These are our unwind the mind activity mats.
These mats are a combination of working on the particular topic – e.g. be brave and mighty and relaxation activities through refocusing attention. There are puzzles, mindful colouring, drawing, creating patterns and a little writing.
You can print them A4 but also if you want them bigger, use your printer settings and print them on A3 paper.
These are suitable for KS2 and most of them for secondary too.
These unwind the mind activity mats are perfect for
Before or after SATs or tests
Ending your session
Beginning your session
Morning routine whole class activity
When things are winding down at the end of term
Calming corners
Homework
Transition times
Any stressful situations
We have the following 10 mats along with answer sheets where needed
Be joyful
Be mindful
Be calm
Be positive
Be brave and mighty
Be kind
Be caring to yourself
Be determined
Be friendly
Be proud
Benefits of unwind the mind mats
Both puzzles and mindful colouring are calming activities that can help children relax and unwind after a busy day or during stressful times. Engaging in these activities encourages deep breathing and fosters a sense of peace and tranquillity.
Solving puzzles and colouring mindfully can act as effective stress-relief techniques for children. By focusing their attention on the task at hand, children can temporarily shift their focus away from worries and anxieties, promoting a sense of calmness and emotional well-being.
Puzzles and mindful colouring require children to concentrate and pay attention to details, which can help improve their concentration and focus over time. These activities encourage children to stay engaged in the present moment, enhancing their ability to sustain attention and ignore distractions.
Puzzles can provide children with opportunities to exercise their problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities. By deciphering clues, finding patterns, and making logical deductions, children can develop important cognitive skills that are essential for academic success.
Mindful colouring allows children to express themselves creatively and explore their imagination through colours and designs. It provides a non-verbal outlet for self-expression, allowing children to convey their emotions and feelings in a safe and therapeutic manner.
Successfully completing puzzles and creating beautiful artwork through mindful colouring can boost children’s self-esteem and confidence. Accomplishing challenging tasks and seeing tangible results can instil a sense of pride and accomplishment in children, reinforcing their belief in their abilities.
There are lots more benefits to these activity mats.
This is a HUGE ELSA Secondary worksheet bundle with 68 worksheets that will be helpful for secondary pupils. It will also be good for upper KS2 or for those more mature pupils. It will also be helpful for adults too.
All the worksheets are black and white for easy and cost effective printing. There is minimal clipart.
Areas covered are:
Self-esteem
Emotions
Wellbeing
Anxiety
They can be used individually with pupils, with groups of pupils and whole classes of pupils. Build your lesson around a worksheet.
You could make up a workbook for each child you are working with to help with their specific problems by carefully choosing worksheets that would help them.
9 pages of useful ‘All about me’ information. You can choose whether to do all the pages or just a few of them depending on the needs of the pupil you are working with. This is suitable from about 10-16 years old. Great for learning mentor, Teaching assistant or ELSA intervention.
Pages included in the ‘all about me secondary booklet’:
About me
Questions time
Personal qualities
Words to describe me
Body image
Staying healthy
Proud moments
Hobbies and interests
Social media
Worries that I have
All about my pets
Things I do to relax
My perfect day
Feelings
My future career
My friends
Things that make me happy at school
School rules
School feelings
How I learn best
Things I don’t like about school
Family tree
More about family
Home feelings
Family rules
Things that make me happy at home
Things I don’t like about my home
Circle of trust
The intervention
Who is if for?
This Anxiety and Worries Group intervention is for a group of up to six children and is led by a teaching assistant. The focus age range would be 7 to 11, although older pupils would probably benefit from this intervention. Children who worry a lot would be a good focus group for this intervention. It runs for approximately 40-60 minutes, weekly for six weeks.
What does it cover?
This Anxiety and Worries Group intervention covers emotions, relaxation, calming down techniques and learning objectives around anxiety and worries. Children will learn about emotions during each session and will also learn relaxation and calming techniques through the ‘relaxation time’. This knowledge and these skills will help them to become more emotionally literate. The warm-up games teach a variety of skills such as co-operation, team work, taking turns, communication skills, friendship, self-esteem and confidence. The coming together of a group fosters a sense of belonging and therefore raises self-esteem. Every opportunity should be taken to promote belonging and friendship. Relaxation exercises will help children to manage their anxiety and these are visited each session.
Information on Anxieties and worries
It is important to mention that anxiety is such a big problem and affects people in different ways and at different things. Sometimes there appears to be no reason for the anxiety. This intervention is about giving children the knowledge to help themselves and to gain a little understanding about what anxiety is. It is NOT about fixing children’s problems but about supporting them through their problems. Anxiety work needs to be done by professionals who have training in counselling or psychology. An ELSA or TA can offer knowledge and support and it is important that this line is not crossed and boundaries are clear. By giving children the self-awareness, knowledge and some relaxation skills you are empowering them to help themselves cope. If you are ever worried about a child then please do refer them on to professional services so they can get the help they need.
What’s included in the pack?
A planning booklet with 6 session plans.
Circle time rules
Warm up games for circle-time
Assessments
Emotion wheels
Emotion wordmat
Certificates
Five Star Breathing poster
NEEDS to know Poster
Emotion cards
NEEDS to know cards
Anxiety physical symptoms cards
Where in your body worksheet
Anxiety cards
Coping strategies poster
Worry tree
Thought bubbles (ants)
Changing those thoughts worksheet
Zap anxiety poster
My Five a day plan
ELSA/Teaching Assistant notes
This is a six session fully planned EBSA intervention. EBSA is emotionally based school avoidance. This intervention is for working one to one with a pupil that has difficulties in coming to school or staying in school. It is aimed at KS2 and could also be used with Year 2 pupils.
It covers areas such as anxiety, the CBT cycle, exploring the perfect day at school, what pushes them into school and what pulls them away from school, what is safety and feeling safe? Pupil led plan on returning or staying in school. Emotions and relaxation are included along with work on strengths to help raise confidence and self-esteem.
Included in the EBSA intervention:
Planning booklet with 6 fully planned sessions
6 warmup activities based on strengths
6 relaxation exercises using visualisations
Emotions check in with resources to cover aspects of emotional literacy
Comic strip and callouts for spotting anxiety
Comic strip and callouts for the perfect day at school
CBT cycle pack
Safety shield resource
Anxiety thermometer
Safety scale
Pushing and pulling resource pack with visual, worksheets and scenario cards
Attending school questions and a pupil led plan
This resource is ideal for working one to one with a child. The red light is the negative emotion such as anger, frustration, fear, worry, sad and upset. The green light is the positive emotion such as happy, chilled, content, ok, calm, and confident. The amber/yellow light is all the things the child can do to help get from the red light to the green light. These are the tools.
Make sure you go through the resource with the child and decide which ‘tools’ they need to use or try.
Print and laminate this resource, Cut out the cards and keep in a little zip folder, Use either velcro or blu tak to stick the cards onto the base board.
If you need the cards to be bigger just print all of it onto A3 paper and laminate.
This FRIENDSHIP intervention planning resource pack is ready to go. Just print and deliver!
This pack is suitable for WHOLE CLASS as well as group work. If there are teachers out there who have children who just don’t get along then try running this as an intervention during PSHE time. Each lesson will take approximately 40 minutes to an hour.
It is perfect for an ELSA or teaching assistant who has to work with a group of children with friendship issues.
Included in this pack:
FRIENDS certificates (children colour in a letter after each lesson and take them away at the end of the intervention).
7 planning sessions which could be done over several weeks.
40 positive friendship cards
The Key to deserving good friends worksheet
Five posters looking at skills for empathy.
Skills for empathy bookmarks for the children to take away
A ‘Friend’ venn worksheet.
Heart friends template
How to apologise bookmark for the children to take away after the lesson.
This Rise and Thrive Teen self-esteem intervention is suitable for pupils in secondary. It may also be useful for mature year 6 pupils. It is a group intervention for approximately 6 pupils. It could be run whole class too.
Self-esteem refers to how a person views and values themselves. It involves having a positive opinion about your own worth, abilities, and qualities. When someone has healthy self-esteem, they feel confident, capable, and deserving of love and respect. Self-esteem is important because it influences how you perceive yourself, how you interact with others, how you handle challenges in life and your mental wellbeing.
An estimate of timings would be:
Review last time and check in 10 minutes
Activity 30 minutes
Review 5 minutes
Next time 5 minutes
Make sure you have 50 minutes to an hour to run the intervention.
There are six sessions to this intervention which will all help to raise self-esteem.
Boosters and drainers – pupils will explore what boosts self-esteem and what drains self-esteem
Strengths and talents -pupils will explore their strengths and talents
Challenging negative self-talk – pupils will learn how to reframe their negative dialogue
Building resilience – pupils will explore how to build their resilience by facing challenges and setbacks
Healthy and unhealthy relationships – pupils will explore relationships
Impact of self-care – pupils will learn the importance of self-care and the impact that has on self-esteem
Included in the Rise and Thrive teen self-esteem intervention:
Planning booklet with 6 fully planned sessions
Self-esteem scale for scaling at the beginning and end of the intervention
Lesson 1 – 36 Booster and drainer cards, Booster and drainer worksheet, emotions and self esteem visual
Lesson 2 – 40 strength cards, Building my strengths worksheet
Lesson 3 – Inner dialogue list for prompting, Challenging my inner dialogue worksheet
Lesson 4 – Resilience diary – front cover and one sheet to be copied multiple times
Lesson 5 – 8 prompts cards for relationships, Profile of a healthy relationship worksheet
Lesson 6 – Self care plan worksheet
My time in year 1,2,3,4,5,6 (can be used for all primary). This is a resource for reflecting on their year. It has been on the site for a while but has been updated.
Our resource can be used for moving school or class. It is easy to print out for every child in the school to do.
Reflecting on past year memories can be a meaningful activity for children, helping them process their experiences, celebrate their growth, and prepare for future transitions.
Reflecting on past year memories helps children appreciate their experiences, recognise their growth, and prepare for future challenges. It can boost their self-esteem, encourage gratitude, and foster a positive outlook for the upcoming year. This worksheet provides a structured yet flexible approach to guiding kids through the reflection process, making it both enjoyable and meaningful.
Reflecting on last day memories is essential for children moving to a new school or class. Celebrating achievements and acknowledging growth helps boost their self-esteem and confidence. It also provides an opportunity to say goodbye to friends and teachers, offering closure and a sense of completion.
This reflection process helps children manage their emotions, particularly feelings of sadness or anxiety about the change. Focusing on positive memories fosters gratitude and contentment, reminding them of the joy they experienced. Additionally, reflecting on how they overcame challenges builds resilience for future difficulties.
Reflecting on the past year inspires children to set new goals for the next year. It boosts their confidence and encourages a positive outlook on future transitions.
Our resource can be used for moving school or class. It is easy to print out for every child in the school to do.
Pupils will learn about what is a kind thing to do and what is an unkind thing to do.
Ideas
Sort a selection of cards between ‘kind’ or ‘unkind’ (Template 1)
‘The kindest thing I ever did’ – comic strip. Ask the pupils to think about a time when they did something very kind. They can draw a comic strip of what happened. (Template 2)
Use the cards as a prompt for circle time. Each child to decide whether they think the statement is kind or unkind. Prompt them to give a reason why.
‘10 kind things I can do’ –Pupils can create a list of 10 things they could do to be kind. (Template 3)
‘Kindness Challenge’ – a simple diary entry each day, listing acts of kindness. (Template 4)
Play a simple board game. Stack the cards where indicated. Use a counter to move around the board. Use a die to roll a number. Move that number of places. If they land on a thumbs up (Smiley face) or thumbs down (Sad face) they pick a card. If they land on a thumbs up and pick a card that is kind then they keep the card. If they land on a thumbs down and the card is unkind then they keep the card. If they land on a thumbs up and the card is unkind then it has to go back onto the pile of cards. The person who collects the most cards is the winner.
Two boards are included for the game to suit younger and older children.
This journal will address many areas of a pupils’ well-being. It is suitable for KS2 upwards and even useful for adults! The journal is a way for pupils to find the positives in their life and to discover mindfulness and relaxation.
Here are some of the areas addressed:
Positivity
Emotions
Self-esteem
Focus
Target setting
Mindfulness
Relaxation
Thinking skills
Affirmations
Scaling emotions
Worries
Thoughts and feelings
Emotion tracking
Gratitude/thankfulness
Kindness
Creativity
Reflecting
Planning
Included in the pack:
One weeks worth of journal – each day has 2 pages of things to fill in
Independent journal sheet should pupils want to continue
Worry garage
Positives Jar
2 emotion trackers – dream catcher and mosaic
End of week assessment
Bullet journal sheet for creating
Weekly review
8 front covers to choose from
Doodles, drawings and scribbles sheet
How to use the journal with lots of ideas for using in ELSA Sessions with a pupil – would also be useful to teachers, teaching assistants, learning mentors and counsellors.
Here are a set of 20 Christmas/Winter themed Mindful Mandalas with some lovely quotes to discuss. Pupils can enjoy the mindfulness of colouring along with chat about the quote.
Print as a booklet or just print what you need. You could also blow them up quite large due to the excellent image quality so if you want to do a group colouring you could do.
This is an anger support plan resource pack for older pupils who need help with anger. Perfect for ELSA SUPPORT. The plan is a useful reminder for them and others on what they need to look out for, do, or remember when their feelings of anger get too much. The resource is aimed at upper KS2 and Secondary. The plan is meant to be worked through with an adult. When pupils are angry they need that all important one to one or small group support. Helping pupils to manage their anger is the end result of all the work you do with them. The plan must be done with the worksheet pack .
Included in the anger support plan pack
Fillable form version of the support plan – pupils can fill this in on the computer
PDF form for printing and writing out by hand
9 worksheets working through all the points on the plan
3 information sheets with examples of thought challenging questions, assertiveness script and body signs
The 9 worksheets and activities included are:
Anger triggers
Body signs
What makes anger worse?
What do I need when feeling angry?
Where is my safe place?
Questions to challenge anger
What might distract me?
Who can I talk to?
What coping strategies can I use?
This is our Know Yourself Reflections activity for Children’s Mental Health Week 2025
Our Know Yourself Reflections Sheet is a simple and fun tool for children aged 7 to 11 (or older) to explore what makes them unique. This resource encourages children to think about their proud moments, strengths, likes, and feelings, helping them develop self-awareness and confidence.
By reflecting on who they are and what they enjoy, children can better understand themselves and build a strong sense of identity. This sheet is perfect for classrooms, wellbeing activities, or home use, offering a creative way to encourage positive self-reflection and meaningful conversations.
Use this resource to help children celebrate who they are and recognise what makes them special!
Pupils can enjoy colouring in the little characters and shapes whilst talking about the different areas. Simply print out onto A4 and use with your children.
Benefits of the Know Yourself Reflection Sheet
Builds self-awareness – Helps children understand their feelings, strengths, and preferences.
Boosts confidence – Encourages children to recognise and celebrate their unique qualities.
Supports emotional intelligence – Promotes understanding and healthy expression of emotions.
Encourages self-reflection – Inspires children to think about their experiences, achievements, and goals.
Fosters positivity – Focuses on proud moments and strengths, cultivating a positive mindset.
Promotes creativity – Includes opportunities for writing, drawing, and coloring for engaging self-expression.
Strengthens communication – Sparks meaningful conversations in group or one-to-one settings.
Provides calm and focus – Colouring elements add a mindful activity to support relaxation.
Supports wellbeing – Encourages children to explore what makes them happy and calm.
This bundle of posters and worksheets will help you explore physical signs of 10 different emotions with your pupils. I have included a learning objective to go with each worksheet.
The pack contains the following:
10 Posters covering the emotions/feelings of Worried, happy, sad, angry, irritated, surprised, disgusted, embarrassed, tired and scared.
10 Worksheets covering their signs and sensations
10 Worksheets covering their physical appearance when feeling an emotion
10 Worksheets concentrating on different areas of the body for them to colour
8 Worksheets for coping skills.
This covers:
Skills
Luck
Feelings around winning and losing
Poor sports
Cheating
Sportsmanship
Making a Loser Plan
Cheating
The PowerPoint makes this available to whole classes or groups but also works well with individuals.
This resource pack contains the following:
PowerPoint show – you can use this for individual, group or whole class. When used for individual, you can act as the partner.
PDF of the show – so you can print it out if you need to or if you don’t have a computer or Whiteboard to work on.
Supporting worksheets
The powerpoint has 14 slides
These emotion work cards will help children to learn more about their emotions. They will help them learn new vocabulary and to really use and think about their emotions. Learning about emotions is incredibly important for all children and this resource is perfect for that.
This is a set of 30 cards, 2 on each page. Each card has a task to do related to emotion cards. A set of emotion cards has been included with this resource but the cards which match this resource is available in my TES store.
The cards can be printed on A4 or A3 and laminated. Children can use dry wipe pens to write or draw. You can then photocopy what they have done to keep it or you can just print them as worksheets.
Transition to another school or class – My idea for this is that this can be built with a child, combining lessons and creativity and craft. Each component can be a lesson or part of a lesson. It is something for the child to take away at the end of your sessions. You could easily fill 4 to 6 lessons with what is in this lapbook. There are two versions, one in black and white so the child can colour the lettering etc and one in colour where they can just cut and stick. There are two alternative back covers which you can choose to add to the lapbook. One is a game about ‘Changes’ and the other is a weekly feelings diary. Of course you could add one of those to the back cover and just use the other separately.
This resource could be a fantastic end of term project for a Year 6 teacher. The children will love all the little pockets and will be making something to be proud of.
Included in the transition lapbook is:
Name – child writes their name in a colourful way – they could write in bubble writing or decorate it anyway they wish.
Picture– either take a photo of the child to stick here or ask them to draw themselves.
Front cover title – Moving on
My new school or new class worries – What sort of things are they worried about? Use the little monster writing sheets for children to write down their worries to put in the little pocket. Discuss these at each session and help to reassure the child about the changes that will happen when they move class or school.
Questions about my new school or class – This is a perfect opportunity to answer all those questions about the new school or class.
My autograph and message book – Let them collect autographs and messages from friends to take on with them to the next school or class.
My goals and targets – This is a little layered book. The child has to come up with a target for the rest of the term, a target for the summer holidays and a target for the new school or class.
All about me tag book – Lots of questions to answer in this little tag book.
Treasure chest – Includes concertina books with some prompts but also includes a blank so you can ask different questions. The treasure box could contain anything that the child wants to keep safe. They could pop some little photos in there too.
A letter to my future self – What do they hope for in the future? How can they see themselves when they are in the next class or in their new school. What will they be doing? What will they have achieved? Will they have new friends? A letter could also be written telling their future self of what they are doing now, any of their concerns or worries etc.
Friends – The child can write their friend’s name and finish the image to look like their friend. All their friends can fit into the little pocket.
Changes game (back cover)
Feelings diary (alternative back cover)
This Friendship Scenarios Pack contains a variety of Friendship Scenarios, along with solutions, activities, and reflective tools to help pupils explore and understand friendship dynamics. These resources are designed to empower you to guide pupils through challenging social situations, assisting them in identifying and expressing their emotions, understanding others’ perspectives, and practising problem-solving in a safe, supportive environment. This resource is suitable for KS2 and Secondary pupils (There are just one or two that wouldn’t be suitable).
The scenarios in this pack are carefully crafted to be flexible, allowing you to tailor your approach to meet the unique needs of each child. For instance, you may choose to use these scenarios in one-to-one sessions or in small group activities. Additionally, you can incorporate them into your regular emotional literacy sessions, reinforcing the importance of friendship, empathy, and communication. Ultimately, these scenarios are meant to be adaptable to different contexts and group dynamics.
These include:
30 Friendship Scenarios: Each scenario offers a choice of 3 possible solutions. One solution is a good choice, one is acceptable, and one is not ideal.
Reflection Prompts: Thought-provoking questions that help pupils gain a deeper understanding of the situation and themselves.
Friendship Fix-It Tools: A collection of strategies designed to help pupils build and maintain stronger friendships.
Empathy Boosters: Simple yet effective suggestions for developing and enhancing empathy.
Role Play Instructions: Step-by-step guidance on using the cards for role-play exercises, which are especially useful for group work.
Coping Strategies: Practical ideas to help pupils cope with the emotional challenges that arise in friendship conflicts.
Friendship Qualities: A list of essential qualities that make someone a good friend. Which qualities are being displayed in the scenarios? Which qualities could be improved?
Assertiveness Tools: Approaches to help pupils develop and demonstrate more assertive behaviours in their friendships.
Traffic Light Problem-Solving: A visual traffic light tool to assist pupils in making informed decisions when faced with friendship issues.
Friendship Fix-It Wheel: A simple yet effective visual tool that offers 4 key suggestions when dealing with friendship problems.
My Friendship Scenario: An opportunity for pupils to reflect on and work through their own real-life friendship dilemmas.
Feelings: Visual characters that can help pupils express and discuss their feelings in greater depth.
Emotional Scale: A tool for scaling the intensity of emotions, helping pupils better understand the strength of their feelings.