Combine creativity with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) using these engaging guided and directed drawing activities for kids! This art therapy-inspired counseling resource helps students explore the connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions while practicing emotional awareness, flexible thinking, and coping skills.

Featuring a plesiosaurus, goldfish, and sailboat, these three CBT directed drawing activities encourage students to reflect on their thinking as they create pictures step by step. With 27 discussion prompts, this low-prep resource makes a creative addition to individual counseling, small groups, and classroom social-emotional learning lessons.

📦 What's Included:

🌊 3 CBT Directed Drawing Activities

• Step-by-step drawing instructions for a plesiosaurus, goldfish, and sailboat
• Students answer CBT and SEL discussion questions as they work through each drawing
• Nine discussion prompts per drawing, for 27 prompts total

🧠 27 CBT & SEL Discussion Prompts

• Exploring connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions
• Identifying helpful and unhelpful thoughts
• Practicing flexible thinking and growth mindset
• Discussing coping skills and self-awareness
• Reflecting on responses to challenging situations

✏️ Editable Google Slides Edition

• Editable version for adding your own questions or prompts
• Customize the drawings for different counseling goals, classroom topics, or individual student needs
• Reuse the activities with different discussion questions

💡 SEL Pre-Teaching Slides

• Growth mindset
• Grit and perseverance
• Patience
• Coping skills
• Accepting mistakes as part of learning

🖨️ Bonus Printable Directed Drawing Worksheets

• Additional printable worksheets to accompany the directed drawing activities
• Opportunities for hands-on drawing, creativity, and independent practice
• Flexible options for individual counseling, small groups, and classroom lessons

💻 Digital & Printable Formats

• Interactive Google Slides activities for screen sharing or classroom projection
• Printable PDF versions for hands-on learning
• Flexible options for in-person and virtual counseling sessions

🎒 Quick Details: Elementary students | 👥 Individual, small group + classroom | 🖨️ Digital + Print, PDF + Google Slides | 🎯 CBT, art therapy-inspired activities + emotional awareness

🛍️ Bundle & Save:

Want a discount on these winter directed drawing activities? Check out:

🌈 SEL Directed Drawing Growing Bundle

• Includes a growing collection of 60 directed drawings with over 400 prompts>
• Features activities for feelings, empathy, communication, problem-solving, coping skills, and other SEL concepts
• Includes editable versions and bonus printable resources
• Offers engaging art-based activities for counseling sessions and classroom SEL lessons throughout the school year

💜 CBT Guided & Directed Drawing Bundle

• Answer CBT prompts to unlock the steps to complete 10 directed drawings of a Brontosaurus, cat, and teddy bear, s a Plesiosaurus, goldfish, and sailboat, a robot, dog, and dinosaur hatching from an egg, and a doll
• Includes 90 CBT discussion prompts (9 prompts per drawing), giving you even more creative ways to reinforce cognitive behavioral therapy and social-emotional learning skills
• Help students explore thinking patterns, emotional awareness, coping skills, and the connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions
• Editable Edition to customize the prompts or create your own questions
• Includes SEL Pre-Teaching Slides and bonus printable directed drawing worksheets

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🎯 Skills Addressed:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emotional identification, self-awareness, understanding the connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions, helpful and unhelpful thinking, balanced self-talk, flexible thinking, emotional regulation, coping strategies, perseverance, patience, and growth mindset.

💡 Ways to Use It:

• Introduce CBT concepts through creative, art therapy-inspired activities
• Help students recognize connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions
• Practice identifying thoughts and exploring more balanced alternatives
• Use directed drawing as a conversation starter during individual counseling
• Facilitate small group discussions about coping skills and flexible thinking
• Incorporate therapeutic drawing activities into classroom SEL lessons
• Customize editable questions to support specific counseling goals
• Use Google Slides for digital counseling sessions or interactive classroom instruction
• Print the drawing worksheets for hands-on activities and independent reflection
• Encourage participation without requiring artistic perfection or personal disclosure

👩‍🏫 Who It's For:

School counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, mental health counselors, special education teachers, occupational therapists, and classroom teachers.

Especially useful for professionals seeking low-prep CBT art activities that combine creative expression, counseling discussions, and social-emotional learning.

🖨️ Format & Download:

Includes digital Google Slides activities and printable PDF resources.

An editable edition allows you to customize questions, and bonus directed drawing worksheets provide additional practice opportunities.

📌 Important Notes:

• These are art therapy-inspired educational and counseling activities. Encourage students to explore their thoughts and feelings without pressuring them to think positively, disclose personal experiences, or produce perfect drawings
• This is a digital download. No physical product will be shipped. Due to the digital nature of this resource, all sales are final and refunds are not available