Music allows children to express themselves creatively and learn a new skill. If students start showing signs of conflict, calling them to the rug for a mini concert or encouraging them to parade around the room beating drums and shaking maracas will help relieve stress and clear their heads for the next activity. Also, playing classical music calms a frustrated child and create a peaceful classroom.
A playground that's easy to access from the classroom serves as an escape when tensions start to build. Going outside not only gives children their much-needed space, but also provides an area to exercise. If you have to stay inside, playing a CD or singing a movement song such as "The Hokey Pokey" provides children with an outlet for their frustration. Taping a section of bubble wrap to the floor gives students a novel way to stomp out their frustrations.
In an article about the social development of preschoolers, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests parents and educators help a frustrated child by using "the appropriate words to describe her feelings and desires so that she doesn’t feel frustrated." Using a classroom feelings board -- with words and pictures for a range of emotions -- you can explain what the word "frustrated" means and ask the children to remember a time when they felt frustrated. Puppets let you act out a conflict that normally occurs in the classroom, such as two children struggling for a toy. When the puppets begin to fight with each other, the students can offer some productive ways for handling the conflict.
Some preschoolers get easily frustrated when required to sit still and focus for too long. By breaking group time into shorter sessions -- no longer than 10 minutes -- teachers avoid inappropriate expectations that often lead to frustrated children. If you have a specific student who struggles during circle time, a task such as holding a book or counting the days on the calendar can serve as a distraction. Alternatively, a plastic bag or rubber glove filled with play dough works as a squeezable stress reducer.