Sensory and Emotional Regulation Tools to Help Kids Get Back to Baseline
Welcome to part four of our seven-part series, “Getting Back to Baseline.” In part three, we talked about why regulation is important. In this article, we focus on sensory tools and emotional regulation tools that support kids in getting back to baseline.
Whether it’s calming overstimulation, managing big emotions, or creating supportive environments, these strategies help children find balance and regain a calm, regulated state.
By using these tools, parents, educators, and therapists can provide individualized support that not only helps children in the moment but also builds skills for long-term self-regulation and resilience.
Sensory Tools and Strategies
Helping a child return to baseline requires a thoughtful and individualized approach.
Strategies should address the different components of regulation—sensory, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive—while also considering adjustments to the environment.
Below are practical sensory tools and techniques to support children in achieving a calm, balanced state.
Sensory Strategies
Many children, especially neurodivergent ones, rely on sensory tools and activities to help regulate their nervous system.
These strategies can help either calm overstimulation or provide needed sensory input for balance.
Common Sensory Tools:
- Weighted blankets or lap pads to provide calming, deep pressure.
- Sensory swings to help with vestibular regulation and grounding.
- Noise-canceling headphones to reduce auditory overload.
- Fidget toys, like stress balls or chewable jewelry, to redirect excess energy.
- Aromatherapy (e.g., lavender for calming) for olfactory regulation.
Sensory Activities:
- Deep-Pressure Input: Activities like squeezing a stress ball, bear hugs, or lying under a weighted blanket.
- Vestibular Exercises: Gentle rocking, swinging, or rolling on a yoga ball.
- Calming Visuals: Watching a liquid motion timer, calming lights, or glitter jars.
Physical Activity for Sensory Regulation
Physical activity is a powerful way to help children regulate their sensory systems.
Movement not only provides needed sensory input but also supports emotional and behavioral regulation by releasing built-up energy and calming the nervous system.
- Yoga: Yoga combines gentle stretches, deep breathing, and mindfulness to promote relaxation and body awareness. Poses like Child’s Pose or Downward Dog can be particularly grounding for children. Check out these yoga poses for sensory seekers.
- Stretching: Simple stretches help release physical tension and improve body awareness. Encouraging children to stretch their arms, legs, and back can be calming and centering.
- HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): Short bursts of energetic activities, like jumping jacks or running in place, followed by brief rests, can help children who need to release pent-up energy.
- Taking a Walk: A walk outside provides both physical movement and sensory input from nature, like fresh air, natural light, and calming sounds.
- Organized Sports: Sports like swimming, basketball, or gymnastics provide structured movement and sensory input while also supporting skills, motor development, and building confidence.
Physical activity is versatile, offering both calming and energizing effects depending on the child’s needs.
For example, yoga and stretching can calm overstimulation, while HIIT or sports can provide stimulation for children needing more input to focus.
Tailoring sensory strategies to the child’s specific preferences ensures they feel supported in a way that works for their body.
Emotional Regulation Tools
Helping children identify and process their emotions is fundamental to building emotional regulation.
Many neurodivergent children, and even neurotypical ones, may struggle to understand what they are feeling or how to express those emotions in a healthy way.
By teaching emotional identification and using other emotional regulation tools, we can empower children to manage their feelings more effectively and reduce the intensity of dysregulation.
Emotional Identification
Recognizing and naming emotions is the first step toward regulating them.
Many children find connecting their internal experiences with language challenging, but tools and activities can make this process easier.
Emotion Wheels or Mood Meters:
These visual aids present a range of emotions—often with corresponding facial expressions or colors—to help children identify how they feel. For example:
- Younger children might benefit from a simple wheel with basic emotions like happy, sad, mad, or scared.
- Older children can use tools that include more advanced emotions like frustration, anxiety, or disappointment.
- These tools can be kept in the classroom, in therapy sessions, or at home to help children pause and reflect on their feelings.
Feelings Journals:
Journaling provides a space for children to express their emotions through writing or drawing.
- Younger children can draw pictures of what made them happy, sad, or angry that day.
- Older children can use guided prompts, such as “What happened today that made you feel proud?” or “What is something you wish had gone differently?”
- This process helps children process their experiences while building a habit of self-reflection.
Calming Techniques
Once a child identifies their emotions, calming techniques can help them manage intense feelings and return to a more balanced state.
These strategies teach children practical ways to self-soothe when emotions feel overwhelming.
You can use these techniques to co-regulate with your child, or children can use them for self-regulation when they’re ready. Remember to set realistic expectations for using these techniques.
Breathing Exercises:
- Breathing techniques help slow the heart rate and calm the nervous system.
- Use simple patterns, such as “4-4-4 breathing,” breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for four counts.
- For younger children, turn this into a game by imagining blowing up a balloon or smelling a flower and blowing out a candle.
- Breathing exercises are quick, effective, and can be done anywhere.
Mindfulness Activities:
- Mindfulness practices help children focus on the present moment and reduce emotional intensity.
- Body Scans: Guide the child to mentally scan their body from head to toe, noticing any tension and relaxing each part as they go.
- Visualization: Have the child close their eyes and imagine a safe, happy place (like a beach or a cozy room). Encourage them to describe what they see, hear, and feel in that place.
- Mindfulness teaches children to slow down and stay connected to their emotions without judgment.
Grounding Exercises:
Grounding is an emotional regulation tool that helps children reconnect with the present moment, especially when they feel overwhelmed or anxious.
- Use the “5-4-3-2-1 technique”: identify five things they can see, four things they can touch, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste.
- For younger children, turn this into a scavenger hunt by asking them to find objects of specific colors or textures.
- This technique is particularly helpful during moments of anxiety or sensory overload.
Creative Outlets
Creative expression is an excellent tool for helping children process and release emotions, especially when verbal communication feels difficult.
Drawing or Painting
Encourage children to create art that reflects their feelings.
They might draw what upset them, create a happy picture to shift their mood, or simply choose colors that match their emotions.
Art provides an open-ended, judgment-free way to explore emotions.
Play and Storytelling:
For younger children, play can be an excellent way to work through feelings. Use puppets or toys to act out scenarios that reflect what they’re experiencing, which allows them to process emotions indirectly.
Older children might enjoy writing short stories about a character overcoming a challenge similar to their own.
Music or Movement
Singing, dancing, or listening to calming music can help release pent-up energy or provide comfort.
For example, a child feeling angry might benefit from drumming or dancing energetically, while a child feeling sad might find comfort in listening to soothing music.
Key Takeaways
- Sensory tools like weighted blankets, noise-canceling headphones, and fidget toys can help children balance their sensory input and calm overstimulation.
- Physical activities such as yoga, stretching, or short bursts of energetic movement provide powerful sensory regulation and emotional grounding.
- Emotional regulation tools like emotion wheels, feelings journals, and breathing exercises help children identify, express, and manage their emotions effectively.
- Creative outlets such as art, music, or storytelling offer nonverbal ways for children to process and release emotions.
- Grounding techniques and mindfulness practices reconnect children to the present moment, easing anxiety and fostering calm.
- Tailoring these strategies to the child’s unique needs ensures a more effective and supportive approach to regulation.
Sensory and emotional regulation tools are essential for helping kids get back to baseline and manage the challenges of daily life. By introducing strategies that are tailored to their individual needs, you can help your child feel calm, confident, and in control of their emotions.
These tools not only help children in the moment but also build skills for long-term self-regulation. Whether it’s through physical movement, creative expression, or mindfulness, each technique offers a pathway to balance and readiness.
Ready for more? In the next article of the “Getting Back to Baseline” series, we’ll learn about co-regulation and behavior supports for getting back to baseline. Ready to learn more? Click here to move on to part five!
