
Materials Needed: A jar filled with water, glitter, and glue.
Guided Play: Parents can use 3Miles kids Walkie Talkies to guide children through breathing exercises while using the glitter jar to calm down.
4. Emotion Plush Toys
Age Group: 4-7 years
Benefits: Plush toys with different facial expressions help children practice labeling and expressing their emotions.
How to Play: Children use the plush toys to act out different emotions, learning how to describe and discuss their feelings.
Time: 10-15 minutes of emotional exploration.
Materials Needed: Plush toys representing different emotions.
Parent-Child Interaction: Parents can use 3Miles kids Walkie Talkies to discuss the emotions being acted out with the plush toys.
5. Playdough Emotion Faces
Age Group: 3-6 years
Benefits: Playdough helps children express their emotions creatively by molding faces that represent their feelings.
How to Play: Children mold playdough into faces that show emotions such as happiness, sadness, or anger, allowing them to express feelings through art.
Time: 15-20 minutes of creative expression.
Materials Needed: Non-toxic playdough in various colors.
Creative Guidance: Parents can use 3Miles kids Walkie Talkies to guide children through making different facial expressions with the playdough, encouraging emotional awareness.
