Play activity for parents or carers to help a child manage difficult feelings

Online resource:

This is a creative activity which can help a child to manage difficult feelings. It can be done individually or with people that a child feels safe with.

What you will need:

• Some paper

• Some pens/pencils and/or paint

The idea is to either do a joint picture or for a child to just do their own.

Draw/ paint/ create

Activity description for the child: ‘The picture is about drawing or painting something positive, something relaxing and something important to you.  For example, you might draw a picture of a beach, with the sun, sand and sea and imagine yourself being there as you draw it.  It helps to think about what it may feel like if you were there, for example in the beach picture you might imagine it is warm, you might imagine the smell of the sea or hear the waves on the beach.  It is important that it is a safe place to go and makes you feel good when you look at it.’

‘If you are doing a joint picture you might want to include everyone’s ideas and see how they might fit together.  You might imagine a place where you all feel comfortable and give each of you a piece of the picture to draw or paint.’

‘The aim is that when you are not feeling great, perhaps anxious or sad that you look at your picture to remind you of something positive and you could imagine being there as a way to manage your feelings. ‘

Wellness journal – ‘Wellbeing resources for all’

The wellness journal is something another one of our therapists has created for her own personal use – To check-in with energy levels and mood