Involving parents in SEL activities

Promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) in preschool education is like planting useful seeds for the future. Many children, especially those affected by the pandemic, are facing emotional challenges and need help understanding and managing their emotions. This important task does not only apply to teachers – parents also play a key role. When we work together, we can create a caring environment that supports children’s emotional development and develops habits that will benefit them for years to come.

SEL provides the foundation for emotional regulation and social connections. Research shows that children who develop these skills at a young age are better prepared for challenges later in life. Many preschool children have problems with emotional regulation, which affects their behavior and social interactions. Therefore, parental involvement is extremely important.

When parents participate in SEL activities and discussions, they increase emotional understanding and strengthen the parent-child bond. This approach helps children manage emotions while building a solid foundation for social connections.

Recognizing emotions is the first step in social and emotional learning. Young children often feel emotions intensely but have difficulty naming or expressing them. Educators can start by introducing fun emotion posters and a playful environment where preschoolers can strengthen their emotional vocabulary.

The following activities help children identify and express their feelings.

Rainbow Parachute Game: Have children hold a large parachute. The teacher evokes an emotion (e.g. “happy” or “angry”) and the children place a small ball on the corresponding color of the parachute. As they shake the parachute, the ball bounces over the colors (Connect colors with feelings and teamwork).

Color corners: Set up four corners in the room, each representing an emotion (e.g., joy, fear, anger, surprise). When a feeling is evoked, children go to the appropriate corner and then act it out or draw on a small board what it feels like (Connecting emotions with physical actions, expressing feelings).

Emotion dice: Create large foam cubes with different emotions on each side. The children take turns rolling the dice and have to act out the emotions revealed. A variation of the game involves other students guessing the emotions (non-verbal skills, expressing creativity).

Tone emotion frame: Provide children with colored clay to create shapes or faces that represent different emotions in a small frame. They then present their creations and explain what each emotion means (Strengthens vocabulary and confidence when speaking).

Emotion Monster: These can be made with either clay or watercolor to explore deeper emotions. For the clay, children sculpt monsters and add faces to represent different emotions. When painting watercolor, consider different emotions and choose one emotion. Then paint a dab of paint on paper and blow on the wet paint to create patterns. Once the paint dries, kids draw faces and add googly eyes to bring their emotion monsters to life (artistic expression, dealing with harsh emotions).

Once children have an emotional vocabulary, habit development tools allow parents to continue SEL practices at home. I use the following two helpful emotion tracking tools.

Mood meter poster: Place a mood meter in the classroom that categorizes emotions into four color zones (or try Canva for simplified, kid-friendly versions). Every day children stick stickers or name tags based on their mood for that moment (Build self-confidence and encourage emotional check-ins).

As a supplement to vocabulary building and habit formation, simple breathing exercises can help preschoolers with emotional regulation while practicing concentration and controlled breathing. Encourage parents to practice the following techniques at home.

Forms of breathing: Show children how to trace shapes with their fingers while controlling their breath. For example, you can draw a triangle in the air by inhaling while tracing one side and exhaling while tracing the next.

Blowing games: In this activity, children blow on light objects such as feathers or strips of paper across a table. Alternatively, they can make a caterpillar out of paper and blow it across a surface using a straw.

Bladder breathing: Blowing bubbles is a fun way to visualize slow, controlled breathing. Children breathe in deeply, hold their breath, and then blow out slowly, forming bubbles.

Hoberman sphere: Use it to model deep breathing. As the ball expands, children breathe in deeply and as it contracts, they breathe out slowly. You can also add a creative story by making the ball a magical object to make this activity more exciting for children. (The Hoberman Sphere can be purchased.)

Consistent practice of SEL skills, supported by parental involvement, leads to greater emotional resilience and better mental health in children. Parental involvement in their children’s emotional learning is critical to promoting understanding and developing lasting habits. Encourage parents to create a “quiet corner” in their home with sensory items such as soft pillows, toys, and favorite books. This space serves as a safe area where children can relax and practice self-regulation.

Parent involvement in SEL strengthens the connection between home and school and helps children develop emotional skills in a stable environment. With fun activities, calming tools, and daily emotion checks, parents can seamlessly incorporate SEL into their routines. When SEL becomes a partnership between parents, teachers and children, it develops emotionally resilient young learners who are prepared to succeed both in school and beyond.