Feelings Activity Workbook
Fun activities for ages 6-11
These activities help children understand their emotions and learn coping strategies. Work through them together or let your child complete them independently. Print-friendly versions coming soon!
Activity 1: My Feelings Thermometer
Help your child understand the different levels of their emotions:
EXPLODING
Can't think, screaming, crying, need to leave
Really Upset
Very angry or sad, hard to calm down
Frustrated
Bothered, starting to feel upset
A Little Worried
Something feels wrong but I'm okay
Calm & Happy
Feeling good, relaxed
Activity: Throughout the day, ask your child "What number are you at?" This builds awareness of their emotional state and helps them communicate when they need help.
Activity 2: My Calm-Down Plan
Help your child create their personal calm-down toolkit by completing these sentences:
When I feel upset, I can go to...
(my room, the garden, under my blanket)
Something that helps me feel better is...
(my stuffed animal, music, drawing)
A person I can talk to is...
(Mum, Dad, my teacher, my big sister)
Something that makes me smile is...
(my pet, funny videos, my favourite book)
When I take deep breaths, I imagine...
(smelling cookies, blowing out candles)
Tip: Keep this plan somewhere visible. When your child is upset, gently remind them of their plan rather than creating a new strategy in the moment.
Activity 3: Catch the Tricky Thought!
Help your child identify when their brain is telling them tricky (untrue) thoughts:
Tricky thought: "Nobody likes me"
Friendly thought: "Some people like me! I have friends and family who care about me."
Tricky thought: "I'm terrible at everything"
Friendly thought: "I'm not good at everything, but I AM good at some things!"
Tricky thought: "They're all laughing at me"
Friendly thought: "They might be laughing at something else. Not everything is about me."
Tricky thought: "I'm going to fail"
Friendly thought: "I might not be perfect, but I can try my best."
Now you try! Write a tricky thought and turn it into a friendly one:
Activity 4: My Strengths Shield
When rejection hurts, remembering our strengths helps us feel better. Fill in your personal shield of strengths!
Something I'm good at:
Something I like about myself:
A nice thing someone said to me:
A time I was brave:
A friend who likes me:
Something that makes me special:
Tip: Decorate the shield and hang it in their room. When they're feeling bad about themselves, look at the shield together.
Activity 5: Name That Feeling!
Learning to name our feelings helps us understand them. Match the faces to the words!
Sad
Angry
Worried
Disappointed
Left out
Frustrated
Hurt
Happy
Today I feel...
Because...
Activity 6: Draw Your Feelings
Sometimes it's easier to draw feelings than to talk about them. Try these drawing prompts:
Draw what your body feels like when you're really upset
Draw what your body feels like when you're calm
Draw what rejection feels like (use colours and shapes)
Draw your safe place where you can calm down
Great Work!
Learning about feelings takes practice. Come back to these activities whenever you need them. Remember: big feelings are okay, and you're doing a great job learning to handle them!