How To Help Kids Manage Impulses
If you’ve spent any time at all with children, you know they can be impulsive. Impulses are natural, and they can be controlled with practice. Consider these tips.
Self-Regulation
Articles
Self-Care Snowflakes: A Self-Care Activity
Winter break is an exciting time, but it is also a good time for children to take some time to recharge their batteries. Everyone needs to practice self-care, including kids. This activity helps children practice self-care.
Fall Feelings
Use this fun 'Fall Feelings' activity to help kids learn more about feelings, specifically how there are A LOT of feelings.
Straw the Scared Scarecrow: A Free Feelings Workbook
Straw the Scared Scarecrow may be afraid of a lot of things, but he also wants to help kids understand that everyone feels scared sometimes. Learn more about straw in this free workbook.
Slow it Down: A Self-Regulation Strategy
Next time you're feeling stressed, take a moment to check in with your body. You may notice that everything has sped way up. Try this simple strategy to calm your brain and body.
You've Got This: A Self-Regulation Strategy
Building up your self-regulation toolbox helps you prepare in advance for the times when you feel dysregulated and need to self-regulate. Let's look at a self-regulation strategy we like to call, You've Got This!
Three, Two, One: A Self Regulation Strategy
Adults can feel dysregulated just like children can. Let's take a look at a self-regulation strategy that adults can use anytime they are feeling dysregulated. The strategy is called: Three, Two, One.
Three Easy Strategies for Sneaky, In-the-Moment Stress Management
Here are three quick, easy in-the-moment strategies to manage stress... that those around you won’t even notice you're doing.
A Calm Down Space
Each classroom in our school has a space that is solely dedicated to helping children manage their own behavior. Learn more!
It Just Takes 30 Seconds
"One of the most successful research-based strategies I used in my classroom was free and only took 30 seconds." Curious? Keep reading.
Mindfulness in the Classroom
Students at Momentous School engage in mindful breathing at least three times a day. How? Why? Watch this brief video to learn more.
The Breathing Stick
Our P.E. teacher shares an amazingly simple breathing tool. You'll love it!
Slowly Slowly Slowly Said the Sloth
Try this simple activity to help kids focus and take a minute to slow down.
Ribbon Wave
Kids can go from zero to 60 in no time at all. But the reverse? Not quite so fast. Try this activity to help kids focus and calm down.
No Ordinary Apple
We love this colorful book about eating mindfully. Read the full book review of "No Ordinary Apple".
New Rule
Here’s a simple activity you can try to encourage focus and impulse control. We call it New Rule.
Pass the Cup
Watch this video to learn about an impulse control group activity called Pass the Cup.
Why We Should Teach Kids About Impulse Control
Children who can control their impulses are more independent, have more friends, develop broader vocabularies, feel more confident, and make better choices. Read on for more about why we should teach kids about impulse control.
Calm Down Basket
We’ve all been there – overcome with emotion, angry, frustrated. Enter the calm-down basket. You'll want to build your own immediately! Read on.
Bunny Breath
What kid doesn't love pretending to be an animal? Here's a quick breathing activity that kids will love. Read on to learn about bunny breath.
Hoberman Sphere
The Hoberman Sphere is one of our favorite tools for teaching kids about breathing. Check it out!
The Eric
Momentous School student Eric leads us in a very quick breathing exercise in this short video.
Moody Cow Meditates
You'll love Moody Cow and his grandfather in this great book that teaches about mindfulness. Read the full review!
Balloon Arms
Our Pre-K Teacher, Cristina Garcia, leads us through a breathing activity called Balloon Arms in this short video. Check it out!
Intro to Breathing
Momentous School PreK-3 year old teacher Juanita Cabrales talks about introducing mindful breathing with her three-year-old students in this video.
Breathing Check-In
Have you thought about your own breathing lately? Let's all take a quick break and check in with ourselves.
Belly Breathing
Here's a simple, concrete way to help kids understand breath and experience deep, belly breathing.
Why We Should Teach Kids About Breathing
Breathing is something that we do all day, every day. Why would kids need to know about it? Read on to learn some of the benefits of teaching kids about their breath.
Create Your Own Glitter Jar
A simple art project that teaches us about the brain and helps us calm down? Sign us up! Read on to learn how to make your very own glitter jar.
Why We Should Teach Kids About Their Brain
We believe that kids should be taught at an early age about the basic working of the brain. Why? Read on.
Settle Your Glitter
The glitter ball is our favorite tool for helping kids (and adults) learn to calm down their brains to make good decisions and think clearly.
Videos
The Regulation Station!
Here's how we use a conflict corner during phys. ed. at Momentous Institute. Please feel free to adapt this to have it fit your learning space!
How to set up a Calm Down Space: https://youtu.be/tq9jNC7JhYg
What is a Calm Down Space?: https://youtu.be/zi4jaf4vpZQ
Where To Find Joy - with Ingrid Fetell Lee
Watch this short video featuring Ingrid Fetell Lee, author of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness, for a little help on how to find joy. Ingrid was a featured speaker for our 2021 Changing the Odds conference - plans for our 2022 conference will be announced soon!
Park on Positive | Animated
Let’s take a moment today to pause the juggling and think about the positives.
Mental Stress During the Holidays | Animated
There’s no question that the way we typically celebrate at this time of year will look very different. To make the most of the coming months, clinician Dena Kohleriter offers three tips that can help support children’s mental health as we navigate this time.
Gratitude When Things Are Hard | Animated
Check out a few ways to practice gratitude with children even when hard things happen.
Belly Breathing | Animated
Here's a simple, concrete way to help kids understand breath and experience deep, belly breathing.
Small Things Add Up | Animated
Often when we feel like our mental health is not in the best place, we start looking for big things that could be causing us stress. When we aren't able to find a big issue that is causing the stress, it may be time to examine all of the small things because they could be adding up.
You Are Doing Enough! | Animated
Sometimes you just need to be reminded that you are doing enough. So, consider this your reminder that, not matter what, you are doing enough!
One Minute Ukulele Relaxation
Momentous student Sarah leads a 1 minute breathing relaxation with her ukulele!
Three Easy Strategies For Sneaky, In-The-Moment Stress Management - Video
Here are three quick, easy in-the-moment strategies to manage stress... that those around you won’t even notice you're doing.
Don't Stress the Test! - Test Prep
Don't Stress! There are many ways to help eliminate those "big feelings" you may have during testing time and Seth is here to give you just a few.
Starfish Breathing | Animated
Your hand can be a breathing tool! This is a great breathing activity that can be done in the classroom but easily works by video as well. Be sure to mute students during this time so that there are no distracting sounds.
Hot Chocolate Breathing | Animated
How can you make breathing visual and fun for your little ones? Ask them to imagine blowing on a cup of hot chocolate!
Hand Model of the Brain | Animated
Try this quick way to explain the brain with your hand. We love this concept from Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. Be sure to check out our other brain related content here on this blog!
The Breathing Stick Tutorial
By using a pipe cleaner, some beads, and a little bit of twisting, you could help kids make a tool that helps reinforce the self-regulating power of breath awareness.
Home Strategies | Beep Honk
This fun activity is great for introducing new sounds and words to your little ones! Activities drawn from Theraplay by Booth & Jernberg and The Parent’s Guide to Play by Masi & Leiderman.
Home Strategies | Cheerios
Use Cheerios for working on fine motor skills with a peanut jar, water bottle, or any container you have! Activities drawn from Theraplay by Booth & Jernberg and The Parent’s Guide to Play by Masi & Leiderman.
Home Strategies | Puff Balls
Use puff balls for tracking, sensory learning, and as objects to find around the house! Activities drawn from Theraplay by Booth & Jernberg and The Parent’s Guide to Play by Masi & Leiderman.
Home Strategies | Bubbles
Here's how you can use bubbles for learning! Activities drawn from Theraplay by Booth & Jernberg and The Parent’s Guide to Play by Masi & Leiderman.
Classroom Strategy: Pass the Bell
This classroom strategy teaches students how to focus on one activity while also learning spatial awareness and teamwork.
Kids Talk: Amygdala Breathing
Momentous School second-grader Derek takes us through his amygdala breathing exercise.
Kids Talk: Chimes
Kindergartner Natalie teaches us about using the chime and breathing time - Thanks, Natalie!
Breathing Strategy: Flower and Candle
A quick and easy breathing strategy we use here at Momentous, which gives our students something concrete to imagine and help with deep breathing. It can be done anywhere at anytime!
Kids Talk: Hoberman Sphere
3rd grader, Faith, tells us why she likes using the Hoberman Sphere to help with her breathing!
How are Feelings Like a Rollercoater?
Life can be full of ups and downs, just like riding a roller-coaster. Visit our blog to download your own sheet so kids can draw out their emotions like a rollercoaster.
Breathing Strategy: Box Breathing
Momentous School Principal, Daniel Knoll, tells us how he utilized box breathing in the classroom. Take this strategy with you anywhere since no materials are needed!
Breathing Strategy: Anchor Breathing
5th grade Teacher, Meredith Gunter, shows us how to utilize anchor spots when breathing.
Kids Talk: Breathing at Home
Momentous School student Kai talks about how he used mindful breathing at home.
Classroom Strategy: Tic Toc
Momentous School 3-year-old class, led by Juanita Cabrales, do a mindful activity from Susan Kaiser Greenland called Tic-Toc.
Faith: Hoberman Sphere
Cute alert! Practice your mindful breathing with Momentous School student Faith.
Peaceful Classroom Transitions
Learn how Momentous School's art teacher, Talitha Kiwiet, uses mindfulness practices to help students transition in and out of the art classroom.
Pass the Cup
Here's a quick strategy to help students focus attention. All you need are cups and water!
Mindful Breathing with Young Students
Momentous School Pre-K3 teacher Juanita Cabrales explains how she uses mindful breathing three times each day.
What is a Glitter Ball?
Momentous School students Trent, Sussan, and Adriana teach us about our favorite tool, the glitter ball.