Self-control is an important skill that helps children manage their emotions, behaviors, and reactions in different situations. On this page, you'll find fun activities and Bible stories and verses that teach young children how to practice patience, make wise choices, and resist temptations.
Jesus Tempted in the Desert (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13)
Jesus displays perfect self-control when Satan tempts Him with food, power, and safety. He resists each temptation by quoting Scripture, showing how to resist temptation through God’s word.
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
In this parable, the younger son lacks self-control and squanders his inheritance, but later, he shows humility and self-discipline by returning to his father, seeking forgiveness.
Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale is a fun and engaging story about a young shark who struggles with controlling his excitement and behavior. As Clark learns to navigate his school environment, he discovers the importance of self-control and the value of being considerate of others. This book offers a lighthearted way to teach preschoolers about patience and making thoughtful choices.
For older children, I Can't Believe You Said That! by Julia Cook is a helpful book that addresses the importance of thinking before speaking. It follows the story of a young boy, who learns the impact of hurtful words and the value of self-control in communication. Through engaging illustrations and relatable situations, children are encouraged to choose their words wisely and consider how they affect others.
My Mouth is a Volcano: A Picture Book About Interrupting by Julia Cook explores the challenges of managing the urge to interrupt. The story follows Louis, a young boy who feels like his thoughts are "volcanoes" ready to erupt whenever he has something to say. As he struggles with his impulsive nature, Louis learns valuable lessons about patience, listening, and respecting others’ speaking time. Through engaging illustrations and relatable situations, this book encourages children to recognize the importance of waiting for their turn to talk and promotes better communication skills.
Introduce your preschoolers to the God's love with our fun and engaging New Testament Curriculum. Filled with interactive Bible stories, play-based activities, and learning crafts, this Curriculum brings the teachings of Jesus to life in a way young children will understand and enjoy.
What if Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick is a thoughtful and humorous story that explores the consequences of everyone's actions. Through a series of scenarios, the book shows how small, thoughtless behaviors can add up and affect others, highlighting the importance of being considerate and making good choices. This book is a great tool to help children understand how their actions impact the world around them.
I Really Want the Cake by Simon Phillip a fun and engaging story that teaches children about self-control and managing desires. The book follows a young girl who is determined to eat a delicious cake, but she must wait patiently and resist temptation. Through this relatable story, children learn the importance of delaying gratification and obedience.
While the child is calm, guide her through simple breathing exercises, such as “smell the flower” (inhale) and “blow out the candle” (exhale). This teaches the child to calm down and control impulses when feeling overwhelmed.
Instruct the child to sit on his bottom and only touch the bubble if it comes to him - but he must stay on his bottom. That means that some bubbles may float past. Blow a bubble that the child can easily get while seated. Then move the bubbles away from the child reminding him that importance of self-control.
Cut a toilet paper tube in half. Decorate with markers, if desired. Laying on his tummy, give the child a straw to blow the roll along the floor. Enjoy racing between two people to a finish line. The child must have self-control of his breath to move the tube accurately along the floor.
Play music and have the child dance around. When the music stops, they must freeze in place. This fun activity helps children practice stopping themselves on command.
A classic game where children follow instructions only when prefaced with “Simon says.” This helps develop listening skills and self-control in following directions.
Choose one person to be "Simon," who will issue physical instructions to the rest of the players (e.g., jump in the air, rub your head, stand on one foot). Players must only follow instructions that begin with the phrase "Simon says." For example, if Simon says, "Simon says jump in the air," players should jump.
Players are eliminated from the game if they follow commands that do not start with "Simon says" or if they fail to follow a command that does. The goal for Simon is to get all the other players 'out' as quickly as possible. The last player remaining who successfully follows instructions wins the game.
This game teaches children to listen carefully and follow directions, helping them develop obedience and self-control.
Time in the kitchen with you is a wonderful way to teach children self-control. Whether it is pouring in ingredients, stirring, or waiting for the yummy item to be made, the child must listen to directions and have self-control.
Playing this game is how I began teaching Little Man self-control. Standing beside me is a safe area, I would say, "Green light" which gave Little Man permission to run. He knew as soon as I said, "Red light" he was to immediately stop. We started small and gradually increased the distance practicing on sidewalks and at the park.
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Set a timer for different activities, such as coloring or building blocks. Encourage the child to patiently complete the activity until the timer goes off, helping them focus and wait. This also builds stick-to-itiveness.
Set out snacks but tell the child he needs to wait until everyone is served before he can begin eating. This helps practice waiting for a reward.
Learn what causes tantrums, how to prevent them, and effective strategies for handling them when they occur. This video offers practical tips for managing tantrums with understanding and calm.
Playing games is one of the best ways to teach children patience, self-control, kindness, and many more character traits. Here are some of our favorites:
Games for Preschoolers Active Games for Kids
Self-control is one of the hardest traits for young children to develop. To change poor behavior, the child must be equipped with a better choice. Help the child come up with an acceptable solution to screaming, throwing a fit, and pouting. Then work with the child it incorporate this positive behavior into his life. The Kibbles Rockin' Clubhouse DVD helps a child learn to take deep breaths and count to gain control. Read more ...
Role play daily situation about self-control using stuffed animals. Talk about what you may want to do vs. what you should do in various situations. Also discuss good choices & bad choices throughout the week.
by Idalee Vonk
When you feel your temperature rising
Because you are losing your head
Just stop whatever you're doing
And say a prayer instead
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