Social Emotional Learning Art Projects: Dragon Breathing

Big feelings happen, especially for young children who are still learning how to understand and express their emotions. That is why teaching calming strategies early on is so important. One of the simplest and most effective tools caregivers can use is dragon breathing, a playful deep‑breathing technique that helps kids slow down, reset, and feel more in control.

This social‑emotional craft turns calming breaths into imaginative play, making it easier for children to practice emotional regulation in a way that feels fun instead of frustrating. To help caregivers understand the deeper benefits, we spoke to Tom Timmerman, LSW, a Parent Navigator at Sanford Children’s CHILD Services.

Why Dragon Breathing Helps Kids Regulate Emotions

When children feel angry, overwhelmed, or overstimulated, their bodies shift into “survival mode.” Breathing becomes fast and shallow, and their brains struggle to process what is happening. Dragon breathing helps interrupt that stress response. “When our breathing becomes short and fast, our brains are struggling to get enough oxygen. When we want to engage our brains instead of just acting out of anger or other emotions, getting more oxygen to the brain through slow, deep breaths gives us the opportunity to use more of our brain,” explains Tom.

Deep breathing also helps kids shift from instinctive reactions to more thoughtful responses. Tom highlights, “In these situations our brains are running on a kind of auto-pilot that is driven by survival instincts almost identical to what lizards, and other animals, have in their brains. The part of the brain where these auto-pilot responses are happening is also the place where our brain automatically handles our breathing and heartbeat.” Consciously controlling your breathing helps the brain to shut off auto-pilot and think clearly again.

Since dragon breathing is playful, it naturally redirects attention. “Anything that is a distraction away from the triggering event is beneficial to the person who is upset, especially for children. Using dragon-breathing is just one more tool that can be used to temporarily shift the focus away from the stressor causing the difficult emotions,” adds Tom.

Why Deep Breathing Works Especially Well for Young Children

Kids need strategies that are simple, accessible, and safe. “Deep breathing checks all the boxes. Deep-breathing techniques are especially effective because of all the ways they make the brain better prepared for calming, but you also don’t need any special tools or materials. Deep breathing can be practiced anytime and anyplace. Another advantage is that some techniques like time-out, physical restraint or spanking use physical touch that can often escalate the situation further. Deep breathing can be coached without any physical touch required,” explains Tom.

How the Dragon Breathing Craft Builds Social‑Emotional Skills

“Explaining what dragon breathing is and why we need it is a great way to start the crucial conversation every caregiver should have with their child regarding emotional outbursts,” says Tom. He continues, “From infancy there is evidence that naming the feelings you think your child is having can do a lot to increase their attachment and lower the activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain most active when we are in survival mode. Naming your own feelings and using a technique like dragon breathing is more important as they get a little older so you can model for them how they should try to think about how they are feeling and find an appropriate way to deal with those feelings. Children love to copy what adults do, so use this to your advantage to teach them.”

The Power of Imaginative Play: Why Pretending to Be a Dragon Helps

“The most difficult way to help children lower stress levels and regulate emotions is when every intervention we try looks exactly like a caregiver trying to control a child by making them do something they don’t enjoy doing. Dragon breathing is an example of how we can try to create a fun, engaging way for a child to get their physiological needs met without the friction of forcing them to do something they don’t want to do. There is always a chance they will push back out of anger,” says Tom.

Instead of feeling controlled, kids feel invited into a game. “The hope is our children can begin to understand that we can make emotional regulation fun instead of just another chore to be completed or just another demand from a ‘bossy’ caregiver,” Tom adds.

How Caregivers Can Reinforce Dragon Breathing at Home

The key to making dragon breathing stick is modeling and practice. Kids learn best when caregivers show, not just tell. Tom suggests, “There are two things children are great at that many caregivers rarely use to their advantage – children have great imaginations, and they love to copy what they see. We can use imaginative play to pretend stressful situations and show how we can find an appropriate way to express the big feelings we have, even if the feelings are pretend.” He recommends role‑playing everyday challenges. “Say ‘I’m angry’, then grab the dragon-breathing craft and using it to show ‘I’m angry, but I’m going to use this tool to show it in a safe way.’ Showing them the way to do things by modeling or role-playing can be even more effective,” Tom highlights.