Teaching Patience to Preschoolers: Activities and Tips

13 April 2025

Patience is a virtue, but try telling that to a preschooler waiting for their turn on the slide! Little ones live in the moment, and the concept of waiting can feel impossible to them. However, teaching patience early on can help them develop emotional regulation, social skills, and even self-discipline.

So, how do you instill patience in a child who wants everything right now? With fun activities, creative strategies, and tons of encouragement! In this guide, we'll dive into practical tips and engaging exercises that make waiting a little easier (for both kids and parents).

Why Is Patience Important for Preschoolers?

Patience isn't just about waiting in line—it's a life skill that helps children:

- Develop self-control – Learning to manage impulses leads to better decision-making.
- Improve problem-solving skills – Kids who can take their time tend to think before they act.
- Build stronger relationships – Understanding the value of waiting fosters empathy and cooperation.
- Enhance frustration tolerance – Handling delays helps kids deal with setbacks later in life.

Simply put, patience helps preschoolers grow into more resilient and understanding individuals. And the best part? You can teach it through play!

How to Teach Patience to Preschoolers

Kids learn best when they’re having fun. Here are some creative ways to help your little one practice patience.

1. Use a Visual Timer

Preschoolers have no real sense of time. "Five more minutes" might as well be an hour to them! A visual timer, like a sand timer or countdown clock, gives them a concrete way to see time passing.

📌 Try This: Use a kitchen timer or an hourglass during activities like brushing teeth or waiting for a snack to be ready. Watching the time run out helps kids understand waiting in a tangible way.

2. Play Turn-Taking Games

Games that require waiting for turns naturally teach patience. Board games, card games, or even simple verbal games (like "I Spy") help kids practice controlling impulses.

🎲 Great Turn-Taking Games:
- Candy Land
- Go Fish
- Simon Says
- Duck, Duck, Goose

Encouraging fair play and reminding your child that "Everyone gets a turn!" reinforces the idea that waiting is part of the fun.

3. Engage in Slow, Calm Activities

Not every game needs to be fast-paced. Encouraging children to participate in quiet, focused activities helps build concentration and self-control.

🖌️ Try These:
- Coloring intricate pictures
- Building complex LEGO structures
- Gardening (waiting for plants to grow is the ultimate patience exercise!)
- Solving puzzles

When kids learn to enjoy slower-paced activities, they become more comfortable with delayed gratification.

4. Practice "Stop and Wait" Exercises

Helping kids pause before acting teaches impulse control.

🚦 Try This: Play "Red Light, Green Light" or incorporate brief pauses into everyday activities. For example, before meals, ask your child to close their eyes and take three deep breaths before eating. It’s a small exercise, but it helps them get used to waiting.

5. Teach Through Storytelling

Books and stories about patience can help children understand why waiting is important. When they see characters going through similar struggles, they relate and learn.

📚 Great Books About Patience:
- Waiting Is Not Easy! by Mo Willems
- The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
- Waiting by Kevin Henkes

Reading together also creates a perfect opportunity to talk about real-life situations where patience is needed.

6. Encourage Waiting During Daily Routines

Everyday life is full of small wait times—so use them as teachable moments!

⏳ Opportunities for Practice:
- Waiting for breakfast to cool down
- Standing in line at the store
- Holding hands before crossing the street
- Taking turns talking during conversations

By making waiting a routine, kids start to accept it as a normal part of life rather than something frustrating.

Practical Tips for Helping Preschoolers Develop Patience

✔ Model Patience Yourself

Kids learn from what they see. If they notice you handling delays calmly (instead of groaning in traffic or losing patience at the checkout), they’ll mirror that behavior.

✔ Praise and Reward Patience

Positive reinforcement works wonders! When your child waits patiently, acknowledge it with praise:

> “Wow! You waited so nicely for your turn. I love how patient you were!”

You can even offer small rewards, like a sticker chart, where they earn a reward for practicing patience a certain number of times.

✔ Acknowledge Their Feelings

Waiting is tough! Instead of dismissing their frustration, validate their feelings:

> “I know it’s hard to wait for your toy, but you’re doing such a good job. Let’s count to ten together while we wait!”

Feeling understood helps kids regulate their emotions more effectively.

✔ Practice Delayed Gratification

Teaching kids that good things come to those who wait is an important life lesson.

🍪 Try This: Give your child a small treat (like a cookie) and tell them they can have it now, or they can wait five minutes and get two cookies instead! This builds their ability to delay gratification.

✔ Be Patient with Their Patience

Ironically, patience itself takes time to develop. Kids will struggle, and that’s okay! Encourage them consistently and celebrate even small improvements.

Final Thoughts

Teaching patience to preschoolers isn’t about forcing them to wait—it’s about helping them learn how to wait in a way that feels manageable.

With playful activities, gentle guidance, and a bit of creativity, your little one will start to develop patience naturally. And while the process isn’t instant (wouldn’t that be nice?), the long-term benefits make it all worthwhile.

So next time your preschooler is bouncing off the walls, remember: *patience takes practice—for both of you!