Summer is often expected to be a season of fun, freedom, and sunshine—but for many children, the break from school routines can bring just the opposite: dysregulation, restlessness, and big emotions. Without the daily structure they rely on during the school year, kids may struggle to regulate their emotions. And for caregivers? The pressure to create magical summer memories while juggling everyday responsibilities is difficult.

The good news? Summer can also be a perfect time to help kids build their self-regulation skills—through playful, low-pressure moments woven into your day. Here are five simple, summer-friendly strategies to support your child’s emotional well-being (and your own) during the season.

1. Create Structure and Predictability

Even in summer, kids thrive with some sense of structure. Routine offers safety and helps prevent emotional overload.

  • Build in simple daily rituals, like a predictable morning routine or a “wind-down” moment before dinner.

  • Try to keep mealtimes, breaks, and transitions consistent—even if your days are otherwise relaxed and spontaneous.

  • Use visual schedules or checklists for younger kids to help them feel secure and involved in the flow of the day.

2. Turn Breathing Exercises into Summer Games

Breathing is a powerful way to calm the brain and body. But for kids, it needs to be fun and accessible to stick. Turning breathwork into a game makes it something they’ll actually want to do.

Try these breathing activities:

  • Bumblebee Breaths: Inhale through your nose, then exhale with a buzzing “buzzzzz” sound like a bee.

  • Butterfly Breaths: As you breathe in, raise your arms like fluttering butterfly wings. Exhale and slowly lower them.

  • Bubble Breaths: Blow bubbles slowly and intentionally. Challenge each other to see who can make the biggest, longest-lasting bubbles using deep belly breaths.

3. Use Movement to Release Big Emotions

Big feelings live in the body—and physical activity is one of the best ways to release them.

Try these summer-ready ideas:

  • Summer “This or That” Games: Use movement videos or make your own—jump, twirl, and stomp through fun choices like “Beach or Pool?”

  • Dance Breaks: Make a summer playlist together and have impromptu dance parties to shake off stress or boredom.

  • Animal Walks: Get silly—hop like a frog, slither like a snake, or stomp like a bear to ground and energize the body.

4. Practice Simple Emotional Check-Ins

Helping kids name and understand their feelings builds lifelong emotional intelligence. Summer’s slower pace makes it easier to build this habit in casual, natural ways.

Try this:

  • Transition Check-Ins: Ask during transitions, “What’s your body feeling like right now? Calm, wiggly, mad, something else?”

  • Cool-Down Kits: Create a box with calming tools—like putty, noise-canceling headphones, or emotion cards. Let kids use them before they get overwhelmed, as a way to prevent big outbursts rather than after which unintentionally reinforces big outbursts.

  • Built-In Quiet Time: Offer 10–20 minutes of downtime each afternoon. No screens, no demands—just time to read, draw, rest, or daydream.

5. Support Without Over-Accommodating Anxiety

While it’s natural to want to avoid situations that upset your child, gentle exposure is key to helping them grow. If your child struggles with sensory discomfort—like disliking sand, water, or sunscreen—don’t try to remove every discomfort right away.

Instead:

  • Stay nearby, offer encouragement, and help them take small steps toward tolerating the experience.

  • Praise their effort and bravery, not avoidance.

Over time, this teaches them that they can face challenges—and builds real resilience.  A little sand may feel uncomfortable but they can function while being a little uncomfortable.

The Bottom Line

Emotional regulation isn’t something that happens all at once. It’s a skill that develops through practice, patience, and support from caring adults. By weaving small, thoughtful regulation moments into your summer days, you’re helping your child build emotional strength and confidence for the long run.

And don’t forget: be gentle with yourself, too. Supporting kids through big emotions can be exhausting. Make time to rest, recharge, and care for your own well-being. A regulated caregiver is one of the most powerful tools a child can have.