ANTS Automatic Negative Thoughts game. ANTs are the spontaneous, habitual, and often irrational thoughts that creep into our minds in response to various situations and triggers. These thoughts can significantly impact our emotional well-being and overall mental health. This game will help pupils to recognise those ANTs and will help them to reframe their thinking so they are more positive. Included in the ANTS automatic negative thoughts game: Game board (print A3) Change it cards – 8 of each type of ANT – 64 in total ANTs cards – 2 sets of 8 – one with their names and one without Positive affirmation cards – 16 cards Editable ‘Change it and Positive affirmation cards’) for you to add your own if needed. This is especially relevant for secondary pupils. This is editable in POWERPOINT so please ensure you have that installed if you want to edit the cards. ANTS covered in this pack: Emotional Edna – thinks with her feelings. eg. I FEEL hopeless, I FEEL like a failure. Fortune Teller Felicity – predicts the worst outcome e.g. I can’t win the race!, I will come last! Guilty Gertrude – Uses the word should and then feels guilty – eg. I should have done my homework, I should have done some exercise. All or nothing Audrey – uses words like always, never, every. Eg. I always lose, I never have anyone to play with. Blaming Barry – blames everyone else – eg. It’s your fault I slept in, It’s your fault I feel angry! Mind Reader Mavis – thinks he can read other people’s minds – eg. He must be laughing at me, I know she hates me! Labelling Lawrence – calls himself and others names – eg I am such a loser, She is such an idiot! Negative Nancy – ignores the positives and only sees the negative – I only came second in the race, I only got one sticker today.

Here’s our “Break the Ice Game” – a fantastic game designed to add warmth and engagement to the start of your sessions! Dive into a world of penguins and ice holes, where penguin cards holds captivating questions waiting to be explored. It’s a great winter game on the run up to Christmas and beyond. It would also be suitable at any time of year so you will get lots out of this game. Say goodbye to the chill of starting a session with a new pupil; our game adds warmth and enthusiasm, setting a positive tone from the beginning. Pupils explore questions that encourage sharing and understanding, fostering a sense of connection within the group. Included in the ‘Break the Ice Game’ pack: A3 game board 90 question cards 9 blank cards if you want to write your own A5 Certificate for completing the game

Here is a lovely calming game to play on the run up to Christmas. How to play our Christmas Calming Bingo game: Give each pupil a base board and some counters. Pick one of the calming cards and read through it with the pupils. The pupils can close their eyes so they can imagine the scene you are setting for them. Once they have all done this they place a counter on their base board over the appropriate exercise. Repeat until someone has a row vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The first person to get a row vertically, horizontally or diagonally is the winner of the game. They need to shout out ‘I am calm’ if they win. Included in the pack: 9 Calming activities 9 base boards with the images mixed up. You can play with up to 9 players.

The emotions iceberg is a metaphorical representation of the concept that there are visible and hidden aspects to our emotions. It suggests that what we express or display on the surface is just a small part of the broader emotional experience we have internally. The iceberg is divided into two main parts: Visible Emotions (the ones that show on the surface) These are the emotions that show and what can be seen Visible emotions could include happiness, anger, sadness, excitement, fear, surprise, and disgust. They are usually accompanied by recognisable facial expressions, body language, and vocal cues. Hidden Emotions (the ones that are hidden under the surface) These are the deeper and less visible emotions that lie beneath the surface. Hidden emotions are often more complex, and influenced by personal experiences, memories, beliefs, and thoughts. Examples of hidden emotions include shame, guilt, jealousy, anxiety, vulnerability, insecurity, loneliness, and grief. Identifying hidden emotions requires self-awareness, and empathy towards oneself and others. All the sheets print as A3 apart from the worksheets which are A4. Included in the Emotions Iceberg display pack: Emotions iceberg in A3 but you could print it bigger using adobe print settings Two pockets to include emoji faces and word cards A set of 20 emoji cards that will fit into the pocket 32 cards with suggested feelings words plus some bank cards for handwriting more words A set of editable cards (in PowerPoint) A banner 6 Supporting worksheets 2 quotes

This is a ‘Looking after my mental health’ tab booklet for world mental health day on the 10th October 2023 This resource is to help remove the stigma of mental health and help children to understand what they might need for good mental health. This booklet is here to show that it’s okay to talk about feelings and to help children  know what they can do to have happy and healthy minds. It is aimed at primary and lower secondary. This resource is to support World mental health day. Included in the pack How important are feelings? Who can I talk to? How can I relax? What makes me happy? How can I look after me?

This is a children’s feelings dictionary. The title is ‘Feelings Explorers – a journey to discover your feelings’ This dictionary covers the word and a simple definition. It is aimed at primary or older if older students don’t mind the characters. Life presents children with a range of challenging emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or fear. A feelings dictionary equips them with the tools to navigate these emotions more effectively. It empowers children to label their feelings, recognise their triggers, and identify appropriate coping strategies. This emotional resilience not only helps them manage difficult emotions but also promotes mental well-being and fosters a positive outlook on life. Labeling feelings is a crucial step in teaching children how to regulate their emotions. When children can identify and label their emotions, they are better equipped to manage them. By recognising when they are experiencing frustration, for example, children can learn strategies to calm themselves down, such as taking deep breaths or engaging in a preferred calming activity. The ability to regulate emotions effectively contributes to improved self-control and reduced impulsivity. Included in this Children’s Feelings Dictionary 13 Page booklet with a front cover – this is the dictionary from A to Z, lots of words included. Please note there are no words beginning with the letter X. A to Z of feelings worksheet – for pupils to choose words they like and write them down or add words not included in the dictionary. Please note there are no feelings words for x Feelings words I can use worksheet – for pupils to think about the core emotions such as angry, sad, scared, happy, disgusted and surprised and write words they would use to describe those emotions. Feelings words to describe the characters worksheet – pupils can look through the dictionary and choose words to describe the character’s feelings. Synonyms worksheet – pupils can hunt for synonyms of the 6 core emotions. Silly sentences worksheet – pupils can make up silly sentences using some of the feelings words in the dictionary. Draw the feeling worksheet – pupils can choose six words from the dictionary and try to draw what that feeling might look like.

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

The teen affirmation workbook begins by offering a clear explanation of affirmations and their significance. It is vital for young minds to grasp the concept of positive self-talk and how it can shape their perceptions and attitudes. The workbook helps pupils to craft personalised affirmations that resonate with their unique experiences and aspirations. Teens learn to transform negative thoughts into affirmations that inspire confidence and resilience. Pupils will reflect on any negativity in their lives through self reflection and learn to flip these into positive affirmations. Pupils are encouraged to use their affirmations daily for 2 weeks and monitor their feelings over this time. They are then encouraged to reflect on any changes that have been observed over that 2 week period. What’s included in the teen affirmation workbook? Affirmations are… (what they are) Affirmations can… (how they can benefit you) Self reflection…(what are the negatives?) Turning the negatives…(How to flip those negatives into a positive statement) Your turn…(Practising how to flip the negatives) Creating affirmations (advice on how to write one) Example affirmations Creating your own affirmations Daily affirmation practice Remember… (the importance of daily practice) Keeping track…(A table for helping monitor feelings and any positive changes) Reflection…(How have things changed over two weeks – question prompts)

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

This EBSA workbook School difficulties has been created with valuable help from the members of the ELSA Support Facebook Group who provided some of the difficulties their pupils face. It relies on real life situations that pupils have found difficult about coming to school. ELSAs are often on the front line trying to help pupils back into school and to work on their difficulties. The booklet is aimed from Year 3 to Year 6 but could also be used with Year 2 with support. We also have EBSA workbook school thoughts and feelings and EBSA Workbook Coping with school worries on the website. EBSA is Emotionally based school avoidance. Pupils who struggle to come to school or are non attenders. This might have an emotional cause or a mental health cause. The activity consists of a sorting board, cards with suggestions, cards for pupils to write their own, an exploration board, a feelings board with scales and changes and what they want to happen to make things feel ok. This activity will help pupils to identify what is bothering them at school and how to reduce that feeling by changing the situation. Start by printing out the base board and cutting up the cards. Print out a blank sheet so the pupil can add their own if they want to. Help the pupil sort the cards between things that are ok, things they are unsure of and things that are not ok. Once you have done that choose one of the things that are not ok and look at it further. Help the pupil break it down to see if you can find out what the actual issue is. Example might be ‘seating plan’ that is not ok. What is it about the seating plan that is not ok? Is it that they are sitting next to someone they don’t like? Perhaps they can’t hear the teacher? Perhaps they are uncomfortable and there might be a draft or a bright light bothering them. They might prefer to be sitting with a friend. Perhaps someone copies off them or talks to them and they don’t like that. Try and help the pupil to break down the difficulty. Once they have the root cause of their difficulty, help them to identify how it makes them feel. Can they put a name to that feeling? How big is that feeling? There is a sheet for pupil voice to say what changes need to happen for them to be ok. They can write it or you can write it for them and they can tell you what needs to change. There is also a daily sheet for pupils to write down anything that they think of or that crops up for them. There are also some additional supporting resources included in the pack This is the first workbook in the EBSA Workbook Range.

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 Coping skills toolkit for emotional regulation. Perfect for ELSA Support. There is a handy little pouch and lots of resources that will help pupils with their emotional regulation. Each pupil could be given one of these. Go through the cards and decide which emojis to put in and which calming cards to put in. Each pupil could have their own bespoke toolkit. Included in the coping skills toolkit 24 Emoji face cards 33 Coping, calming and mindfulness cards Worry tree card Circle of control card Affirmations card Anger feeling words and physical sensations card Sadness feeling words and physical sensations card Anxiety feeling words and physical sensations card Scared feeling words and physical sensations words Self care for wellbeing card All these resources are in one handy file so you can print what you need.

A free self esteem poster for teens and young people.

Self-esteem is about how we value and perceive ourselves. There are 24 sheets in the teen self-esteem pack covering the following areas: Top strengths – What are the pupil’s top strengths? A strength you wish for – What do they aspire to? What strength would they like? Using strengths – How do they use their strengths? Strength spotter – Do they recognise strengths in others? Affirmations – read Affirmations – write 3 good things today – What three good things have happened today? This is a daily practice that will boost wellbeing and self-esteem Steps to success – read Steps to success – write Self love Make yourself proud – What makes them feel proud? Helping hand – How do they help others? Fill your cup Gratefulness – What are they grateful for? Jar of positivity Mood tracker – Track their mood daily Selfie challenge Social media feelings A to Z of things that make me happy A to Z of words to describe me Wishes and dreams Build relationships – What does a perfect friend look like? What qualities do they have? Being assertive – read Being assertive – write

This is a Feeling worried story pack for helping children who might need a little help understanding worries. Included in the Feeling worried story pack: Front cover with space for a name and a three page story with images 32 coping strategy cards The idea of this resource is to use the story and resources to help pupils understand how to deal with worries.

This is a Feeling angry story pack for helping children who might need a little help with managing their anger. Included in the Feeling angry story pack: Front cover with space for a name and an 8 page story 24 Coping cards The idea of this resource is to use the story and resources to help pupils understand how to deal with anger. The story covers: Triggers Anger volcano Body signs Vocabulary around anger Labelling the feeling Scaling the feeling Changing thoughts Looking at something from a different perspective Breathing techniques Consequences of anger It would be best to do a little at a time of the booklet so you can discuss it in detail and talk about the child’s experiences.

This is a Christmas wishes stocking booklet. Pupils can either choose a mindful colouring version or they can choose a coloured version. The aim of the activity is mindfulness and thinking about Christmas wishes. Once the stocking is coloured, cut out and folded, pupils can write or draw their wishes inside the stocking. This would make a fab display,

This is an odd socks anti bullying poster I made for anti bullying week. It prints on A3 so is a decent size. If you want it bigger use your Adobe print settings and choose poster. You can then alter the tile scale to make it bigger. It reminds us all that socks come in all colours and patterns and they are all different and unique.

This is an odd socks design activity for anti bullying. A lovely ELSA activity. Can your pupil design their own unique pair of odd socks?

This is a Christmas compliments cup activity. Pupils can send a cup to someone special to give them a compliment. You could also use the cup without the poem for pupils to write their own little poem or message. Just delete the text if want to do that. You could also use it to put on the front of a Christmas card. They could also collect compliments using a plain heart. You could make a different message. This would work well for a group circle time activity. All the text is editable in PowerPoint. Great for our Welsh ELSAs to translate if they want to. To edit just click on the text and type. This font has been embedded in the file. Once you have edited the resource, save it and then save it again as a PDF file. You can now print your cups. There are 7 different Christmas mindful backgrounds and 1 cup that is blank so pupils could decorate themselves. This one could mean that you could use this at any time of the year, not just Christmas. Pupils will enjoy the mindfulness of colouring their cups. You will receive a PDF file if you just want to use it as it is and a PowerPoint file if you want to change the text. The poem is my poem and copyright to me so please do not alter or change this in anyway. You can obviously write your own poem or message if you want to edit it. Benefits of this activity: Mindfulness and being absorbed in the present moment Thinking of others Giving to others Thinking of nice things to say to others