How to Help Your High-Energy Child Slow Down and Find Calm

Cansu Oranç

July 17, 2025

If you have a child who’s always on the move, you’re not alone. Many young kids seem to have endless energy: running, jumping, talking, exploring. While this energy is healthy and normal, having quiet moments during the day helps kids (and parents!) recharge, reset, and feel more balanced. Active play is important too, and balancing movement with calm moments can help children regulate their energy throughout the day.

Calm time doesn’t have to look perfect. It’s not about getting your child to sit still, but about helping them learn how to slow down and feel peaceful, even for just a little while.

The ability to slow down is really an emotional regulation skill in disguise. Emotional regulation activities for young children goes deeper on how this capacity develops – and which activities build it most effectively at different ages.

Here are a few simple ways to build calm moments into your child’s day:

1. Create a calming corner or comfort box

Together with your child, create a cozy spot in your home or prepare a box filled with pillows, books, sensory toys, coloring supplies, or anything else that helps them feel relaxed. Introduce it when your child is already feeling peaceful, so they can learn to enjoy it as a comforting place.

2. Add stretching to your day

You can try poses like the child’s pose or butterfly, or simple stretches like reaching for the sky, gentle neck rolls, or pretending to be a slowly growing tree for just a few minutes. There are also many kid-friendly yoga videos online you can follow together.

3. Play breathing games

Teach your child to take belly breaths by breathing in to fill up the belly like a balloon, then slowly breathing out through the mouth. It’s okay if they breathe into their chest at first; they’ll get the hang of it with practice. Make it playful by pretending to blow up a balloon or smell a flower and blow out a candle.

If your child responds better to playful activities, mindfulness breathing games can make practicing calm breaths more fun and engaging.

4. Pause and listen

You can try a guided meditation made for kids, play slow-paced music your child enjoys, or simply open a window and listen to the sounds outside. You can turn this into a game if your child gets bored by guessing what sounds you hear together, like a car or the wind.

5. Practice mindfulness with everyday activities

Calm time doesn’t have to mean sitting still. You can try coloring, playing with kinetic sand, listening to soft music, watching stars together, or anything else your child enjoys that can be done in a slow, peaceful way. On busy indoor days, quiet and calming activities can also help toddlers release energy in a more peaceful way

6. Build some calm time into your daily routine

Pick a regular time in the day to pause and slow down together. It could be after lunch, before dinner, or right before bed. Even just 5 minutes of quiet time each day can help your child get used to relaxing and recharging. Building calming routines early can also support children during emotionally intense stages like toddler tantrums.

Cansu Oranç

Developmental Psychologist

Dr. Cansu Oranç holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology and has over a decade of experience studying children’s interactions with technology. She has worked as a postdoctoral researcher and assistant professor, focusing on how digital tools impact early learning, and now works in EdTech, leading the design and research of engaging, developmentally appropriate digital learning experiences for children.

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Is having a high-energy child a cause for concern?

High energy is a trait, not a disorder. Many high-energy children are simply wired for more stimulation and movement than average. It becomes a concern only if it significantly interferes with sleep, learning, or relationships. In itself, high energy is often a sign of a healthy, curious nervous system.

What strategies help a high-energy child wind down at the end of the day?

Heavy work activities earlier in the day (carrying, climbing, pushing), sensory-calming inputs before bed (warm bath, dim lights, deep pressure through a weighted blanket or firm hug), predictable bedtime routines, and reducing stimulation 60 minutes before sleep all make a significant difference.

How do I channel a high-energy child's energy constructively during the day?

Give them physical outlets (outdoor play, dance, jumping), jobs that involve movement, frequent brain breaks, flexible seating options (wobble cushion, standing desk), creative projects, and purposeful tasks. A high-energy child who has had enough movement is usually a much more settled learner.