To say that student anxiety and worry have increased in schools, is an understatement, right? Let’s look at some creative ways to tackle this issue and teach kids that stress and worry are natural and there are many ways to address our worries that will help us deal with life’s ups and downs in a more healthy way.
Worry Stones
Worry stones can be a great tool to help relieve stress and anxiety. Here are the steps to make a worry stone from Fimo. Another great brand of baked clay is Sculpey. You cannot use just any modeling clay…. trust me from experience… use one of these brands.
Materials needed:
- Fimo or Sculpey clay in your preferred color(s)
- Foil or Parchment Paper
- Oven
- Poem
Instructions:
- Take a small piece of clay and roll it into a worm. Do this with 3 to 4 colors. It can be a very small amount for each color.
- Roll your worms of different colors together to create one big worm of clay.
- Roll the worm into a spiral or a ball. Once you have the desired shape, put a thumb print in it.
- Place the worry stone onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and bake it in the oven for the time specified on the clay packaging.
- Once the worry stone is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Your Worry Stone is now ready to use! Simply hold it in your hand and rub your thumb over the surface when you feel anxious or stressed. I give the kids this poem to keep with their worry stone(s).
- Also it’s a bonus to send a note home to parents explaining this project to foster the home-to-school connection. I typically send home the worry stone with this poem in a paper bag that they can decorate.
Shredding Your Worries and Negative Thoughts
This hand shredder from Amazon is a must have. In the picture above we wrote down all the worries and negative thoughts that this little guy was having. He had so much fun shredding. ( And look at his worries… everything from losing his X box to graduating. He wanted to take the shredder back to class).
Children’s Books About Worry and Anxiety
Also helpful in dealing with anxiety is using children’s books. Here are a couple of blog posts with great suggestions for books to read with kids:
- A Mighty Girl Blog
- Whole Child Counseling List of Bookshttps://amzn.to/3UfP3ej
- This one is my favorite workbooks to use with kids What To Do When You Worry Too Much
There are so many great tools to help kids with their anxieties. What are your favorites? ~Lisa
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