IMPULSES SEEN IN THE CLASSROOM:
Speaking out
Interrupting classmates
Quitting games
Shoving in lines
Cutting in front of others
Jumping up from seat
Asking questions about irrelevant topics
Physical impulses
Hyperactive behavior
Hypo-active behavior
Personal boundary issues
How to teach kids impulse control:
Impulse control journal
Goal tracker
Reduce clutter
Make goals
Break big tasks or projects into smaller steps
Make a schedule (picture-based or list)
Social stories
Act out situations beforehand
Count to three before answering/responding
Self-rewards
Self-talk
Reduce time to complete tasks
Increase time to complete tasks
Think through and predict social interactions before going into a situation
Control buddy
Ask for help
Habit tracker
Use a strategy checklist
Carry a goal list
Positive thought notebook
Blow up a balloon and tie a knot in it. Have two (2) students sit in chairs facing one another. (The distance between them will vary by age and ability.) Instruct the students to count
how many times they can hit the balloon back and forth without it touching the floor and
without getting out of their seats. Afterward, discuss whether or not they had impulses to
“slam” the balloon at the other person. If so, ask them to explain what they did about that
impulse. How did they stop themselves? How well would they rate their ability to use
impulse control during this exercise? This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Place a small piece of candy in front of each student (an M & M® is fine). Tell the students
they can either eat the piece of candy now or, if they wait 15 minutes, they can have 2
pieces of candy. Continue with other discussions and activities during this “waiting
period.” Periodically during the waiting period you can “tempt” the students with the
idea of eating their candy early and then ask them what ways they are using to resist the
temptation. After 15 minutes, allow the students to eat both the original candy and the
reward candy. Ask them to rate how difficult this exercise was on a scale of 1-10. Ask them
what they did to ensure success in waiting. This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Have the students draw a picture of a person as fast as they can. Then have them draw
a picture of a house as carefully as they can (using stop and think). Discuss how the
first one was done impulsively and how the second one was done with impulse control.
Which one do they like better? What are some differences? Which one are they the
proudest of? This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Direct students to take a piece of drawing paper and two (2) crayons—one crayon that
represents their favorite color and one crayon that represents their least favorite color.
Explain that the piece of paper is their “life” and instruct them to color the amount of
their life when they use impulse control with the pretty color and the amount of their
life when they don’t use impulse control with the “ugly” color. Discuss the drawings.
This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Play the traditional game of Simon Says. Ask students to all stand and face the facilitator.
The facilitator then gives directives such as “Touch your nose,” “Nod your head ‘Yes,’”
“Sit down,” “Clap your hands,” etc. Sometimes the directives should be given with the
preface “Simon says …” and sometimes the directives should be given without the
preface. Students are to only follow the directions that Simon says. In the traditional
version of the game students are out of the game if they follow a directive that Simon
did not say and the last person left in the game is the winner. You can play this way or
simply allow all students to remain in the game for the time that you are giving directives.
In order to be successful at this game students must stop and think before acting.
Discuss how the students performed and how the ability to use impulse control helps
one to win such games. This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Speaking out
Interrupting classmates
Quitting games
Shoving in lines
Cutting in front of others
Jumping up from seat
Asking questions about irrelevant topics
Physical impulses
Hyperactive behavior
Hypo-active behavior
Personal boundary issues
How to teach kids impulse control:
Impulse control journal
Goal tracker
Reduce clutter
Make goals
Break big tasks or projects into smaller steps
Make a schedule (picture-based or list)
Social stories
Act out situations beforehand
Count to three before answering/responding
Self-rewards
Self-talk
Reduce time to complete tasks
Increase time to complete tasks
Think through and predict social interactions before going into a situation
Control buddy
Ask for help
Habit tracker
Use a strategy checklist
Carry a goal list
Positive thought notebook
Blow up a balloon and tie a knot in it. Have two (2) students sit in chairs facing one another. (The distance between them will vary by age and ability.) Instruct the students to count
how many times they can hit the balloon back and forth without it touching the floor and
without getting out of their seats. Afterward, discuss whether or not they had impulses to
“slam” the balloon at the other person. If so, ask them to explain what they did about that
impulse. How did they stop themselves? How well would they rate their ability to use
impulse control during this exercise? This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Place a small piece of candy in front of each student (an M & M® is fine). Tell the students
they can either eat the piece of candy now or, if they wait 15 minutes, they can have 2
pieces of candy. Continue with other discussions and activities during this “waiting
period.” Periodically during the waiting period you can “tempt” the students with the
idea of eating their candy early and then ask them what ways they are using to resist the
temptation. After 15 minutes, allow the students to eat both the original candy and the
reward candy. Ask them to rate how difficult this exercise was on a scale of 1-10. Ask them
what they did to ensure success in waiting. This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Have the students draw a picture of a person as fast as they can. Then have them draw
a picture of a house as carefully as they can (using stop and think). Discuss how the
first one was done impulsively and how the second one was done with impulse control.
Which one do they like better? What are some differences? Which one are they the
proudest of? This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Direct students to take a piece of drawing paper and two (2) crayons—one crayon that
represents their favorite color and one crayon that represents their least favorite color.
Explain that the piece of paper is their “life” and instruct them to color the amount of
their life when they use impulse control with the pretty color and the amount of their
life when they don’t use impulse control with the “ugly” color. Discuss the drawings.
This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
Play the traditional game of Simon Says. Ask students to all stand and face the facilitator.
The facilitator then gives directives such as “Touch your nose,” “Nod your head ‘Yes,’”
“Sit down,” “Clap your hands,” etc. Sometimes the directives should be given with the
preface “Simon says …” and sometimes the directives should be given without the
preface. Students are to only follow the directions that Simon says. In the traditional
version of the game students are out of the game if they follow a directive that Simon
did not say and the last person left in the game is the winner. You can play this way or
simply allow all students to remain in the game for the time that you are giving directives.
In order to be successful at this game students must stop and think before acting.
Discuss how the students performed and how the ability to use impulse control helps
one to win such games. This exercise can be used for grades 1-5.
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