51ºÚÁÏ

What’s in My Backpack?: Art Therapy Activity for Emotional Awareness and Regulation

Ideal for 1:1 or small group work | Includes Session Plan + Printable Worksheet

This creative art therapy-inspired activity encourages students to explore and express the emotional load they are carrying in a safe, reflective way. Using a backpack metaphor, students illustrate or write down the feelings, thoughts, and experiences they’re holding onto inside the main section of the bag. In the front pocket, they identify and record the strategies, people, or tools that help them cope and feel supported.

This resource is perfect for supporting emotional literacy, self-awareness, and resilience, particularly for children and young people who struggle to express their emotions verbally.

What’s Included:

• A session plan with information on wellbeing links and guidance for facilitators
• A printable worksheet featuring a backpack graphic to personalize and fill in

Use it for:

• Emotional check-ins
• Wellbeing interventions
• Creative arts-based therapy sessions
• Supporting Social, Emotional, Mental Health and inclusion work

Empower your students to unpack what they’re carrying and recognize the tools they already have to help them through.