Fun Activities for Kindergarten: How to Manage Feelings of Worry

Feelings of worry are a normal part of the human experience, particularly for kindergartners who encounter numerous new experiences. For instance, starting school and meeting unfamiliar faces can easily trigger worry in these young students. The fear of not being accepted or fitting in can become overwhelming, potentially hindering them from showing their true capabilities.

Feelings of worry can quickly become excessive and disruptive if not addressed healthily. Therefore, it is crucial to equip kindergartners with self-management skills to handle their worries effectively. By teaching them positive actions, they can prevent worries from overpowering their thoughts, actions, and feelings.

In this evidence-based SEL lesson, kindergarten students learn how to overcome intrusive worries through fun and interactive SEL activities. But first, an insightful class discussion begins the lesson. Here, the teacher explains the role of friends and family in making one feel safe and happy. This is why it is important to confide in them when worries become too much to handle. To help the students better understand, the teacher reminds them of the story about Jareef Giraffe and how her friends have helped her manage her worries.

As a fun and reinforcing activity, the class creates Jareef Giraffe and Chippy Cheetah hand puppets. Through this creative activity, kindergarten students remember that their friends and families care about each other and help one another to overcome anxious feelings.

After that, a little puppet play ends the lesson. Here, students use the hand puppets they have made to enact Jareef Giraffe’s story. This is also a way for the students to place themselves in the shoes of Jareef, who has worries, and Chippy, who practices positive thinking to help Jareef manage these worries. Through this puppet play, kindergartners apply what they have learned about self-management to help them better manage their worried minds and hearts as they grow.

Just as carrying a backpack filled with heavy bricks can interfere with daily functioning, excessive worry has a similar effect, particularly on kindergartners. The added weight of worry on children’s emotions and thoughts can become an overwhelming burden that hinders their ability to act at their best.

With this effective SEL lesson, kindergarten students learn to recognize the impact of worry on their health and behavior. They also learn positive actions that can help them manage and lighten the load of worry. Equipped with this knowledge, they can grow into resilient individuals who competently face the challenges and uncertainties of everyday life.