Introduction: In this blog post, we will explore the importance of teaching self-control to elementary students and provide educators with a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help students better manage their emotions and actions. Self-control is the ability to regulate one’s feelings and actions in response to challenges or stressors. By learning self-control, students can avoid negative consequences and maintain positive relationships with their peers and teachers.

No-Prep Activity: The Freeze Game

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and is designed to help students practice self-control in a fun and engaging way. The Freeze Game is a simple activity that can be played in the classroom or outdoors. Here’s how to play:

1. Ask students to stand up and spread out in the available space.
2. Explain the rules of the game: when the teacher says “Go,” students can move around freely, dancing, jumping, or walking. When the teacher says “Freeze,” students must immediately stop moving and hold their position.
3. Start the game by saying “Go” and allow students to move around for a few seconds before saying “Freeze.”
4. Repeat the process several times, varying the length of time between “Go” and “Freeze” commands.
5. After the game, discuss how students felt during the activity and what strategies they used to maintain self-control when they heard the “Freeze” command.

Discussion Questions:

Use these questions to stimulate further discussions about self-control and its importance:

• Why is it important to have self-control in school and other settings?
• Can you think of a time when you lost self-control? What happened and how did you feel afterward?
• What strategies can you use to help maintain self-control when you feel upset or angry?
• How can practicing self-control help you build better relationships with your classmates and teachers?
• What are some ways we can support each other in our efforts to improve self-control?

Related Skills:

Teaching self-control is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other relevant skills for students include:

• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• Active listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and responding thoughtfully.
• Conflict resolution: Finding peaceful solutions to disagreements or problems.
• Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks and learning from challenges.
• Teamwork: Collaborating effectively with others to achieve common goals.

Next Steps:

Now that you have learned about the importance of teaching self-control and have a no-prep activity and discussion questions to use in your classroom, we encourage you to explore more social-emotional learning resources. For free samples of skill-building materials and activities, please visit Everyday Speech and sign up to access a variety of engaging resources designed to help students develop essential SEL skills.