Excitement is wonderful — it fuels motivation, joy, and connection. But when excitement gets too big, kids may struggle to settle down, focus, or sleep. Our role is to help them ride the wave of joy without tipping into chaos.

Excitement

What You Can Do in the Moment

1. Celebration Movement Dance

  • Turn on music and let them dance, wiggle, or jump it out.

  • Why it helps: Moves excitement through the body instead of bottling it up.

2. The Breath-and-Grin

  • Inhale through the nose, exhale with a big silly grin.

  • Why it helps: Keeps the fun energy but slows the nervous system just enough.

3. “Tell It to Teddy”

  • Have them share their exciting news with a stuffed animal or pet before shouting it at everyone.

  • Why it helps: Lets kids practice expression and discharge energy in a safe way.

4. Excitement Ladder

  • Help them name: “On a scale of 1–10, how excited are you?”

  • If it’s 9–10, guide them into calming before continuing the activity.

  • Why it helps: Builds self-awareness of energy levels.

5. Quick Grounder

  • 10 slow stomps on the ground, hands on heart, deep breath.

  • Why it helps: Balances hype with grounding.

Long-Term Tools for Resilience

1. Teach Joyful Expression

  • Why it helps: Kids learn that excitement can be shared in ways that enhance connection instead of overwhelming others.

  • How to try it:

    • Art journaling: Draw what excitement feels like in colors.

    • Storytelling: “Tell me what happened in 3 sentences.”

2. Build Transition Rituals

  • Why it helps: Kids often struggle moving from “fun hype” to calm tasks like bedtime or homework.

  • How to try it:

    • Create rituals like a “wind-down story,” soft music, or drawing time after exciting events.

3. Practice Emotional Range

  • Why it helps: Helps kids understand that excitement is one piece of the emotional puzzle.

  • How to try it:

    • Play “feelings charades” to act out excitement, calm, focus, sadness, etc.

    • Discuss how emotions shift naturally throughout the day.

4. Celebrate Without Overstimulating

  • Why it helps: Some environments (parties, games, surprises) can overwhelm.

  • How to try it:

    • Keep celebrations joyful but with breaks (quiet corner, water, a short walk).

    • Prep kids: “There will be a lot of noise and fun, but we can take breaks when needed.”

5. Anchor Excitement Into Purpose

  • Why it helps: Kids learn to channel energy into creativity or goals.

  • How to try it:

    • If excited about a game → write/draw their favorite play.

    • If excited about a new idea → start a mini project journal.

6. Nighttime Reset

  • Why it helps: Excitement often spikes before bed, disrupting sleep.

  • How to try it:

    • Slow breathing + stretching routine.

    • Use visualization: “Imagine tucking your excitement into a box until tomorrow.”