Lots of young children find regulating their emotions tricky, and it is an important part of development. But for some children with special educational needs, emotional regulation can be even more challenging.
Autistic children, for example, may find they need extra support in making sense of their own emotions and the emotions of others. They may also benefit from strategies to find calm when they are overstimulated. There are many activities that can help children to regulate their emotions.
What must be remembered, however, is that there is certainly no ‘one size fits all’ approach to emotional regulation for children with SEND. One child may find activities that use lights help to calm them down. For others, lights may have the opposite effect. I advise that you are guided by the children and the experience of their parents on what strategies are useful for helping them to relax.
Here are two play-based activities for emotional regulation:
RAIN-MAKER TUBES
Suitable for toddlers and pre-schoolers
This activity enables children to make their very own rain-maker tubes, which make lovely gentle sounds. Auditory stimulation can be ideal for children who feel overstimulated. Please note, some of the objects used are choking hazards. Risk-assess appropriately.
Equipment
- Cardboard tubes from kitchen rolls, kitchen foil, cling film, sand, pom-poms, beads, sticking tape, paints and paintbrushes (optional extras)
How to
- Help the children to stick kitchen foil over one end of the cardboard tube.
- Let the children choose various materials they would like to fill their tube with, discussing what sounds the soft and hard materials might make.
- Once filled, cover the top of the tubes with clingfilm and tape securely. Encourage them to enjoy tipping it up and down.
- Discuss with them how it makes them feel and if they think it would be useful when they are feeling sad, angry or upset. Make it available for them to use in these situations if they choose to.
Alternatives
- If the children prefer visual sensory stimulation, or are deaf or have a degree of hearing loss, use an empty see-through bottle, enabling them to see inside it.
Extension activity
- To give the child more ownership of the rain-maker, let them paint the outside of it.
Skills developed
- Concentration.
- Problem-solving.
- Motor skills.
- Emotional regulation.
- Sensory integration.
- Working memory.
SENSORY DISCO
Suitable for babies and toddlers
This visually stimulating activity can be lovely and calming for many babies and toddlers, in particular for those with SEND. This may be a useful activity to try before nap times or when a child is upset.
Equipment
- Selection of different coloured tissue paper, sticky tape, torches (without accessible batteries), tent or homemade den, cushions.
How to
- Create a (safe) den for the children to explore and lie down in. Risk-assess appropriately based on the children in your care and maintain adult supervision at all times. This could be a tent, a sensory den or one you make yourselves.
- Attach the coloured tissue paper with tape to the ends of the torches so that you have different coloured lights.
- Shine the torches at the ceiling of the den, moving them around. Name the different colours as you use them. Experiment with the speed and pattern that you move the light in. You may choose to also play calming music.
- Encourage the children to watch the lights as they move.
Alternatives
- If you have a sensory light/light projector, you could use this. If children have a visual impairment, swap the activity to focus on the touch sense – feeling different materials with a range of textures in the den.
Extension activity
- Toddlers may be able to help make the sensory lights by taping the tissue paper onto the torch with you. Let them choose which colours they want to use.
Skills developed
- Concentration.
- Emotional regulation.
- Sensory integration.
- Language and communication.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
- This is an article in an eight-part series on practical ways to support the development of essential skills in children from birth to five, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
- Georgina Durrant is author of 100 Ways Your Child Can Learn Through Play, a book of play-based activities that help develop important skills for children with SEN. She is a former teacher/SENDCO, private tutor and founder of The SEN Resources Blog: www.sen resourcesblog.com. Twitter: @senresourceblog Facebook: @senresourcesblog
