Blog about social emotional learning, school counseling, relaxation coping skills for kids, social skills, and more!

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10 Distance Learning and Telehealth Self-Care Tips for Educators and Counselors

Educators and counselors, prioritize self-care when doing telehealth! Discover 10 essential self-care tips to support your well-being.

Self-Care

Resources for Talking to Children About Racism

This post provides trusted resources for talking to children about racism. You will find age appropriate conversation guides reading lists, lesson plans, videos and activity ideas. The tools come from experts and nonprofits to help families, educators and counselors guide discussions with support and confidence. These resources help make hard conversations approachable and meaningful for young people.

Diversity

Blog promo image with computers displaying colorful activities for kids. Text reads "Fun, Games & Telehealth" and "wholechildcounseling.com".

Fun, Games & Telehealth Activities for Kids and Teens

This post shares fun games and activities to boost engagement in telehealth counseling sessions with kids. You’ll find creative ways to use drawing based games, step by step instructions, virtual sand tray, Hopscotch Play, puzzles, spinners, whiteboard prompts, and more. These tools help build communication, coping skills, frustration tolerance, self esteem and connection even when therapy is remote.

Telehealth

Hand writing "Carter's Coping Skills Plan" with favorite skills and supporters listed. Text reads "Creating a Coping Skills Plan."

Creating a Coping Skills Plan: with a Free Printable for Kids!

This post walks you through creating a coping skills plan for children. You learn how to select trusted adults coping tools safe spaces and triggers. The plan shows how to practice skills ahead of big feelings so young people are ready when stress hits. It includes tips on reviewing and updating the plan with families educators and counselors to support emotional resilience.

Coping Skills

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How to Use Bibliotherapy and Emotional Scales in Counseling Sessions to Help Kids with Worries

This post shows how to use the book When My Worries Get Too Big as a bibliotherapy tool in sessions with anxious children. You’ll learn how the five point worry scale works and how calming techniques help kids recognize and rate their feelings. The guide explains pairing reading with emotion scales and interactive activities to support self regulation in counseling or classroom settings.

Anxiety

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Helping Children & Teens Cope with Grief & Loss

This post offers resources and strategies to help children and teens cope with grief and loss. You will find tips for talking about death using metaphors and age appropriate explanations. The guide includes art prompts, memory box ideas, bibliotherapy book suggestions, emotion naming, and support group info like The Dougy Center. These tools support healing by normalizing feelings and encouraging expression.

Grief

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Feeling Overwhelmed with all the Resources & Juggling work and kids at home?

Overwhelmed by resources? Discover expert guidance on navigating the abundance of tools and support available in this blog post.

Parenting

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Helping Kids Cope in Uncertain Times

This post explores how to help kids cope in uncertain times. You’ll find advice on validating feelings, giving honest information, and creating routines. Learn strategies like open conversations, teaching emotion naming, modeling calm behavior, and reinforcing support. These approaches empower families, educators, and counselors to help children feel safe and resilient when life feels unstable.

Coping Skills

Yellow note reads "How to Teach 6 Foot Social Distancing to Your Children." Below, a tape measure displays 6 feet on wood surface.

Teaching 6 Foot Social Distancing to Kids

This post shares practical ways to teach kids about six foot social distancing. You will find fun activities, visual reminders, games and real life examples to help children grasp personal space. The guide includes tips for role playing routines and positive reinforcement. These ideas support safety and understanding while keeping learning light and kid friendly.

Parenting

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Cleaning Printable and Teaching Life Skills to Kids

This post offers a free printable life skills guide to involve kids in home cleaning routines. You get a visual of nightly cleaning tasks and pages designed for families to track chores. It includes age‑based chore ideas, step‑by‑step teaching tips, and reminders for using the printables. This resource supports teaching responsibility and daily life skills to kids in a fun way.

Parenting

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Visual Schedule for Use at Home

This post shows how to create a visual schedule for use at home. You’ll find printable routines that include learning time breaks, meals, and movement. The guide explains how to customize visual schedules, involve kids in planning, and adjust as needed. This free visual schedule helps children feel grounded, organized, and ready to follow daily routines even when school is out.

Parenting

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How to Plan Your Kid's Schedules During School Closures

This post guides parents and caregivers in planning kid schedules during school closures. You’ll find tips for creating daily routines that balance learning breaks meals physical activity and downtime. The post includes sample schedule ideas, tips for flexibility and ways to involve kids in planning to boost ownership and reduce stress. These practical strategies support family structure and well being in uncertain times.

Parenting

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120 Creative Boredom Busters: Screen-Free Activities for Kids

This post offers ideas for screen free boredom busters for kids of all ages. You will discover simple crafts outdoor games sensory play prompts and creative challenges that promote focus curiosity and movement. Each activity is easy to set up with everyday materials. These ideas help families and educators replace screen time with fun meaningful moments and boost connection and creativity.

Parenting

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Coronavirus Resources for Kids, Parents and Educators

This post offers free coronavirus resources for kids parents educators and counselors. You will find kid friendly explanations activity ideas and tips for managing stress and fear. It includes guidance on maintaining routines handling big emotions and talking about the virus in age appropriate ways. These tools are designed to support families and professionals helping young people cope and feel safe during uncertain times.

Parenting

Text on teal background: "How to teach the FBTS strategy to manage big emotions. Feeling, Breath, Thought, Skill." Blog link included.

Teach Kids this 4 Step Strategy to Manage Big Emotions: Feeling Breath Thought Skill (F-B-T-S)

Boost your child's coping skills with the F-B-T-S. strategy. This post introduces the F B T S (Feeling Breath Thought Skill) tool to help children regulate big feelings. It explains each step and shows how to teach it through a fun chant. You will find guidance for practicing the technique in moments of stress and ideas for integrating it into schools or homes. This simple framework supports emotional self regulation in kids.

Videos

Book titled "A Little Peace" beside a timer, set against green pipes. Text: "Creating a School’s Mindful Moment Relaxation Room."

Creating a Mindful Moment Relaxation Room in a School

A Mindful Moment Room gives kids a gentle, dedicated space to reset when feelings get big. In this post you’ll find ideas for soft lighting, comfy seating, nature sounds, sensory tools and visual routines. Learn how to set up the space, guide usage, gather donations and fundraise. You’ll also get a helpful supply list and tips for keeping the room calm and functional.

Classroom Social Emotional Learning

Guide titled "Free Printable Resources to Help Kids with Anxiety" shows a list of books and apps for anxiety relief. Links to a blog.

Free Printable for Resources on Child Anxiety - Helpful for Educators and Parents.

This post offers a free printable handout for parents to support children with anxiety. You get a concise guide on spotting symptoms using body behavior and thought cues plus evidence based coping strategies. The handout includes tips for calming routines, breathing exercises, and guidance on when to seek professional help. It empowers caregivers to use clear steps at home and school to help kids manage worry and build resilience.

Anxiety

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Books for Parents, Educators and Counselors about Anxiety in Children

This post shares expert recommended books for parents educators and counselors to support kids with anxiety. You will find CBT guides family focused workbooks and compassionate play based strategies. Learn which books help break worry cycles shift adult patterns and offer structured tools from anxiety science. These resources equip grownups to help children face fears with confidence and calm.

Anxiety

Books for anxious kids are featured, including Wemberly Worried and Jack's Worry. Vibrant covers with playful, worried characters.

Favorite Children's Books about Anxiety

Childhood anxiety can show up in many ways from trouble sleeping to fear of new situations. This post shares picture books that help kids name their worries feel less alone and learn calming strategies. You will find titles that model coping skills like deep breathing self talk relaxation and worry tracking. These are helpful for families educators and counselors who support anxious children.

Anxiety

Apps for Anxiety, Stress Relief and Relaxation for Kids and Adults

This post highlights apps for anxiety stress relief and relaxation targeting children teens and adults. You will find tools that use breathing exercises mindfulness CBT thought tracking journaling guided meditations and chat based support. Learn which apps are free which offer age specific content and how they fit into daily calming routines. These resources help grownups guide young people toward emotional balance and coping skills.

Anxiety