Exploring Coping Skills with Kids 10 Week Lesson Plan

This is a 10 week lesson plan designed to help kids find and try different coping skills and create ways to make it easier for them to use those coping skills.

During these lessons, you will lead your group through the basics of labeling feelings, understanding what a coping skill is, then exploring strategies using the visual coping skills checklist. Then you’ll dive in and actually try some coping skills together. The lessons wrap up with creating an individual coping skills toolkit designed by the participants in the group, which includes their own preferred strategies.

These lessons are designed for small groups, perfect for school, after school programs, teen counseling programs, specialized camps, etc.

This lesson plan is based on the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook as well as resources available in the Coping Skills Hub. You can customize or expand these lessons by adding in strategies found in the Coping Skills Hub.

Weekly Lesson Topics

1.    Identifying Feelings - How Would You Feel Activity?
2.    What is a coping skill?
3.    Coping Skills Checklist
4.    Deep Breathing Strategy: flower & candle breathing
5.    Relaxation Strategy: Imagine Your Favorite Place
6.    Distraction Strategy: Play a game (sudoku, word search, crossword puzzles)
7.    Movement Strategies: Small Body Movements
8.    Sensory Strategies: Listen to Sounds
9.    Processing Strategy: Draw or write what’s bothering you
10.    Create Your Own Toolkit

Printables included in this Lesson Plan:

•    Pre and Post Test
•    Lesson 1 Printable - How would you feel activity? printables
•    Lesson 2 Printable - Healthy vs unhealthy coping skills
•    Lesson 3 Printable - Visual Coping Skills Checklist
•    Lesson 4 Printable - Flower and Candle Breath Drawing
•    Lesson 5 Printable - My Favorite Place
•    Lesson 6 Printables - Sudoku and Word Searches with Answer Keys
•    Lesson 7 Printable - Small Body Movement
•    Lesson 9 Printable - Draw or write what’s bothering you
•    Lesson 10 Printable - Create a Toolkit Handout and Blank Coping Cue Cards
•    Icebreaker / Warm-up and Check Out Prompt Ideas