New experiences for kids can be really anxiety inducing; changing their environment can be daunting for them. Resulting in anxiety, worry, and stress. Today we are sharing some anxiety worksheets for kids to help them to learn how to deal with new environments to minimise the stress that they are feeling.
Some children when they leave the safety and security of their familiar surroundings can be lonely and a little bit of a negative experience. Helping to teach our kids how to manage these big feelings when they experience change and new environments is another way that they can build resilience in the face of adversity and develop the confidence they need to manage their feelings in the new environments and even to develop new friendships.
This activity is the final one that we have from the book 50 Wellbeing Lessons for the Diverse Primary Classroom, written by Manisha Taylor, who is the owner of Swaggarlicious.
50 Wellbeing Lessons
by Manisha Taylor
This book contains 50 great ideas for helping kids to understand their own mental health, and to develop resilience.
Manisha developed her own passion for kids Wellbeing after her twin brother was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at 18.
The book is aimed at 8 to 11 years of age, and is not only there to support teachers, but also parents to help their kids build resilience and understanding around the big feelings that we all have in life.
Feel free to pop over to Amazon and check it out. You might also want to check out the other articles on Mental Health from the book and beyond on our site.
How with this anxiety worksheets for kids help
The aim of these worksheets for kids are:
- To aim to help kids to understand and respond to a wide range of feelings,
- Recognise the signs and symptoms of anxiety so they are better placed to help themselves when they experience these feelings,
- Realise when they need to ask people to support them, and
- Help to manage the big feelings that they will experience in their life.
What is involved in the new experiences activity?
To start with, kids can discuss what new experiences they have had, or things they have done for the first time. Then they can talk about how those experiences have made them feel. Examples might be
- Starting a new sports club,
- Moving to a new dentist, or
- Trying out a new activity.
After this, explore the story that they kids are going to be told about Lucas. Lucas is a young boy, and he has moved home. As a result. he has had to move to a new school. The kids can talk about Lucas, and how he is feeling about this new school, and what from the story makes them think he feels that way.
Specific questions that the kids could think about would be:
- What are Lucas’ feelings about moving house?
- What is he missing and how do we know this?
- What are Lucas’ feelings about attending school?
- What in the story shows us that he is a little apprehensive about the new school following his move?
What do the anxiety worksheet for kids look like?
In order to do this activity, we have provided three worksheets for the kids. Two of them help provide the information for you about Lucas, and how he is feeling about school. The kids can colour in the picture of Lucas and his school, perhaps using colours that reflect his feelings on what is happening. They could even use colours to show how they might feel in the same situation as Lucas.
The other worksheet is a Dear Diary resource which allows the children to explore what Lucas might have written in his diary about his experience.
In addition, you could ask the children to think about how they might feel starting a new school now they have heard about Lucas. Do they remember what they felt like when the started school? What might they have written in their diaries about it?
In order to download these sheets, you just need to click on the button below, and they are yours.
We do hope you like these resources, let us know how you get on using them.
If you want more resources from us on emotions and feelings then check these out.
Other ideas from the 50 Wellbeing activities book
Here are all the activities that we have showcased within this book for you in one place; all designed to support kids' wellbeing.
Worry worksheets to help kids express their anxieties
A lovely activity with a boy and his balloons to help kids express their worries.
How to teach feeling and emotions: Free activity
Helping kids to recognise little and big feelings so that they understand and cope with them better.
Mental health is important, but what is it: Includes free mental health jigsaw activity
What IS mental health and why is it so important? Looking at it not just from a negative perspective, but a positive one which is really vital for kids.
If you are looking beyond our site, try these ideas.
Mindful activities for kids from other sites
Here are a few more ideas for you about mindful activities that your kids can do today.
50 Mindful Journal Prompts for Teens
Some prompts for the journal that you might now have from Upside Down Books - or just some general journaling ideas for your kids.
Tip To Encourage Mindful Sibling Relationships
Ideas for encouraging mindful sibling relationships - something that we struggle with a little in our family...so perhaps some of you do to?
Inspiring Your Child to Love Themselves
Helping your kids with their self-esteem is a great way to encourage them to be more mindful too. Why not check out this advice to help them?
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We hope that you will be back on the site soon,
Helen
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine!Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time.KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10.It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania.Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!