Helping Children Challenge Negative Thinking
Help a child challenge negative thinking by teaching them to identify negative thoughts, challenge them, reframe them, and replace them.
ReadAbout This Resource
Help your students to recognize negative thoughts with this practical, hands-on CBT sorting activity. This resource helps students recognize and differentiate between three categories of thoughts: "too negative," "too positive," and "just right" thinking.
Before students can challenge and change unhelpful thoughts, they must first spot them. The thought sorting activity provides engaging practice for identifying these thinking patterns.
With this activity, you can:
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Build awareness before moving into thought-challenging strategies
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Teach balanced, realistic thinking
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Engage students through hands-on learning
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Customize scenarios to match your students' real challenges
✔️ WHAT'S INCLUDED
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Facilitator directions for individual and group counseling sessions
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36 sorting cards (12 too negative, 12 too positive, 12 just right thinking
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3 bag labels for organizing sorted thoughts
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Black and white versions of all cards for flexible printing
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Editable PowerPoint file to add custom thoughts
⚙️ HOW IT WORKS
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Setup: Print and cut the sorting cards. Set up three bags or table areas labeled "Too Negative," "Too Positive," and "Just Right."
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Model: Give students an example scenario and demonstrate how different thoughts about the same situation fit into different categories.
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Practice: Students draw cards, read them aloud, sort them into the category they think fits best, and explain their reasoning.
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Discuss: The group discusses whether they agree with the placement. Different perspectives are valuable - the conversation is more important than "right" answers.
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Repeat: Use the activity across multiple sessions with different scenarios to build recognition skills over time.
🩷 WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
Show extremes in thinking: Unlike activities that only focus on negative thoughts, this includes "too positive" thoughts to help students understand that realistic, balanced thinking is the goal - not forced optimism.
Hands-on engagement: Students physically sort cards and discuss their thinking, making abstract cognitive patterns concrete and memorable.
Customizable content: Blank cards and an editable PowerPoint file let you create scenarios that match your students' actual challenges and experiences.
📑 DETAILS
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Grades: 3-5
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Pages: 16
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Format: PDF + editable PowerPoint for Blank Cards
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Prep Time: 10 minutes (print and cut)
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Session Length: 15-20 minutes (repeatable)
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Group Size: Individual or small groups (2-4 students)
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Materials Needed: Optional bags or buckets for sorting (or just use table space)
Copyright © Social Emotional Workshop. Permission to copy for a single user only. All Rights Reserved. Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.
