Here are some back to school activities to get children feeling positive about the future and encouraging them to talk about their feelings. There are 4 activities with a choice of writing frames. Suitable for KS1 and lower KS2.

This resource is a set of 32 colour cards for Communication or Behaviour Management. Each card shows a bear indicating what they want. Cut out the cards and laminate them. Add a key ring with the child’s name on to personalise it. Punch a hole through the red dots for your key ring to go through. Choose the cards that are relevant to the child and those activities that you can offer if they request them at the time e.g if food not available to them don’t include the food and drink cards - or have these on a seperate key ring for snack / meal times. There is a blank template of cards for you to make your own relevant to your child’s needs.

12 black and white picture cards for children to talk about and cut and match to the coloured in versions. Or duplicate the black and white pictures for children to match. Links to Ourselves and Feelings topics. There is a template included for children to draw their own faces onto.

3 worksheets to support children with recognising and communicating their feelings. Sheet 1 - Children circle the happy face in each row. They draw a happy face and then complete the sentence - I feel happy when… Sheet 2 - The same as sheet 1 but children circle the sad faces Sheet 3 - Children circle the angry faces The faces are all drawn on different types of balls that children can name. Extend by asking children to draw faces on balloons with marker pens showing different expressions.

4 pages of colour flashcards, each showing 6 fish. Children cut out the cards and describe what feelings or emotions the fish are showing. Start simply with happy and sad and then move on to other emotions such as surprised, angry, shocked etc. Duplicate and laminate the cards for matching games. Children could attempt to copy the emotions they see in the fish - they could use a mirror to help them.

20 discussion cards to share with your children on their return to school or as part of your PSHE work. The first card welcomes the children back to school. Each card is in colour and has it’s own message such as: It’s OK to make a mistake and Be Proud of yourself. The cards cover diversity, empathy and self esteem and make good visual aids. Suitable for KS1 and KS2 and for group work or whole class work. A good use of the cards is to use as a basis for an assembly or to add to displays.

Make awards ceremonies extra special with this fun activity! Children can colour and cut out their own trophies, badges, and rosettes to celebrate their achievements. Whether it’s for academic accomplishments, good behaviour, sports day, effort, or special talents, this project adds a personal touch to any awards event. Let children take pride in their colourful creations and enjoy the moment of recognition in style! Teachers can also use the trophies, badges and rosettes as templates for making certificates or cards. There are 10 pages each showing 2 black and white templates. Page 11 offers a description of the resource.

This resource for KS2, “Time to Talk about Feelings,” includes 12 sheets, each with 8 colourful cards focusing on a wide range of emotions such as unhappy, sad, angry, proud, happy, afraid, frustrated, tired, cross, sorry, and many more. The cards feature diverse images representing different ages, genders, and cultures, making them inclusive and relatable. Children can use these cards to discuss emotions as a class, in pairs, or in small groups. Suggested activities could include role- play, sorting emotions, creating sentences or stories based on a chosen card, and adding speech bubbles to express the characters feelings. Children could use art materials to represent emotions and match key emotion words to pictures. Links to Me, Ourselves, PSHE, Feelings and Emotions, Speaking and Listening and Emotional Regulation.

This resource for KS1 includes 10 colouring pages / posters with a theme of celebrating Diversity. Most pages or posters feature uplifting messages like “This is Us!”, “Every Voice Matters”, “Different but the Same”, “Colours of the World”, “Everyone Belongs”, “Together We Shine”, and “Diversity is Our Strength”. Each page is different and can be used as a starting point or inspiration for children to create their own posters on Diversity. The resource helps children understand and embrace the idea that we are all unique, yet united, promoting inclusion and acceptance in a fun and creative way.

This resource provides a comprehensive tool to support emotional literacy in KS1 and KS2, seamlessly integrating key aspects of the curriculum. The resources come in colour and are duplicated in black and white. There is a planning sheet included outlining 7 activity ideas for using the resources. Through activities like storytelling, role-play, and matching, children practice speaking and listening skills as they discuss and act out emotions. Writing tasks linked to the cards enhance written expression, while reading exercises focus on recognizing and understanding emotional vocabulary. The resource also promotes vocabulary learning, as children match words to emotions and scenarios. By exploring emotions visually and through words, children gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others, fostering empathy and emotional intelligence. The resource can be used as a unit of work or dipped in and out of to support PSHE topics and themes around Ourselves and Mental Health.

A complete workbook full of engaging and bright resources to encourage Mindfulness and support children with their emotions and emotional regulation. Suitable for PSHE lessons for Primary children, for play therapists, teachers or counsellors working with children 1:1 or in small groups. Useful ideas too, for parents to carry out at home. The workbook contains an activity for each letter of the alphabet. Page 2 gives an index. Page 3 is for children to create their own mindfulness index or to use as an assessment sheet, children write on the pages that they have completed and the dates. Adults could initial. Activities range from making a dream cloud mobile, painting emotion faces on stones to making a ‘First Aid kit’ to feeling better. The workbook can be used as a unit of work or individual activities.