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Being a kid can be overwhelming – there are so many different emotions caught up in those little bodies. Anything that can help make life more understandable for our children, AND that comes from within, will help them to deal with the world better, and with greater resilience. This simple exercise to help kids understand life better is a wonderful place to start a dialogue with younger children. As well as to get older children to understand things around them. How to make the world more understandable to our kids is almost a key part of being a parent; so why not make it a little easier with a simple activity sheet like this?
This is another resource from the My Feelings Journal produced by Trigger Publishing. Take a look at some of the other mindfulness resources we have on the site too if you have time.
It is best to keep the ideas simple with these kinds of activities. This helps kids to explore their feelings without worrying and instilling anxiety.
Depending on the age of the child, you can sit them down and discuss a specific topic that perhaps they want to explore more, for example going back to school, or their approaching SATS or exams?
Maybe they want to talk about something a little more emotional. Perhaps they are arguing more with their siblings, or their parents are feeling a little sad.
The things they want to understand more could be far more specific than that; so for example maths, fractions or how to write the letter “e!”
Decide what you want to focus on with the child depending on their priorities, trying not to lead them. Ask open questions so that you don’t prejudice the answers. We can do that unknowingly because of the thoughts we have about the topic ourselves.
How to work the with activity sheet on understanding things more
Once you, or they, have decided what topic(s) want to focus on then get them to write down the 5 things within this subject they want to talk about, or find out more about.
You can then discuss and help them understand, or if they are a little older, perhaps it might be worth getting them to do a little more research to help them to gain that level of understanding themselves. It is often easier to learn and gain understanding through developing the thoughts ourselves, or even better teaching someone else….
If there are younger children about, once they have worked through the sheet and found the answers and made things a little more understandable, get them to explain to someone else too. A perfect way to articulate the learning.
To download the activity, just click on the square image below.
We hope this is a good little exercise for you all. We are sure it will help your children to connect a little more with their feelings and emotions.
For more articles on this topic on KiddyCharts:
Here are some other ideas to help children to understand and cope with their feelings and emotions.
How to help your kids recognise their emotions: Free printable #31DaysOfLearning
A printable to help kids understand what feelings they are having.
Anxiety in kids
Ideas from KiddyCharts to help with kids expressing themselves, and focusing on improving mental health.
Positive writing prompts for kids emotional development #31DaysOfLearning
Writing prompts for children that focus on feelings, and emotional development.
31 Days Of Learning
Find all of our 31 Days of Learning events on one page! Print out our calendar and work your way through each activity! Have fun!
Friendship mindful activity for kids: Friends who lift my spirits most
Simple mindful activities for kids focusing on friends that lift us up.
If you want more activities on this subject and to help kids understand life, then do take a look here at these off site activities:
Activities to help your kids with their emotions
If you need more ideas to help your kids deal with their emotions then these posts are worth checking out and trying out.
Emotions Discovery Bottles Inspired By Disney’s Inside Out
Help your kids recognise their emotions with these fun emotions discovery bottles inspired by Disney's Inside Out.
Tool for teaching emotions in kids
Use these tools to help teach kids about emotions.
5 Steps to Managing Big Emotions: Printable
Join teacher Christie Burnett in this post where she shares 5 steps to managing big emotions in kids. There's also a free printable!
Do subscribe to us if you want more of these amazing activities as well.
See you 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!