BRAINS, FEELINGS & CONTROL GAME – Neuroscience Whole Brain Emotional Regulation

Are you looking for an engaging, brain-based way to help students understand how their brain, emotions, and self-control work together? Brains, Feelings & Control Brain Game is our interactive digital PowerPoint game designed to help students explore how the brain influences emotions, behavior, and self-regulation. Through interactive questions, team collaboration, and guided discussion, students learn about the thinking brain, emotional brain, and how to calm the brain when big feelings take over.

Using simple neuroscience concepts inspired by the well-known “upstairs brain vs downstairs brain” model, this game helps students understand why they sometimes lose control when emotions run high—and more importantly, how they can regain control using healthy regulation strategies.

Rather than simply telling students to “control their behavior,” this brain-based SEL activity helps them understand what is happening inside their brain during emotional moments. Students learn how the thinking brain supports decision-making, how emotions can sometimes take over, and how they can “flip their lid” when the emotional brain becomes overwhelmed.

This digital SEL and brain-based learning game is ideal for school counselors, classroom teachers, psychologists, social workers, and therapists who want an engaging way to teach emotional regulation, self-control, and brain awareness during SEL lessons, counseling groups, behavior lessons, or whole-class activities. Students develop essential skills such as emotional awareness, impulse control, problem-solving, and self-regulation, helping them better understand their feelings and make positive choices when emotions feel strong.

HOW IT WORKS:

• Play directly in PowerPoint — no special software required
• Choose 2–10 teams for flexible group sizes
• Teams earn points by answering brain and emotional regulation questions
• Correct answers are revealed with one click
• Encourages discussion, reflection, and peer learning
• Press RESET to replay again and again — unlimited use

GAME FEATURES:

This digital brain game includes 5 engaging sections, each with 5 questions and increasing point values (100–500), designed to build understanding step-by-step.

1.Meet the Brain – Introduces students to the basic parts of the brain and explains how the brain helps us think, feel, and make decisions.

2.Upstairs vs Downstairs Brain – Helps students understand the difference between the thinking brain (responsible for reasoning and problem-solving) and the emotional brain (which reacts quickly to feelings and stress).

3.Flip Your Lid! – Explains what happens when emotions become overwhelming and the thinking brain temporarily loses control, helping students understand why big reactions can occur.

4.True or False? – Challenges common myths about emotions and self-control while helping students learn more about how the brain and feelings interact.

5.Calm It Back Down – Teaches practical strategies students can use to calm their brain and body, including breathing, pausing, problem-solving, and using coping strategies to regain control.

WHY TEACHERS & COUNSELORS LOVE IT

• Teaches emotional regulation and brain awareness in a student-friendly format
• Supports social emotional learning (SEL), behavior lessons, and counseling groups
• Helps students understand the connection between brain, feelings, and behavior
• Encourages discussion about self-control, emotional awareness, and problem-solving
• Builds self-regulation skills and positive decision-making strategies