Grades K–3
Animal Stretch Cards
Four animal stretch cards, cat, snake, frog and turtle, to calm and wake up your body slowly between lessons.
SEL worksheet · Mindfulness and calming
Worry Thought or Helpful Thought?
Circle worry or helpful for ten thoughts, then answer a worry thought of your own with a helpful one.
- Grade level
- Grades 3–5
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Calming strategies, Breathing, Noticing and focus, Self-regulation
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- Our minds make lots of thoughts. Worry thoughts jump to the worst thing that could happen.
- Helpful thoughts notice what is really true and what we can do.
- Circle Worry or Helpful for each thought.
- Everyone will laugh at me if I get it wrong.
- I studied, and I can do my best.
- What if I never make any friends?
- It’s okay to feel nervous. It will pass.
- Something bad is going to happen for sure.
Teacher tip
Ask kids to share a helpful thought they use before a test.
How to use it
- Teach the strategy when kids are calm, so it is ready for big moments.
- Use it after recess or before a test to settle the room.
- Model your own answer first. Kids open up more when the grown-up goes first.
Watch for
Some kids don’t like closing their eyes. Let them look at the floor instead.
Talk about it
- How did your body feel before and after?
- How might someone else see it differently?
Take it further
Start each afternoon with one minute of mindful breathing.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More mindfulness and calming worksheets
Grades 1–4
Make a Calm-Down Jar
Number the six steps for making a glitter calm-down jar, then think about how your busy thoughts settle like the glitter.
Grades K–3
Animal Breathing Cards
Four calming breaths to try: lion breath, bee breath, elephant breath and teddy bear belly breathing.
Grades 1–5
5-4-3-2-1 Calm Down
Notice 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you can touch, 2 you smell and 1 you taste to feel calm and present.
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