11 Effective Games for Emotional Regulation That Parents Love

Big feelings can fill a whole room, and that’s okay. Emotions deserve space, but they can also feel overwhelming for kids (and parents). That’s where games for emotional regulation come in: they turn practice into play, helping children learn what to do with their feelings while keeping family life a little lighter.

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish there was a way to support my child’s big emotions without it turning into a standoff,” you’ve come to the right place. Emotions aren’t something to push away; they’re part of being human. But kids don’t always know what to do with those feelings yet, and parents can feel just as stuck.

That’s why this list of 11 effective games for emotional regulation is so powerful. These board games and card games give children a playful way to practice calming down, patience, and expressing themselves, while giving you tools to guide the process.

Along the way, you’ll also find ideas for self regulation games for kids, anger management games for kids, mindfulness games, and even calm down games that families can use at home. And for multilingual families, there are extra pointers for weaving in home languages, using visuals, or letting kids mix languages as they explore feelings.

Because when children can express themselves fully, in any language, they learn their emotions are welcome, and that’s the real foundation of regulation.

This post is all about games for emotional regulation.

If you ever feel like your child’s emotions pull you along for the ride, this guide on co-regulation strategies for parents offers simple ways to stay centered while you play.

What Are Games for Emotional Regulation?

Games for emotional regulation are more than just a way to pass the time. These are board games, card decks, and playful activities that give kids a chance to practice skills like calming down, waiting their turn, and putting feelings into words. Unlike regular family games, they’re designed with self-regulation in mind, so children get to “rehearse” emotional skills in a safe and lighthearted way.

When kids play self regulation games regularly, they begin to recognize their emotions faster, recover from frustration more smoothly, and build habits they can use outside of game time. For parents, especially in multilingual homes or international school settings, these games offer a practical bridge: you can play in English, in your home language, or mix both. What matters most is that kids learn that their feelings are welcome, and that there are fun, concrete ways to work with them.

11 Effective Games for Emotional Regulation That Parents Love

The best part about these games for emotional regulation is that kids don’t realize they’re practicing skills at all… they just think they’re playing. Parenting win! And let’s be honest, adding a little structured fun to family time usually beats another lecture about patience or “using your words.” So, grab a spot at the table and let’s look at some of the best board games for emotional regulation you can bring into your home.

Board Games for Emotional Regulation

1. THE COPING SKILLS GAME
This colorful emotional regulation board game gives kids nine different coping skill categories to practice. Things like relaxation, positive thinking, and social skills. Each card encourages a small, doable action or thought strategy to handle real-life challenges.

• Before you play: Choose a coping skill your child could use more practice with. If you’re looking for relaxation or mindfulness specifically, point out those cards before starting so they don’t get lost among the more thinking-based ones.
• During the game: Some cards are longer and scenario-based. For younger kids, keep it moving by paraphrasing or shortening the text. For older kids, lean into the full story prompts to spark real discussions.
• After the game: Reflect together. “Which idea could you use at school?” or “Which one do you want to try at home?” This helps kids apply the strategies beyond the board.

Tip for multilingual families: If English isn’t your child’s strongest language, read the scenarios aloud and invite them to respond in their home language. Emotional regulation works best when kids can connect it to the words and expressions that feel natural to them.

2. ANGER DEFUSER
This mystery-style board game (think Clue® but with feelings) helps kids practice recognizing and managing anger. Players collect clues to solve the “mystery” while drawing cards that teach calming strategies. The updated 2.0 version comes with two decks (one for kids, one for teens) so it can grow with your family or be used with siblings of different ages. Great for those family members with a short fuse 🙂

• Before you play: Pick which deck fits your child today (kids vs. teens). Name 1–2 “anger superpowers” you want to watch for, like taking space or counting to 10.
• During the game: When a coping card comes up, don’t just read it, pause to actually practice it. If it says “take three deep breaths,” everyone takes a breath break before play continues. This keeps the game fun but makes the strategies stick.
• After the game: Ask one quick reflection question: “Which strategy felt easiest to remember?” or “Which one would you try outside the game?”

Multilingual tip: Let kids respond in their home language if that’s where the feeling words live most strongly. Parents can echo the word in English afterwards, so emotional vocabulary is built in both languages.

3. A GENTLE RAIN
Think of this one as meditation disguised as a tabletop game. Players draw and place tiles to match flower halves, slowly blooming all eight lilies by the time the stack runs out. There’s no competition, no timer, and…best of all, no one flipping the board when they lose (looking at you, family Monopoly nights).

• Before you play: Set an intention together, something like: “We’re just going to slow down and notice how we feel.” This helps kids shift out of “go-go-go” mode and into the calm pace the game naturally invites.
• During the game: Each tile placement is a tiny mindfulness moment. After placing one or two, try asking, “What do you notice in your body right now?” It might be an emotion/feeling or a sensation in the body. Being able to describe anything at all is a win!
• After the game: Compare how you both feel now versus when you started. Write down a list of words to give your vocabulary a boost.

Multilingual tip: Encourage one-word check-ins in any language: “rustig,” “calme,” “tranquilo.” Sometimes the word that lands best isn’t the one in English.

Additional game: even familiar games like Jenga can be added to your emotional regulation games collection. See this look-a-like social emotional version of the block building game.

Card & Conversation Games that Develop Coping Skills for Kids

4. MINDFUL KIDS: 50 MINDFULNESS ACTIVITIES FOR KINDNESS, FOCUS AND CALM
This deck from Barefoot Books is packed with short, easy mindfulness and movement practices for kids. The cards are divided into categories like “Focus,” “Calm,” and “Kindness,” and each one includes a simple, visual exercise you can do together. The illustrations make it especially accessible for multilingual families or early readers, no long text, just clear guidance.

• Before you play: Choose one or two cards that fit your child’s energy level. High-energy mornings might call for movement cards; tired afternoons are perfect for the calm ones.
• During the game: Join in. When you model slowing your breath or stretching like a cat, kids naturally follow (and love watching you try).
• After the game: Ask, “Which card do you want to keep for next time?” and display it somewhere visible. It helps kids remember the practice later.

Multilingual tip: These cards rely more on visuals than text, so you can say the cues in your home language—adem in, adem uit works just as well as “breathe in, breathe out.”

5. TRAIN YOUR MIND LIKE A NINJA: 30 SECRET SKILLS FOR FUN, FOCUS, AND RESILIENCE
This is one of my all-time favorite resources to use with children. Created by Dr. Christopher Willard, this card deck mixes mindfulness, focus, and resilience exercises with a cool “ninja” twist. It’s full of great activities that help kids with mindful breathing, walking, body-awareness, perspective-taking, and so much more!

• Before you play: Set the scene: “We’re training our ninja skills today.” Choose 1–3 cards that fit your child and their abilities (the cards go from easy to harder as you go).
• During the game: Each card has an action, e.g.: balance, breathe, notice. Join in! Bonus points if you dress like a ninja!
• After the game: Reflect: “When did your ninja mind help you stay calm today?”, a lighthearted way to connect the dots between play and real-life self-regulation.

Multilingual tip: Encourage kids to rename each card’s action in their home language. Creating their own “bilingual ninja vocabulary” strengthens the language-emotion link.

6. THE SCHOOL OF MINDFULNESS: MINDFULNESS TALK CARDS
A deck of conversation starters that help families talk about emotions, gratitude, and empathy. Each card has a short prompt; nothing too heavy, but enough to create connection through conversations. Parents often say it becomes their new go-to at dinner or bedtime.

• Before you play: Pick a theme that fits the moment. For example: gratitude, kindness, or calm-down chats after a tough day.
• During the game: Let everyone answer, adults included. Kids love it when parents share too (“When did you feel frustrated today, Mom?”).
• After the game: Choose one “family favorite” question to revisit next week. It builds reflection habits naturally.

Multilingual tip: If your child switches languages mid-answer, that’s perfect. Emotions don’t belong to one language, and code-switching helps kids express what feels truest to them.

Self Regulation Games for Kids (With Movement)

Some kids regulate best when they’re doing. These cooperative games for kids channel big energy into connection, turning play into emotional regulation activities for kids without feeling like homework. Think of them as self regulation games for kids that use bodies, teamwork, and accessible choices to practice calm.

If your child struggles to sit still, these calm down games for kids are a great complement to your quieter board games for emotional regulation. Same goal, different doorway into the work of games for emotional regulation. They teach kids that regulation isn’t just about “calming down,” but also about finding ways to move through big feelings together. And yes, a little friendly competition can still be good for the soul. Especially when everyone’s cheering instead of chasing each other with a foam sword.

7. FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS: THE HELPING GAME
A fun, visual feelings game for kids where players work together to solve everyday dilemmas (“What could help when someone is sad?”). It’s short, cooperative, and perfect as an after-school SEL game when attention is low but connection is needed. Consider it a bridge between play and real-life empathy, an easy way to add social emotional learning games at home.

• Before you play: Preview a few cards together and name the feelings you spot. This sets up the scenario and the tone for an emotional regulation activity for kids, not just another turn-taking game.
• During the game: Invite your child to show the feeling with face or body before naming it. That little embodied step does wonders for regulation long-term. Keep turns brisk so the game stays engaging.
• After the game: Ask, “When did you help someone today?”, a quick reflection that transfers skills to daily life.

Multilingual tip: Let’s say not everyone shares the same language at the table. If your child names the feeling in French (“triste”), the English-speaking parent mirrors the expression and echoes in English (“Oh, sad”). Use the picture on the card as a shared reference so everyone can follow. Over time, keep a mini word list with 1–2 core feelings in both languages taped near your game shelf.

8. YOGA DICE GAME
Created by ThinkFun, Yoga Dice blends movement, balance, and breath into a quick family game for emotional regulation. Players roll dice to reveal a pose and a breath count, then hold the pose for that number of breaths before passing the turn. It’s lighthearted, active, and teaches body awareness in the sneakiest way possible: through giggles and wobbles, laughter and play.

• Before you play: Start with one “practice roll” and a guided belly breath, so everyone can try a pose and settle into the rhythm of breathing together. This lowers the performance pressure and sets the tone for genuine self regulation through play.
• During the game: Count the breaths slowly and out loud together. It turns it into a natural mindfulness exercise for kids. If someone wobbles or topples, call it a “bonus yoga laugh”, or whatever better name you can come up with. That small moment of humor teaches kids that regulation doesn’t mean perfection.
• After the game: Ask, “Which pose made your body feel calm or strong?” It helps kids notice sensations (e.g. warmth, softness, stillness), which is the core of embodiment practices.

Multilingual tip: Perfect for mixed-language homes. Kids can call out body parts or feelings in any language (“bras,” “pieds,” “happy!”) while the English-speaking parent mirrors the move and repeats the word in English. That mirroring supports connection and shared meaning beyond vocabulary.

Pair your favorite game with one of these simple breathing exercises for kids to help your child calm down faster between turns.

9. STOMP IT OUT
A genuinely embodied game for emotional regulation: kids hear a short scenario, then move (stomp, hop, twirl) to the emotion mat that fits how they’d feel. After the movement round, you talk through coping and problem-solving together. It’s cooperative, kinetic, and perfect for kids who regulate best by doing, not sitting.

• Before you play: Take a minute to explore the mats together. Talk about what each color means and what kinds of situations might fit (“When do you feel blue?” “When do you feel red?”). That quick warm-up helps kids connect feelings to body movement before the scenarios even start.
• During the game: Keep scenarios short for younger or multilingual kids. Paraphrase and point to the mats. Celebrate big moves (army crawl! crab walk!) and big insight.
• After the game: Ask, “What strategy would help if this happened at school?”. That transfer piece to their personal context is the heart of emotional regulation activities for kids.

Multilingual tip: The child can choose the mat and say the feeling in their strongest language (“triste”), while the English-speaking parent mirrors the expression and echoes the English word (“sad”). The visual mats make this very ESL-friendly.

Feelings Games for Kids

10. FEELINGS AND DEALINGS: AN EMOTIONS AND EMPATHY CARD GAME
This beautifully illustrated feelings game for kids is designed to help children recognize emotions, practice empathy, and start conversations that go deeper than “I’m fine.” Each card shows a clear facial expression and a short everyday situation, making it easy for multilingual families or younger players who can’t read yet to join in.

• Before you play: Spread out a few cards face-up and let kids sort them into “familiar” and “new” emotions. This primes emotional vocabulary and gives you a quick sense of which feelings they already know in English or their home language.
• During the game: Take turns matching emotion faces with short scenarios (“How might you feel if…”). Encourage kids to act it out (tone of voice, posture, expression) so it becomes a light embodiment exercise instead of just talk.
• After the game: Keep a few cards out for the week (maybe on the fridge or by the calm-down space) and point to one when a similar feeling shows up in real life. It helps kids remember and use what they practiced during games for emotional regulation moments.

Multilingual tip: Let your child name the emotion in their strongest language, then repeat it in English. You’re building a bridge between emotional understanding and language development without interrupting the flow of play.

11. MY FEELINGS GAME: EXPLORING EMOTIONS THROUGH FUN, ACTIVE PLAY
A therapy favorite turned family-friendly, this one builds emotional vocabulary and perspective-taking through scenario cards, question prompts, and expressive play. It’s one of the few emotional intelligence games for kids that combines reflection and lighthearted competition. Kids earn tokens by identifying and discussing feelings in a safe way.

• Before you play: Show the color-coded cards and talk about how different feelings can show up in the body (warm, heavy, tingly, jumpy). That body connection turns a talk-based game into an embodied emotional regulation activity.
• During the game: If a question feels too deep, rephrase it in your own words. (“What makes you angry?” → “What’s something that bugged you today?”) Keeping it conversational helps kids stay open and engaged.
  
  Tip: Make sure to reflect if it’s too deep for the kid or for YOU. Did you notice them shutting down after asking the question or did you decide it’s too deep before asking? Often, it’s the adults’ discomfort more than the kids’.
• After the game: End on a positive note. “Which feeling card made you laugh?” or “What surprised you about today’s answers?” Humor keeps vulnerability light.

Multilingual tip: If a feeling word doesn’t translate directly, use examples instead: “When you felt proud… remember when you drew that picture?” For bilingual families, it’s totally fine to use a feeling word from the other language if it fits better emotionally (some languages have words that English just doesn’t!).

FAQs About Games to Teach Emotional Regulation (SEL Games)

What are games for emotional regulation?
They’re board games, card games, and movement activities that help kids practice calming down, waiting, naming feelings, and choosing coping tools during play, so skills transfer to real life. While they aren’t all true therapeutic games, they all help kids learn regulation through play.

Which self regulation games for kids are best for high-energy children?
Choose movement-forward games (e.g., Yoga Dice, Stomp It Out) that build body awareness and impulse control through action rather than sit-and-read prompts. Short, frequent rounds work best.

Are there board games for emotional regulation that don’t require much reading?
Yes. Look for visual or action-based games (Yoga Dice, Friends & Neighbors, Feelings & Dealings). Visuals + quick turns keep multilingual/ESL learners engaged while practicing skills.

Can these emotional regulation activities for kids help with anger and frustration?
Yes, especially anger-specific titles (e.g., Anger Defuser). Add quick reflection to in-the-moment strategies. Movement + mindfulness also reduce intensity for many kids. It’s important that emotions are allowed and that healthy ways of dealing with them are modeled and practiced, and emotional regulation activities can be a great tool to do exactly that.

Do social emotional learning games work for multilingual or international families?
Absolutely. Use visuals, act-it-out turns, and let kids answer in their strongest language; adults can echo key words in English. Focus on emotional understanding and expression first, words will follow.

How often should we play calm down games for kids?
A few minutes, a few times a week beats one long session. Keep it consistent and light so skills stick.

Are there screen-based options like apps that teach regulation?
Some families use biofeedback-style games or calming apps alongside tabletop play; they can coach breath and pause strategies if used intentionally with an adult.

What if my child gets bored with talky games?
Alternate with movement-heavy self regulation games (Yoga Dice, Train Your Mind Like a Ninja), cooperative challenges, or very visual feelings games for kids (Feelings & Dealings). Rotate formats to match energy and reading level.

You can also use these printable emotion regulation worksheets for big feelings to extend what kids learn during play into daily life.

Final Thoughts on Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids

The best part about these games for emotional regulation is that they don’t feel like “work.” Kids learn through laughter, movement, and repetition. And parents get to experience the kind of calm, connected moments that often disappear in the daily rush. Many therapy games for kids work great at home, too.

Start with one game that feels right for your family. Maybe something movement-based if your child’s energy runs high, or a feelings game for kids if you’re working on naming emotions. Over time, you’ll build a small toolkit that makes emotional learning part of everyday life, not another item on the to-do list.

And if you’re a multilingual family, remember: the goal isn’t perfect English, it’s genuine connection. Emotional awareness is universal, and these games just give it a playful language everyone can understand. Share your favorite games for self-regulation and your best moments of play with us in the comments below!

This post was all about games for emotional regulation