EASE at Home (Grades K-3)Strategies to help young children cope with anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Spot the Thought

Sometimes it’s hard for adults to know what to say or do to ease a child’s worries,especially during times of change and uncertainty. As the most important big people intheir world, parents and caregivers can help children feel safer and soften the sharpedges of whatever is happening to make their worries grow.

What is it?Our thoughts can impact how we feel and act. Parents and caregivers can help childrenunderstand what a thought is and how some thoughts may be helpful while othersunhelpful.

How?Children can learn to become aware of their thoughts through regular practice.

Look at pictures of people in differentsituations or expressing different emotions.Use photos of people in different situations,

or a wordless picture book or magazine.

T h e E AS E a t H o m e a c t i v i t i e s i n c l u d e a s a m p l i n g o f r e s o u r ce l i n k s f r o m o t h e r s o u r ce s . T h e v i e w s e x p r e s s e d w i t h i n t h e s e l i n k s a r e t h e s o l e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f t h o s e s o u r ce s .

EASE (Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Educators) is acollection of classroom lessons that have been adapted

for parents and caregivers to help children manageanxiety and worries at home.

Read picture books or share stories and ask your child about the character ’s thoughts.When children relate to characters and events in books, they can feel less alone.Examples include:

Write down some helpful and unhelpfulthoughts that are meaningful to your

child on pieces of paper.

Label a paper bag as ‘helpful’ andanother bag as ‘unhelpful’. Take turns

with your child selecting a thought anddeciding which bag it belongs in.

A Thought isa Thought

by Nikki Hedstrom by Susan Whelan

I Think, I Am!by Louise Hay

& Kristina Tracy

Helpful Unhelpful

???

Ask your child to look for clues about whatthe people might be thinking.

Don't Think AboutPurple Elephants