Play is the work of children! Games with rules or a little structure have the added bonus of helping children practice important self-regulation skills such as working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Children need to listen and remember instructions, pay attention to the adult leading the game and, in some games, resist the natural inclinations to stop/go/run or shout out. The key to successfully strengthening children's ability to self-regulate is to start the games in a simple way and then gradually build in complexity with rules, variations or extra challenges.