You can support your preschooler’s developing brain and ability to self-regulate by doing this activity together.
What You Need:
- Clear plastic jar
- Pom-poms of different colors
What To Do:
- Have your preschooler choose a pom-pom color for different emotions, e.g., yellow=happy, blue=sad, purple=nervous, etc.
- When talking with your preschooler on how she is feeling, have her fill the jar with the corresponding colored pom-poms to show how she is feeling. For example, she may pick 10 blue pom-poms and 2 yellow pom-poms because she’s feeling very sad, but also a little happy.
- Talk about and/or problem-solve what she could do to remove or add pom-poms to her feeling jar, associating it with how she’s feeling. For example, “I’m sorry you’re feeling sad today, but I see you’re also a little happy. What can we do to make you feel happier?”
- Dump the pom-poms out and have the jar ready for next time.
You can support your toddler’s developing brain and ability to self-regulate with this activity
What You Need:
- Colored construction paper
- Marker pens
- Scissors
- Glue
- An old CD or small plate
What To Do:
- Talk about various emotions and what your face looks like when you’re feeling these emotions. Choose which of these emotions you’d like to include in the emotion book.
- Select corresponding colors, e.g. yellow construction paper for a happy face.
- Draw circles by tracing a CD or small plate on each colored construction paper and then cut the circles out.
- Fold each circle in half horizontally, open it and draw an emotion face with the markers. The eyes should be above the folded crease; mouth below the crease. For example, for a happy face, draw two eyes and a big smile for the mouth.
- Once all emotion faces are finished, fold them back in half and glue the faces together so that the back of the bottom half of the first face is glued to the back of the top half of the next face. Repeat until all faces are glued together.
- Use the Emotions Flip Book to help your toddler identify her feelings so she can “Name It and Tame It” as recognizing feelings is the first step to learning how to control and regulate emotions.
Support your infant’s developing brain and ability to self-regulate with this activity
What You Need:
None
What To Do:
- When your infant is crying and you know she is not hungry and has a clean diaper, calm yourself by taking three deep belly breaths.
- Hold your infant and use her movement preferences (rocking, bouncing or simply going on a walk with you) to calm her.
- Use a nurturing tone of voice and empathetic expression to show your understanding.
- Then reassure your infant and engage her upper-brain by saying, “You’re safe. I’m here.”
Enjoy this brain boosting smoothie together!
What You Need:
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 20 plain roasted or raw almonds OR 1-2 T of almond butter
- 2 T wheat germ
What To Do:
- Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit. Then, let your child use a metal spoon to scoop out the avocado into the blender.
- Help your child measure a cup of the blueberries and add them to the blender.
- Help your child measure and pour a cup of pomegranate juice and add it into the blender.
- Together with your child, count and add 20 almonds to the blender OR scoop and add almond butter.
- Scoop and add wheat germ.
- Securely cover the blender and blend ingredients until smooth. Have your child notice how the ingredients change as they mix in the blender.
- Enjoy this brain boosting smoothie together!
Adapted from https://www.superhealthykids.com/recipes/berry-brainy-blizzard-a-smoothie-for-kids/
