Help students recognize their thoughts, explore helpful and unhelpful thinking patterns, and practice more balanced self-talk with this Catch It, Check It, Change It Football CBT Game! This football-themed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) activity makes the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions easier for elementary students to understand through engaging, play-based learning.

Designed for grades 1–5, this digital and printable school counseling game includes 104 thought cards, a football board game, Google Slides activities, and no-prep worksheets. Students practice noticing their thoughts, considering whether those thoughts are accurate or helpful, and exploring alternative ways of thinking. With included SMART IEP objectives and progress-monitoring tools, it's a flexible resource for individual counseling, small group counseling, and classroom SEL lessons.

📦 What's Included:

✔️ Digital Google Slides CBT Game for Interactive Play

✔️ Printable Football-Themed Board Game with Dice, Pawns, and Directions

✔️ 104 Printable CBT Thought Cards for Practicing Helpful and Unhelpful Thinking

✔️ 4 No-Prep CBT Worksheets to Reinforce Learning

✔️ Catch It, Check It, Change It Football Strategy Poster

✔️ Blank Football Thought Cards for Students to Create Their Own Examples

✔️ Sorting Mats for Exploring Different Thinking Patterns

✔️ Feelings Cards for Matching Thoughts to Emotions

✔️ Playing a Game Poster with Visual Supports

✔️ SMART IEP Objectives Related to CBT and Thought Reframing

✔️ Data Collection Sheet for Progress Monitoring

✔️ Color and Black-and-White Versions of the Printable Resources

🎒 Quick Details: Grades 1–5 | 👥 Individual, small group + classroom | 🖨️ PDF + Google Slides | 🎯 CBT, helpful thinking + emotional regulation

🛍️ Bundle & Save:

Want a discount on this? Check out:

CBT Activities and Games Bundle.

• 20-page Thoughts, Feelings & Choices social story and coloring workbook
• Catch It, Check It, Change It football game with 104 CBT thought cards
• Feelings Flowers & Thought Pots activities for exploring helpful and unhelpful thoughts
• 10 CBT directed drawing activities with 90 discussion prompts
• Printable worksheets, sorting mats, feelings cards, and counseling games
• Digital Google Slides activities, editable prompts, and printable resources

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🎯 Skills Addressed:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills, identifying automatic thoughts, helpful and unhelpful thinking patterns, balanced self-talk, cognitive reframing, emotional awareness, self-awareness, self-management, coping skills, emotional regulation, and recognizing connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions.

💡 Ways to Use It:

• Introduce the Catch It, Check It, Change It strategy during individual or small group counseling
• Help students identify thoughts that come up during challenging situations
• Practice distinguishing between helpful and unhelpful thinking patterns
• Encourage students to consider evidence and explore more balanced ways of thinking
• Use the 104 thought cards for discussions, sorting activities, and repeated practice
• Play the printable football board game to reinforce CBT skills through hands-on learning
• Use the Google Slides version for digital counseling sessions or classroom SEL instruction
• Explore connections between thoughts and feelings using the matching cards
• Invite students to create their own examples with the blank football thought cards
• Reinforce concepts with the four no-prep CBT worksheets
• Use the included SMART IEP counseling objectives and data collection sheet to support individualized intervention planning and progress monitoring

👩‍🏫 Who It's For:

Designed for school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, mental health counselors, special education teachers, classroom teachers, occupational therapists, and other professionals supporting elementary students' social-emotional development.

Especially useful for grades 1–5 when teaching CBT concepts, helpful thinking, emotional awareness, coping strategies, and emotional regulation.

🖨️ Format & Download:

This resource includes printable PDF materials and an interactive Google Slides activity.

Use the printable football board game, thought cards, posters, sorting mats, and worksheets for hands-on counseling activities, or use the Google Slides version for screen-based instruction.

Printable resources include color and black-and-white options.

📌 Important Notes:

• CBT is about helping students notice and explore their thoughts, not requiring them to think positively all the time. Encourage children to recognize when a thought may be inaccurate or unhelpful while also validating their feelings and real-life experiences.
• The goal is to develop flexible, balanced thinking and supportive coping strategies, rather than dismissing difficult emotions or legitimate concerns.
• 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.