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The Magic Pause Button
TARGET:
3-5 years
INTENSITY:
5–7 min / Regular
LEARNING GOAL
Developing Emotional Awareness When Interacting with Others
PEDAGOGICAL INTENTION
Identifying My Emotions When Interacting with Others
Target SKILLS
Socio-emotional Intelligence
Co-Intelligence Human-Human
Well-Being
MATERIALS
Fake red button
DETAILED PROCEDURE
This activity works best one-on-one, or with one child at a time within a small group. Show a fake button to signal a moment of tension or excitement.
Step 1
Pause the action by saying: "Pause! We're stopping the game movie for just a second."
Step 2
Check the child's inner state: "What's the weather in your head right now? Storm or sunshine?"
Step 3
Offer to press Play again once calm returns: "Ready to press Play?"
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
PROGRESS INDICATORS
The child accepts pausing the game without frustration.
Research Foundations
Denham (1998)
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