Children often feel big emotions they can’t always explain or control. As they grow, they need tools to help them manage feelings like anger, fear, excitement, or sadness. One powerful way to support this emotional growth is through sensory play. Sensory play uses the five senses—touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste—to help children understand and respond to the world around them. But more than that, it helps children calm down, feel safe, and regain control when emotions become overwhelming. Let’s explore how sensory play helps children learn to manage their emotions healthily and naturally.
What Is Emotional Regulation?
Emotional regulation is the ability to understand and manage your feelings. It involves knowing what you’re feeling, being able to calm yourself down, and choosing how to respond instead of reacting right away.
Children don’t naturally know how to do this. It’s a skill they learn over time—and sensory play is a helpful tool in that learning process.
How Sensory Play Helps Children Regulate Emotions
Calms the Nervous System
When a child feels anxious or overwhelmed, their body may go into “fight or flight” mode. Sensory play can send calming signals to the brain, helping the body feel safe again.
For example:
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Squeezing playdough helps release built-up tension.
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Listening to soft music or white noise can slow down a racing heart.
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Watching bubbles float or glitter fall in a bottle gives the brain something gentle to focus on.
These activities calm the body, making it easier for a child to think clearly and respond calmly.
Creates a Sense of Control
Many sensory activities give children a sense of control. They can choose how fast to stir water, how much to squeeze a sponge, or how to sort items by color. In moments of strong emotion, this control is comforting.
When kids feel like they can make choices—even small ones—it helps them feel more balanced and less frustrated.
Encourages Self-Soothing
Self-soothing is when a child finds a way to calm themselves without needing help from an adult. Sensory play supports this by offering predictable, repetitive actions that feel safe and familiar.
Some examples include:
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Stroking soft fabric or a stuffed animal
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Running hands through dry rice
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Playing with a fidget toy or stress ball
These actions help kids settle themselves during or after emotional moments.
Improves Focus and Attention
Strong emotions often make it hard to think or pay attention. Sensory play activities that are calming or rhythmic can help children shift from a high-energy state to a more focused one.
For example, using a sand timer, kneading dough, or blowing bubbles can all gently bring a child back to a calm and alert state.
Gives Safe Ways to Express Feelings
Some children may not yet have the words to talk about what they’re feeling. Sensory play gives them a way to express emotions physically.
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Smashing dough might express frustration.
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Splashing in water could release energy.
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Drawing in shaving cream may help work through stress.
These activities allow children to “work through” their feelings in healthy ways.
Sensory Play Ideas That Support Emotional Regulation
Here are some simple, calming sensory activities to try at home or in the classroom:
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Calm-down bottles filled with glitter and water
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Weighted lap pads or stuffed animals
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Scent jars with lavender, vanilla, or peppermint
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Soft sensory bins with pom-poms or cotton balls
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Water play using warm water and sponges
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Sound corners with soft music and noise-canceling headphones
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Texture walls or boards for quiet exploration
Keep in mind that each child is different. What calms one child might not work for another. Observe your child to see what types of sensory input help them feel settled.
Final Thoughts
Emotional regulation is one of the most important skills a child can develop—and sensory play can help build it in a gentle, playful way. When children are given safe, calming ways to explore and respond to their emotions, they gain tools they’ll use for life.
By offering regular sensory play, parents and educators can help children feel more balanced, confident, and in control of their feelings.