Category: Curriculum Resources

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Even Kids Get Anxious

You wake up and feel great, until you start to think about the things you will be doing during the day. Suddenly, you don’t feel so great anymore. You start to sweat. Your throat feels tight, and your mouth gets dry. You can feel your heart start to beat faster and faster. Your tummy feels like it’s doing somersaults, and your mind is going as fast as a race car. You convince yourself that staying in bed is the best option, because then you don’t have to face the day, and that is certainly easier than confronting the things you are worried about. 

Perhaps you have found yourself in this situation a few times. Maybe this is your reality every day. Or, maybe you are one of the lucky few who doesn’t ever really worry about things to this extent. Whatever the case may be, there’s no denying that anxiety and worry are real. As adults, we can usually pinpoint what it is that is making us worried, and can take the necessary steps to cope with it. For kids, however, it might not be the same. Since kids are still trying to figure out what different emotions feel like, they may not recognize anxiety for what it is; they may see it as a big, scary monster inside of themselves. 

Thankfully, there are a lot of resources at our fingertips for helping our students and kiddos who deal with anxiety. One of those amazing resources is picture books! I love using picture books to teach about abstract concepts— they give kids a visual way to see the idea, and they tell about it in a way they understand. A trip to my local library presented me with several children’s books about anxiety. The following are ones that I particularly enjoyed:

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine written by Julia Cook and illustrated by Anita Dufalla

Wilma is a cute elementary aged girl who wakes up every morning and pretends to go back to sleep so she doesn’t have to face the day. Her mind is full of ‘what if’ questions— What if they serve buttered carrots at lunch? What if she gets chosen to do a math problem in front of the class and she gets the answer wrong? What if her friends don’t want to play with her at recess? What if she doesn’t get picked for a team at PE? What if her mom gives her a gross snack after school? 

The ‘what if’ questions consume Wilma and make it hard for her to do things and enjoy her day. Her mom notices this happening  and decides to take action. Together, Wilma, her mom, and her teacher create a plan to help quiet Wilma’s worries. They talk about the worries Wilma can control and the ones she can’t. The teacher introduces the “worry hat” that Wilma can put on whenever she feels worried— she can ‘think’ her worries into the hat, then take it off knowing the worries have left her mind.

The illustrations are just perfect, and this story does an incredible job of describing what anxiety feels like and offers some great coping strategies that kids can easily use.

My Monster and Me written by Nadiya Hussain and illustrated by Ella Bailey

This book follows a little boy as he talks about his Monster. This Monster has been around as long as he can remember, and seems to follow him everywhere he goes. His Monster shows up at interferes with just about everything the boy does. He can’t seem to escape it. 

One day, the Monster gets so big that the boy just can’t take it anymore. Frustrated, he goes to his grandma’s house, where grandma helps him talk through what is bothering him. The more he talks about it, the smaller the Monster becomes, until the Monster is small enough to fit in the boy’s pocket. Now that he knows how to make the Monster smaller, the boy is able to go out and enjoy things and have fun with his friends. 

I loved the analogy of a monster for anxiety. It really can feel like that— like a huge, fuzzy mean creature trying to take over everything, and it can be consuming. In the story, the boy turns to a trusted adult to sort out his feelings and make sense of everything. 

The illustrations are darling, the story is simple, but the lesson is deep!

Pig and Horse and the Something Scary written and illustrated by Zoey Abbott

Pig wakes up one morning not feeling herself, so she decides to go see her friend, Horse. She tells Horse that she feels something scary inside of her, but she can’t say what it is because she is trying to ignore it. Horse is a helpful friend and suggests that they go for a bike ride. When that doesn’t work, she suggests that they go for a swim. When swimming doesn’t take away the feeling, she has the idea to get Pig to laugh really hard. But even that doesn’t work. 

Horse thinks for a minute and suggests that Pig just let it all out. Pig is afraid and hesitates, so Horse comes up with the idea that they invite the scary feeling to tea. Together, they whip up some yummy treats and tea and sit down to have a tea party. When she feels ready, Pig lets out her worries— first, the night, then the idea of being alone, and lastly, the character from her bedtime story the night before. Each of these fears is represented in the book by a different colored “cloud” of sorts coming from Pig’s mind. 

As she releases each fear, Pig and Horse try different ways to make each worry become smaller and smaller until it vanishes. Ultimately, Pig feels much better for having let her worries go. 

I loved this book for a few reasons— first, Pig recognized that she felt different, so she sought out the help of someone she loved and trusted. Second, the fears were given a color and description to make them feel tangible. Third, Pig and Horse came up with coping skills together, and Horse did them right along side Pig as she let her worries go. The idea of not having to face worries alone would be so comforting to a child dealing with anxiety. Imagine already feeling out of sorts and worried, then having to cope with it alone! The thought of that would increase anxiety, which would put a child back at square one. Having someone to help makes a world of difference!

Way Past Worried written by Hallee Adelman and illustrated by Sandra de la Prada

Brock is past worried. His heart is pounding and his mind is racing. He has been invited to his friend Juan’s birthday party, but he has to go alone, without his brother. Brock is worried that the other kids at the party won’t like him, won’t play with him, and will laugh at him. He’s worried that his superhero costume isn’t good enough and that he wouldn’t have anything to say to the other kids. 

His anxiety takes over and causes him to freeze up as he enters the party. Rather than going to join the other kids, he retreats to a tree, where he finds a new friend, Nelly, who is also experiencing anxiety. Together, they talk through their worries then decide to be brave like superheroes and join the party. 

Nelly and Brock join the other kids and have a great time, glad that they decided to not let their worries get in the way of their fun day. This book is so great— the illustrations are super cute and the story tells of a kid in a situation that is familiar to most kids. Because most kids know what it’s like to attend a birthday party, they can imagine what it would be like to have to go alone, and can more easily put themselves in Brock or Nelly’s shoes. 

________

I hope you’re able to use one or more of these books if you ever find yourself in the position that you’re helping a student or your own child make sense of their anxious feelings!

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This or That?

Sometimes kids get a little mixed up when trying to understand the difference between fact and opinion. In their minds, their opinions make sense, and seem like fact to them. They often cannot grasp the idea that other people might think differently or have different preferences. A fun way to introduce the concept of opinion is by using “would you rather” or “this or that” type activities. 

In order for students to understand that people can have differing opinions, they need to see and hear it. Students need to also be able to defend their opinion with more than just a “because I like it” as their reasoning. If given a choice between the ocean and the mountains, and the ocean is chosen, the student should be able to explain what it is about the ocean that they prefer. 

To help you with this activity, I’ve created a worksheet for you download for free! I’ve made two different worksheets— one to be used as a writing assignment, and the other to be used as a math assignment. 

On the writing worksheet, you will find several pairs of words. Have students read through each pair and circle which of the two words in the pair they prefer. Then, have them choose three (or more if you want) of their choices to defend. On the back of the worksheet, have them write a short paragraph about why they prefer the word they circled, giving concrete examples and solid details. 

On the math worksheet, you will find the same pairs of words. Again, have students read through each pair and circle which of the two words they prefer. Next, students will ask each classmate what word they circled, then put a tally mark next to the corresponding word. Once they have asked all of their classmates, they will total the tallies for each word, then fill in the bar graph accordingly. Finally, students will write three questions that could be answered using the data displayed on the bar graph. 

If neither the math or the writing worksheet fits your needs, you can always just use the “This or That” pairs as an ice breaker or conversation starter. It’s also an excellent self-starter for the beginning of class or a time filler when you have just a few extra minutes left in class.

However you use it, I hope you enjoy it! As always, my downloadable worksheets are strictly for classroom or personal use only. Please do not resell, repost, or claim as your own.

This or That-2Download
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Back to School Word Scramble

Middle grade teachers– this one’s for you! If you’re needing a quick self-starter for your students to do sometime during the first week of school, I’ve got you covered! Below you will find a free downloadable Back to School Word Scramble worksheet.

Download, print, and make some copies for your class, and just like that, you’ve got yourself a quick activity for your students to do while you take attendance. To extend the activity, you could also have them write a short story using all of the words!

**Please do not re-sell, re-post, or claim printable as your own.**

Back to School Word ScrambleDownload
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Dear Teacher: An Introductory Assignment

My last post was full of ice breaker and getting to know you ideas that involved the entire class. Today I wanted to share another idea for getting to know your students, but this one is done individually, and as a homework assignment.

Because I was an English teacher, this assignment worked particularly well for my class, but it can work just as well for any other content area. The assignment was called “Dear Teacher” and was a chance for students to write a letter to me. I gave them suggestions about what they could tell me, but also left it open for them to choose the content of their letter. 

Some of the suggested topics included:

  • Favorite food
  • Favorite subject
  • Favorite music, movie, book, actor/actress, show
  • Family— how many siblings, things they like to do, etc.
  • Friends— who their friends are, what they like to do together, etc.
  • Favorite vacations they’ve been on
  • Things they did over the summer
  • What they’re looking forward to about this new school year
  • Goals they may have
  • Their feelings about reading & writing (or whatever your content area may be)
  • Anything else they felt like telling me

I also required the assignment to be hand written (this gave me a glimpse into their grammar and spelling skills since they weren’t using a computer with spell/grammar check), and required the length to be about 1- 1.5 pages long. I wanted it long enough for them to tell me about themselves, but not so long that I was reading these letters for the rest of my days!

This assignment was always so fun to get back from students. I loved learning about them! Beyond the “getting to know you” objective of the assignment, these letters also gave me insight into their writing style, grammar/spelling skills, handwriting, and personalities. Another thing I really liked about this assignment was that, because I had assured them I wasn’t going to be sharing their letters with other students, it allowed students to be completely honest and open. I had students open up and tell me about difficulties at home, friend struggles, learning struggles, and so on. It let them know right off the bat that I was a safe person who had their best interests in mind. 

The “Dear Teacher” letter was always just a participation grade, which was a great way to start off the year. It was a low-stakes, no pressure assignment to ease them into graded writing that would come later. 

So while this assignment was really quite simple, it accomplished much more than surface level formalities. 

What kind of assignments do you give your students to start the year?

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Breakin’ That Ice

First day of school nerves are real for teachers and students alike. I used to tell my students that it was ok to feel nervous— everyone else felt the same way, even if they wouldn’t admit it. I would venture to guess that even most teachers feel some degree of first day of school jitters. 

One way to combat these jitters is through ice-breaker and getting to know you activities. Most people don’t love them, but they are effective for getting people moving around and interacting with one another. And if there’s one thing you need on the first day of school, it’s to get people interacting and getting to know each other!

Perhaps you have a tried and true ice breaker that you’ve used every year for the last 25 years. If it works, it works— no need to fix what isn’t broken, right? If, however, you’re searching for something new to try, I’ve got you covered! I’ve compiled a list of fun ideas to break the ice and get to know your students, and to have them get to know each other! 

Roll & Tell

Divide students into groups of 3-4. Give each group a die and a set of instructions. Each number on the die is attached to a getting to know you question. If a student rolls a 4, they would answer the prompt assigned to number 4, and so on. Once all students in the group have answered all the questions, you can come back together as a class. Call on students randomly to have them share something they learned about someone in their group. 

Possible Questions:

  • What is your favorite subject in school?
  • What is your favorite restaurant?
  • When you have free time, what do you like to do?
  • If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
  • What is your family like? Do you have siblings?
  • Tell about the craziest thing that has ever happened to you.
  • What was the highlight of your summer?
  • If you could invent any holiday, what would it be and why?
  • What goals do you have for this school year?
  • What do you want to be when you grow up?
  • What is your least favorite chore to do?
  • What is your favorite book?
  • What skill would you most like to learn?
  • Do you collect anything?
  • What is one cool fact about you that not many people know?
  • If you could choose a super power, what would you want to be able to do?
  • If you could go to lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
  • Would you rather be able to visit the past or the future?

One Word

Group students into small groups— 4-5 students per group is perfect. Give each group a starting word. Groups must then create a sentence, one word at a time, by going around the circle with each student adding on a word to the sentence when it is their turn. It must make sense, must be a real word, and must be a word that is well known. You can extend this activity by having groups pass around a paper to write on. They can create a whole story, one word at a time, as a group. 

This encourages groups to work together, students to listen carefully, and students to be patient with one another. Hilarity is sure to ensue as groups come up with some silly sentences and stories! 

Beach Ball Toss

Inflate a plastic beach ball, then use a permanent marker to write several getting to know you questions all over the ball. Have students form a circle and toss the ball around. When the ball is caught, the catcher answers the question that their right thumb is on, then throws the ball to someone else, and so on. Continue until everyone has had a chance to answer at least one question.

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament

This game is just as it sounds! Divide the class into two groups, and have students line up in two lines, facing each other. Partners will play three rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors, and the best of three wins. One line will stay stationary, and the other line will move to the right or left (you choose!), and play continues. 

Random Objects

This is a fun one to assign on the first day of school, especially for older grades. For their first assignment, have students bring a random object from home— the more random, the better. They must keep the object hidden until it is their turn to share. Put a table in the center of the room and have students form a circle around the table. One by one, each student comes forward and places their object on the table. The fun part of this is that they cannot talk— no explaining what the object is or why they chose it. Laughter is definitely okay, because there are sure to be some hilarious objects brought. 

Be sure to set guidelines of what is and is not okay to bring to school.

Four Corners

Before class starts, take four pieces of paper and write the numbers 1-4 separately on a paper. Place each paper in a different corner of the room. Prepare a list of questions with four possible answers each. After each question and its answers are read, students must pick which answer they like the most then move to that corner of the room. Continue until all questions have been read. 

Ex: What is your favorite subject?

1- Math
2- English/Writing/Reading
3- PE
4- Science

Students who enjoy math the most would move to the corner that has the “1” sign, and so on.

Would you Rather

This is a classic game that everyone can participate in. Prepare a list of “would you rather” questions that are appropriate for the age of your students. The questions can be about anything; it’s fun to mix up the type of questions to include some funny, some serious, some gross (kids love these ones!), and some ridiculous. Have students show their answers by holding up a green paper for answer A, and a blue paper for answer B. If you can’t think of any questions on your own, the Internet is full of lists upon lists of great questions for all ages, occasions, and topics.

This or That Circle Game

You may need a larger space for this game. Create two large intersecting circles on the floor—  tape works really well for this. Make a list of several “this or that” questions. Read each question, then have students pick circle A or B according to which option they like best. If they like both options equally, they can stand in the intersecting portion of the circles. You’re essentially making a large Venn diagram! Continue until all questions have been read. The questions don’t have to be super deep— simple works best here. Things like “chocolate or vanilla” or “Summer or Winter” work really well for this game. Again, if you need some help coming up with questions to use, a quick Google or Pinterest search will provide you with plenty of options!

These are just a few ideas of the many that are out there. Activities like these are a great way to ease back to school jitters and bring your class together. Happy Back to School, friends!

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Four Square Slap Jack

We’re down to the last few weeks of summer break where we live, and we’re feeling it! Since I don’t have the energy to take all five of my kids to the splash pad or pool every day, I’ve had to use my creative energy to come up with activities for them to do. That’s not to say that I provide them with entertainment every second of every day— they have plenty of time to use their own imaginations and come up with their own fun. Sometimes they just need a little encouragement from me! 

I recently saw a fun idea that someone had posted, and decided to put my own twist on it and share it with you. I’m calling it Four-Square Slap Jack, and the goal of the game is for players to be the first to put their hand down on a paper whose category was NOT called out. For example, players have four papers in front of them, each with a different shape printed on it (circles, hearts, stars, and triangles). The caller calls out a category, and players race to put their hands on any other paper than that which was called. So if “hearts” was called, they place their hands on circles, stars, or triangles. 

This activity is great for younger kids, as it helps with shape recognition as well as hand-eye coordination, both of which are great skills for kids to learn and practice. It’s also a great activity to promote careful listening. I know I’m not the only parent or teacher who loves a fun game that is also educational! I’ve attached the game and instructions below— feel free to print off a copy and have fun. 

Oh, and as an added bonus, this game is great for days when you’re completely exhausted and just can’t muster up the energy to run around and play with your kids— it’s easy to play while relaxing on the couch!

This game can also be used in the classroom as a group activity or even a whole class activity.

** The printable game is free to download, but please do not re-sell, distribute, or claim as your own.**

Four-Square Slap JackDownload
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Summer Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

If your kids are like mine, they start to go a little bit stir crazy when they are cooped up in the house for too long. We’re trying to find a balance between structured activities and “use your imagination to entertain yourself” time. Some days are trickier than others. One thing is for certain, though: a daily dose of sunshine and fresh air does wonders for everyone’s moods. Some days, my kids are outside most of the day, and others, we just get a little time outside. 

Whether your kids are all-day-outsiders or just-a-little-outsiders, an outdoor scavenger hunt is a fun activity to do with them! Print off the free printable below, grab a clipboard and something to write with, then take a walk around your neighborhood, searching for the things on the list! If you’re feeling extra ambitious, have your kids make a pair of binoculars before you go— get a couple of empty toiler paper tubes, glue them together, and attach some string to each side for quick and easy binoculars to make your scavenger hunt even more fun! 

You could even laminate the scavenger hunt paper so that you can re-use it multiple times. This activity would be a great option for a small preschool class or daycare group, too! 

An alternative for older kids would be to let them explore on their own, but send them with some way to take pictures, and have them photograph the items as they find them.

However you decide to use it, happy searching!

**PRINTABLE IS FREE, BUT IS ONLY TO BE USED FOR PERSONAL OR CLASSROOM USE. DO NOT SELL, RE-POST, OR CLAIM AS YOUR OWN.** 

Outdoor Scavenger HuntDownload