Self-Regulation Through Play

One of the most significant understandings to emerge from Ontario’s Full-Day Kindergarten initiative was the recognition that self-regulation is foundational to all learning. The Full-Day Kindergarten Program Draft Document (2010) captured this relationship beautifully:

“Social, emotional, and cognitive self-regulation and the ability to communicate with others are foundational to all forms of learning and have been shown to be best developed in play-based environments.”
(Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010)

Although this statement comes from the 2010 Draft Document, its message remains just as relevant today. The current Ontario Kindergarten Program (2016) continues to recognize self-regulation as fundamental to children’s well-being, learning, and development. It emphasizes learning environments where children grow through relationships, play, inquiry, and responsive interactions.

Research has long supported this understanding. Bodrova and Leong (2005) explain:

“Young children’s play allows them to explore, identify, negotiate, take risks and create meaning. The intellectual and cognitive benefits of play have been well documented. Children who engage in quality play experiences are more likely to have well-developed memory skills, language development, and are able to regulate their behaviour, leading to enhanced school adjustment and academic learning.”

Play naturally supports the development of self-regulation because it creates positive emotional experiences while encouraging children to think, solve problems, collaborate with others, and persevere through challenges. Through play, children learn to focus their attention, negotiate with peers, resolve conflicts, and consider perspectives other than their own.

Socio-dramatic play is particularly powerful because it requires children to plan, organize, and adapt their thinking while taking on different roles. During imaginative play, children often engage in private speech—the quiet self-talk they use to guide their actions and thinking. Research has shown that this self-regulating language is a strong predictor of executive functioning skills.

Self-Regulation Through Purposeful Play

While play itself provides a powerful context for developing self-regulation, our inquiry also revealed that intentionally planned whole-group games can strengthen children’s ability to focus, inhibit impulses, and shift their attention. During these activities, children must listen carefully, process information, and respond thoughtfully.

Research conducted by Megan McClelland at the University of Oregon found that games such as Simon Says and Head, Toes, Knees, Shoulders help preschool children improve attention, self-control, and cognitive flexibility.

Our students loved these games and eagerly taught every visitor who entered our classroom how to play. One of their favourites was the Head and Toes Game, where children were asked to do the opposite of what the leader called out. If the leader said “head,” children touched their toes. If the leader said “toes,” they touched their head. Other opposite pairings included:

• knees ↔ shoulders
• eyes ↔ ears
• mouth ↔ nose

As the year progressed, the children became increasingly successful at the game. We could actually see them pause, think, process the information, and intentionally control their responses before acting.

It quickly became apparent that children who demonstrated strong self-regulation during these games were also more successful at sustaining attention during whole-group learning experiences and transitioning between activities. Those who initially found the games challenging often experienced similar difficulties maintaining attention during other classroom routines.

The most rewarding part was watching this growth over time. As children’s success with these games increased, we also observed noticeable improvements in their concentration, attention, and ability to regulate their thinking and behaviour throughout the day.

Bringing Self-Regulation to Life in the Classroom

One of the greatest strengths of play-based learning is that children have countless opportunities to practise self-regulation throughout the day. Whether negotiating roles in dramatic play, persisting through a challenging block structure, waiting for a turn at the water table, or solving a problem with a friend, children are continuously developing the executive functioning skills that support lifelong learning.

As educators, our role is not to remove challenges but to create environments that encourage children to think, reflect, collaborate, and persevere. When we thoughtfully combine rich play experiences with intentional interactions and responsive teaching, we create the conditions in which self-regulation can flourish.