Children’s Mental Health Week is in full swing. This year’s theme is Express Yourself. This theme is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity.
Emotional Intelligence is a critically important skill to develop in our kids. At Anderson Hills Pediatrics, we want to support you in developing these skills in your children for their overall wellness. We want to help our kids understand a range of emotions, what emotions feel like in their body, the purpose of those emotions, and healthy ways to manage them. Kids with a solid Emotional IQ have better relationships with others, feel more confident navigating interpersonal conflicts, and are more confident in themselves.
Below are a few resources that Caitlin, LPPC-S, our behavioral health counselor, recommends as options to help you and your family spend time on emotional health and understanding. We hope these will help you and your family!
Games and Activities:
- Printable Emotions Sorting Game inspired by Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out Printable Emotions Sorting Game
- The Squiggle Game, to encourage creative expression The Squiggle Game
- Emotional Robot Flashcards Emotional Flashcards
- Calm Down Yoga Yoga for Kids
- HALTED, for problem solving why we are feeling a certain way Problem Solving
- Feelings games by PBS Kids Feelings Games
- “Hedbanz” Style Emotional Guessing Game Exploring Emotional Games
Books:
- The Way I Feel, by Janan Cain
- Giraffes Can’t Dance, by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
- When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry, by Molly Ban
Visiting Feelings, by Lauren Rubenstein - Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Kenkes
- Crazy Hair Day, by Barney Saltzberg
- Love, Hugs, and Hope: When Scary Things Happen, by Christy Monson
- The Invisible String, By Patrice Karst and Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
- Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and their parents), by Eline Snel
- What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems with Anger, by Dawn Huebner
If you have concerns about your child’s emotional or behavioral health, please call us to schedule a mental health assessment with Caitlin Geiser, LPCC-S. Remember, your child’s physical and mental/emotional health are important to us!
