Help elementary students understand the connection between their thoughts and feelings with this hands-on Connecting Thoughts and Feelings CBT Activity! This engaging cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) resource uses Feeling Flowers and Thought Pots to introduce the idea that the way we think about a situation can influence how we feel.

Students match feeling flowers with corresponding thought pots, sort helpful and unhelpful thoughts into seed packets, and practice changing unhelpful thoughts into more helpful alternatives. The flower and gardening theme provides a visual, concrete way to explore an important CBT concept while encouraging students to reflect on their own thinking patterns.

With multiple ways to use the printable activities and a digital Google Slides version, this flexible resource is perfect for individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom SEL lessons, and introductory CBT activities. Students can practice identifying thoughts and feelings through matching, sorting, writing, and discussion.

📦 What's Included:

🌸 Feeling Flowers & Thought Pots Matching Activity

• Printable feeling flowers and thought pots for exploring the connection between thoughts and emotions.
• Students match each feeling flower with a corresponding thought pot.
• Visual opportunities to discuss how different thoughts can influence emotional responses.
• Flexible matching activities for introducing foundational CBT concepts.

🌱 Helpful vs. Unhelpful Thoughts Sorting Activity

• Two seed packet visuals for sorting helpful and unhelpful thoughts.
• Students identify thoughts and sort the thought pots into the corresponding categories.
• Opportunities to discuss how thoughts can influence feelings.
• Practice recognizing different thinking patterns without judging students for the thoughts they experience.

💭 Changing Unhelpful Thoughts Activity

• Students identify unhelpful thoughts and practice changing them into more helpful alternatives.
• Encourages flexible thinking and consideration of different perspectives.
• Helps students explore thoughts that are realistic, supportive, and useful.
• Provides opportunities to practice CBT thought reframing.

🪴 Larger Thought Pots for Writing Activities

• Larger printable thought pots for students to write their own thoughts.
• Students choose a feeling flower and write a thought that might connect with that emotion.
• Written thoughts can be sorted into helpful and unhelpful categories using the seed packet visuals.
• Flexible options for individual reflection, guided practice, and discussion.

🪏 Feeling Word Shovels Matching Activity

• Printable shovel visuals featuring feeling words.
• Students match feeling flower illustrations with the corresponding feeling word shovels.
• Supports emotional vocabulary and feelings identification.
• Provides an additional way to differentiate the activity.

💻 Digital Google Slides Activity

• Digital version of the Feeling Flowers and Thought Pots CBT activities.
• Visual, interactive opportunities to explore the relationship between thoughts and feelings.
• Useful for screen sharing, smartboards, and virtual counseling sessions.

🖨️ Digital & Printable Formats

• Printable PDF activities featuring flowers, thought pots, seed packets, and feeling word shovels.
• Digital Google Slides version for screen-based learning.
• Multiple matching, sorting, writing, and discussion options.
• Flexible ways to adapt the activity to students' learning needs.

🎒 Quick Details: Feeling Flowers & Thought Pots | Helpful vs. Unhelpful Thoughts Sorting | 2 Seed Packet Sorting Visuals | Thought Reframing Activities | Larger Writing Pots | Feeling Word Shovels | Google Slides + Printable PDF

🛍️ Bundle & Save:

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🧠 CBT Activities Bundle: Workbooks, Games, Directed Drawing & More

• 20-page Thoughts, Feelings & Choices social story and coloring workbook.
• Catch It, Check It, Change It football game featuring 104 CBT thought cards.
• Feeling Flowers & Thought Pots matching and sorting activities.
• 10 CBT directed drawing activities with 90 discussion prompts.
• Additional CBT worksheets, sorting mats, and feelings cards.
• Digital Google Slides activities and printable resources.

🎯 Skills Addressed:

✔️ Thoughts & Feelings Connection: Explore how thoughts can influence emotional responses.

✔️ Self-Awareness: Practice noticing and identifying personal thoughts and feelings.

✔️ Feelings Identification: Recognize and name different emotions using visual supports.

✔️ Helpful vs. Unhelpful Thinking: Explore how different thoughts may affect emotions and choices.

✔️ Cognitive Reframing: Practice developing alternative thoughts that are realistic and supportive.

✔️ Flexible Thinking: Consider different ways to interpret a situation.

✔️ Emotional Vocabulary: Strengthen language for describing feelings and experiences.

✔️ Self-Management: Build awareness of thinking patterns as a foundation for coping and regulation skills.

💡 Ways to Use It:

• Individual Counseling: Introduce the connection between thoughts and feelings using visual matching and sorting activities.
• Small Group Counseling: Encourage students to discuss different thoughts and emotional responses.
• Introductory CBT Lessons: Use Feeling Flowers and Thought Pots to make foundational CBT concepts concrete and accessible.
• Classroom SEL Lessons: Explore how different interpretations of a situation may influence feelings.
• Helpful Thinking Practice: Sort thoughts into helpful and unhelpful categories and practice creating alternative thoughts.
• Feelings Identification Activities: Match flower illustrations with feeling word shovels to build emotional vocabulary.
• Counseling Centers: Use the printable materials for supported matching, sorting, and writing activities.
• Virtual Counseling: Share the Google Slides version to practice CBT concepts digitally.

👩‍🏫 Who It's For:

This thoughts and feelings CBT activity is designed for elementary students and can be used by:

• School counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists
• Child therapists and mental health counselors
• Classroom teachers and special educators
• Speech-language pathologists and other related service providers
• Homeschooling families and caregivers

The visual matching activities, sorting options, and writing components allow students to explore CBT concepts in different ways. Students can participate through hands-on activities, verbal discussion, or written reflection depending on their individual needs.

🖨️ Format & Download:

✔️ Printable PDF activities

✔️ Digital Google Slides activity

✔️ Feeling Flowers and Thought Pots matching visuals

✔️ Helpful and unhelpful thought sorting seed packets

✔️ Larger thought pots for written reflection

✔️ Feeling word shovel matching visuals

✔️ Thought reframing and discussion activities

✔️ Suitable for individual counseling, small groups, classroom SEL lessons, and virtual sessions

📌 Important Notes:

• Google Slides access is needed to use the digital activities.
• This resource introduces foundational CBT concepts and can be used alongside other counseling and SEL activities.
• Helpful and unhelpful thoughts are explored in terms of how useful, realistic, and supportive they may be. Students do not need to label their feelings as good or bad.
• The printable activities offer several ways to practice the same concepts, including matching, sorting, writing, and discussion.
• 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.