Why Board Games Are Secret Tools for Teaching Emotional Self-Regulation
Can board games and card games really support children in learning emotional self regulation? And how can parents find simple ways to help their children build these important life skills? Many families face similar questions. Emotional self regulation can be tough for kids—and even tougher for parents to teach.
In today’s world, parenting can feel overwhelming. As caregivers, we’re often expected to be experts in child behaviour, psychology, and development. I know this feeling well. I tried to be the perfect parent—and found myself overwhelmed by all the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts.”
With a background in community recreation, I’ve seen firsthand how play supports emotional wellbeing.
I’ve also spent time researching if board games can help children learn emotional regulation. While there isn’t a lot of direct research linking board games to emotional growth, there is solid evidence showing that games in general—especially those that involve turn-taking, decision-making, and managing frustration—can support the development of self-regulation skills.
That said, it’s important to remember that every child is different. Board games aren’t a fix-all. But over time, they can offer small wins—moments where children practice patience, manage disappointment, or express how they feel. These little moments matter. And for many families, that’s a powerful place to start.
Game On! Nurturing Emotional Self Regulation Through Board Games
As a parent, one of the things I find hard is watching our children struggle with big emotions. We all want our kids to handle life’s ups and downs with resilience and confidence. One key skill that helps them do this is emotional self regulation. The ability to understand and manage feelings in healthy, positive ways.
Of course, challenging moments are part of life. But the good news is that emotional regulation isn’t something you either have or don’t—it’s a skill that can be taught and practiced. And often, the best way to do that is through something children already love: play.
Through play, kids naturally explore and develop important life skills. We see it every day—when they share toys, take turns, solve problems, or work through disagreements. Play helps build cooperation, empathy, and negotiation—all of which support emotional growth.
If you want to learn more about the importance of play in families, head over to this wonderful website, Learning Through Play, which explains more about the why and how etc.
I’ve found Board games and card games offer a structured yet engaging environment where children can safely explore a spectrum of emotions, from the thrill of victory to the sting of defeat, and learn valuable coping mechanisms
How Board Games Support Emotional Self Regulation in Children
Think about a typical family game night. What do you see? Laughter, excitement, perhaps a bit of frustration, and inevitably, moments where someone has to wait their turn, deal with a setback, or manage the disappointment of losing. These are all micro-lessons in emotional regulation. Here is a list of the benefits board games provide in supporting emotional regulation;
- Safe Space for Practice: Games provide a low-stakes environment to experience and express emotions. Losing in a game feels less overwhelming than a real-life disappointment, offering a chance to practice coping in a controlled setting where a caregiver can support and talk through those emotions.
- Structured Learning: Following rules, taking turns, and objectives introduce structure, helping children learn patience, impulse control, and the importance of following guidelines even when emotions run high.
- Cause and Effect: Children learn that certain actions (like throwing a fit after losing) lead to negative outcomes (like not getting to play again), while healthy responses can lead to continued fun.
- Empathy and Perspective-Taking: Cooperative games or games with social elements require understanding others’ feelings and intentions, fostering empathy, supporting each other.
- Communication Skills: Discussing strategies, negotiating, and articulating feelings during a game all build crucial communication skills.
- Building Resilience: Repeatedly facing setbacks and learning to recover strengthens a child’s resilience.
Helping Kids Roll With Their Emotions: How Parents Can Teach Emotional Self Regulation
Integrating board games into your routine is a fantastic start, but how you facilitate the game is just as important as the game itself. Here are key strategies:
- Model Healthy Emotional Self Regulation Behavior: Children are sponges. When you lose calmly, express your frustration constructively (“Oh, that was a tough roll, I feel a bit disappointed”), and celebrate wins gracefully, you are demonstrating exactly what you want your child to learn.
- Actively Listen and Validate Emotions: When your child is upset, get down to their level, make eye contact, and genuinely listen. Instead of dismissing their feelings validate them: “I can see you’re really frustrated that your piece got sent back to start. That’s tough.”
- Label Feelings: Help your child put names to their emotions. “You look angry,” “Are you feeling disappointed right now?” Using emotion charts can also be helpful. This builds their emotional vocabulary.
- Provide Mindful Movement Exercises: “Lets take a break” – Gosh this game is taking longer than I thought, lets “Take a break” . Short, structured physical activity breaks can help children release excess energy and regulate emotions.
- Create a “Calm-Down Corner” (or Strategy): Before games, discuss what your child can do if they get overwhelmed. This might be taking a few deep breaths, counting to ten, or stepping away to a designated “calm-down” spot for a minute. Encourage them to use these strategies during moments of distress.
- Focus on the Process, Not Just the Outcome: Praise effort, good sportsmanship, strategic thinking, and emotional resilience more than just winning. “I loved how you stayed calm after that bad card”
- Collaborative Problem-Solving: If a conflict arises, guide your child to think through solutions. “What could we do differently next time if someone gets frustrated?”
- Teach a simple Cognitive-Based Emotion approach. “Stop, Think, Act” strategy to pause before reacting emotionally. Ref
Recommendations of Board Games to Support Emotional Regulation
Now we understand the ways board games can help and how we can make this experience better; lets look at some options to play.
Many games, by their very nature, lend themselves to practicing emotional skills. Before I mention these games, please consider your childs interests and personality. If they are energetic and need tactile objects. Think about game time and game play. Is it quick and moving fast to keep them engaged.
Could you change out a game piece to make it special to them. Do they have a favourite mini figurine you could use instead of a counter. A favourite figurine can also be useful as a way to deal and explain emotions. Eg do you think Superman was happy about going three steps back?
Here are recommended board games that support emotional regulation in children
Here are Our Picks of Board Game for Emotional Self Regulation
The Color Monster – A Story-Based Board Game
- Age: 4+
Based on the popular book, kids match emotions (joy, sadness, fear, calm, and anger) to colors and talk about when they’ve felt them. Here is a quick overview and review of the Color Monster.
Skills built: Emotional vocabulary, empathy, self-expression.
Snug as a Bug in a Rug (Peaceable Kingdom)
- Age: 3+
Having won a few awards, Snug as a Bug in A Rug is a family favourite cooperative game where children work together to get bugs under the rug before the stink bugs show up.
Collectively you aim to get all the little colourful bugs under the rug before the three stink bugs stink up the place.
How to play Snug as a Bug in a Rug
You start by spinning the spinner and then find a matching bug. Once found you then slip it under the rug. Take turns spinning and matching aiming to get all the bugs under the rug before 3 stink bugs are sitting on top. Each level adds more challenge. Everyone Work together to find those matches, so you all win.
Skills Children learn: Colors, numbers, shapes, taking turns, rolling a die, spinning a spinner, working cooperatively
Dragon Snacks
- Age: 4+
How it can help: Kids take turns retrieving treasures from a dragon’s belly. The light-up dragon encourages patience and self-control. Here is a cute short video on how to play.
- Skills built: Impulse control, attention, following directions.
Feelings in a Flash (Card Game)
- Age: 6 +
What is Feelings in a Flash about? What scares your child? What brings them joy, or triggers frustration or anger? With this playful and inspiring game, you’ll explore all of these emotions alongside your child in a fun, hands-on, and often delightfully silly way.
You’ll begin by identifying seven basic feelings, then draw cards that guide you and your child through different ways to experience and express them. As you play, you’ll help your child learn to recognise emotions in themselves and others and how to manage them in healthy, socially appropriate ways.
Best of all? You’ll both be having so much fun, your child won’t even realise they’re building lifelong emotional self regulation skills along the way.
This game has excellent reviews and comes highly recommended by parents and caregivers. Feelings in a Flash was developed with the help of leading speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists. The goal is simple but powerful: to support social-emotional development in young children.
Kids are encouraged to express their feelings in a playful, engaging way. It turns learning into fun and makes family time even more meaningful. I’ve seen firsthand how it sparks conversations and helps kids talk about emotions more openly.
If you’re looking for something designed for children ages 4 and up, you might also enjoy My Feelings Game. It’s another great option for families who want to make playtime both fun and educational.
CBTrees – Emotional Regulation Game
CB Trees is a strategic game inspired by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT ) principles. CBT treatment is used to support changing behavioral patterns. And can be used to support children in
- Facing one’s fears instead of avoiding them,
- Using role playing to prepare for potentially problematic interactions with others.
- Learning to calm one’s mind and relax one’s body.
CB Trees helps to build emotional awareness and boost your childs confidence as they complete tasks and answer thought-provoking questions to replant the forest. The player who plants the most trees wins.
Resources
Research of Play in Emotional Self Regulation
An article on “100 Emotional Regulation Games: A Guide for All Ages ” . It is a PDF file, so I can’t add a link, but just copy the title into Google and it will come up.
Psychological research highlights several benefits of play, especially board games, for emotional development. Dr. Stuart Brown (https://www.playcore.com/drstuartbrown) has spent his career researching and understanding the importance of play in children.
If you wish to understand more about the brain and how it matures, check out Dr Dan Siegel https://drdansiegel.com/whole-brain-child-handouts/ which has valuable information and age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles. You can also find their books on amazon below.
Resourses / Recommended Books
Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul
- Author: Stuart M. Brown, M.D.
- Focus: This foundational book explains the neuroscience and psychological benefits of play, highlighting how play uniquely supports creativity, emotional regulation, and resilience.
The Whole‑Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
- Authors: Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., & Tina Payne Bryson
- Focus: While not exclusively about games, this guide offers practical co‑regulation techniques and age‑appropriate strategies—butter emotional integration, helping parents use play and dialogue to foster calm, understanding, and self‑control.
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