Coping Skills Teaching Resources
Help your students build coping skills and strategies this school year with printables, activities and more teaching resources created by teachers for teachers like you!
This social emotional learning resource collection is packed with teacher-created worksheets and other helpful tools designed to help kids learn what coping skills are and how to use them to manage their emotions.
Looking for some tips on teaching kids to how to cope with challenges? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including examples of skills to share with your students, plus a kid-friendly way to explain the meaning of these skills.
What Are Coping Skills? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Do you need a kid-friendly definition to help explain what these skills are to your students? Try this one from our teacher team:
Coping skills are the special tools we use to help us deal with tough situations and big feelings or help us manage our emotions when things don't go as planned.
Our coping skills help us feel better and stronger, and they can make us feel more in control of our emotions and feelings.
Teaching kids to face their worries and concerns head-on is part of developing good coping skills.
Examples of Coping Skills for Kids to Share in the Classroom
This collection is packed with examples of coping skills built from the study of stress and how individuals adapt to challenging circumstances, but our teacher team didn't stop there.
We have put together a handy list of skills to focus on in the classroom to provide your students with a full toolkit of strategies they can use when they're feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious.
The coping skills that work best for each student are just as personal as the students themselves, and their ability to make use of each skill successfully can likewise be individual. One student may find that taking deep breaths is a great way to calm down when they're feeling overwhelmed, for example, while another student may fare better talking about their problems with a trusted adult.
This is why we suggest teaching your primary school students various coping skills and strategies so kids can pick and choose the ones that work best for them.
Here are some examples of coping skills for kids that we suggest sharing with your class!
- Deep Breathing — Learning to take deep breaths when you're feeling emotional is simple, but these exercises have plenty of research behind them that speaks to their efficacy in helping kids calm down and manage stress.
- Positive Self-Talk — Teach your students some positive affirmations they can use to reframe negative thoughts and develop a more optimistic outlook.
- Problem-Solving — Work on breaking down problems into smaller parts and brainstorming possible solutions helps them feel more in control and empowered.
- Asking for Help — Let your students know that asking for help from trusted adults, such as teachers or parents, when facing difficulties or feeling overwhelmed isn't just OK. It's a great coping mechanism to use!
- Mindfulness — Meditation, body scans and other mindfulness activities can help your students develop awareness of their thoughts, emotions and sensations so they can cope better when they're stressed.
- Exercise — Kids and adults can both release pent-up energy and reduce stress with something as simple as getting active, whether it's going for a run, taking a walk or practising yoga.
- Art — Teaching your students to explore their emotions through art, such as drawing or journaling, allows them to process and communicate their feelings. Simple doodling, for example, is a perfect outlet for many students that doesn't require much more than a pencil and a piece of paper!
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Managing Anxiety Worksheet (Lower Primary)
Help students identify and manage anxious feelings with this self-reflection worksheet.
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What Is Anxiety? Poster
Teach your students to understand and manage anxious feelings with this informative classroom display poster.
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Angry Outbursts – Comprehension Worksheet
Explore emotional awareness and healthy calming strategies with this comic-style comprehension passage and accompanying questions.
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The Pillars of Perseverance – Bulletin Board Display
Teach students the definition of perseverance with this beautifully designed classroom display based on a rock climbing theme.
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Managing Stress (Coping Strategies) Interactive Activity
Assign this interactive learning activity to your students to assess their knowledge of coping strategies for managing stress.
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Managing Stress Coping Strategies Puzzle Match
Set your students up for success against stress with this calming puzzle activity where they will explore actionable strategies to manage stress!
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Everyday Stress Coping Strategies Interactive Game
Develop your students’ ability to effectively cope with everyday stress using this interactive learning game.
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Body Scan Meditation Script for Kids
Share this body scan guided meditation script with your students to help them to regulate their emotions by breathing mindfully.
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Managing Stress Game Show Interactive
Set up a gameshow in your classroom to reinforce your students’ ability to recognise and cope effectively with stress!
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My Personal Coping Skills Plan – Template
Ensure your students have a personalised coping plan for those challenging moments with this comic-themed printable template.
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Chill Out! Calm Down Corner Poster
Welcome students into your class calm down corner with this cool classroom poster.
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5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise – Worksheet
De-escalate difficult situations with a printable grounding exercise.
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Positive and Negative Coping Skills – Sorting Activity
Explore the difference between positive and negative coping skills with these real-life scenario sorting cards.
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Worry Jar – Cut and Assemble Kit
Create a worry jar for your students to help them recognise and cope with their worries.
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Breathing Colours - Guided Meditation Script
Print a guided meditation script for teachers to lead your students through a breathing colours meditation exercise.
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What Is Perseverance? Teaching Slides
Teach your students perseverance strategies with this comprehensive slideshow perfect for your social-emotional learning lessons.
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Teacher Bullet Journal Templates - Wellness Tracker
Build your own wellness journal using a printable bullet journal template for teachers!
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Escape from Stress Board Game
Introduce this board game in your classroom to help students practise identifying which stress management coping strategies to use and when.
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Coping Strategies to Manage Stress Flipbook
Get crafty with your students creating this colourful flip book containing their own preferences of strategies for managing stress.
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Reboot Remote
Help students work through tough situations with this remote control template.
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Coping Strategies Bingo
Identify and remember different coping strategies that can be used at home or in the classroom when feeling overwhelmed with an emotion.
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Positive and Negative Coping Skills Worksheet
Identify positive and negative coping skills with this real-life scenarios worksheet.
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Calming Down Strategies Classroom Poster
Make calming down strategies easily accessible for your students with this classroom display poster.
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Flower and Candle Breathing Video
Teach your students flower and candle breathing as a brain break, stress management strategy or mindfulness activity.
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Guided Meditation for Students Video – 10-Minute Body Scan
Add guided meditation for students to your social emotional learning toolkit with a handy video that guides kids through a 10-minute body scan.
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Flower Breathing Video for Kids
Teach students to cope with stress with a flower breathing video created to use with kids in the classroom.
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Mindful Breathing Video for Kids
Use this calming, square-breathing exercise video to introduce your students to mindfulness in the classroom.
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The Worry Waterfall Video
Help your students recognise and manage feelings of stress and unease using The Worry Waterfall.
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How to Create a Calm Down Corner in the Classroom to Promote Self Regulation
What's a calm down corner and how do you set one up in the classroom? Explore ideas from teachers like you, plus ways to help students destress.