Remote Control Impulse Control

Recent research strongly indicates that impulsive children have difficulty (1) learning from past mistakes, (2) reflecting on the potential consequences of their actions, and (3) inhibiting dominant responses (impulses) in order to initiate subdominant responses (appropriate behaviour).

The Remote Control Impulse Control game is a set of four card games that address these findings by focusing on three essential skills for inhibiting impulsivity:

STOP and redirect behaviour.

REWIND and learn from past mistakes.

FAST FORWARD and think ahead about potential consequences.

The game uses the above remote control symbols to facilitate learning the skills. There are both competitive and cooperative versions for Ages 6 to 10, and 11 to 14.The two age groups have separate sets of cards. During the game players read brief case studies adapted from the impulsive behaviour of real kids. Players then practice one of the three essential skills: They STOP and say what they would do instead, or they REWIND and tell about a similar impulse that they had and learned from, or they FAST FORWARD and describe the possible negative consequences of the impulse. All players practice all three skills during the course of the game. In addition to practicing the three skills, players practice planning ahead and social skills as well as exercising frustration tolerance.

Playing time: Flexible from 25 minutes to 50 minutes

Ages: 6 10, and 11 to 14 (two sets of card)