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 students create genuine positive self-talk that they believe and will use when challenges show up.
You want a structured way to help students generate realistic, balanced, and genuinely helpful thoughts. This Bright Thoughts activity gives students guidance to develop authentic, positive self-talk across common challenging situations. With prompts and sentence starters, students build their own collection of helpful thoughts they'll believe and use.
This resource helps you:
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Move students from generic affirmations to personalized self-talk that resonates with them.
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Help students prepare helpful thoughts in advance rather than trying to think of them in stressful moments.
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Teach students what makes a thought "helpful" vs. unrealistically positive.
What's Included
Mini-book
6 situations- specific pages with prompts, examples, and sentence starters
- When I'm worried about the future, When I make a mistake, When I'm comparing myself to others When something doesn't go as planned, When I'm trying something new, When I'm being hard on myself.
- Blank page for students to add their own situations.
Worksheet: 1-page condensed version with all 6 situations
One-page Facilitator Guide
10 pages | PDF Format | Color & BW versions included
How It Works
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Introduce the activity - Explain what makes a "bright thought" (realistic, personal, helpful, believable) using the facilitator guide
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Students choose their format - Minibook for an ongoing reference tool or worksheet for quicker completion
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Review and create - For each situation, students review examples provided, try sentence starters if needed, and write their own helpful thought
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Build over time or complete at once - Students can complete all pages in one session or add situations as they come up in real life
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Keep as a reference - Students use their completed minibook or worksheet when negative thoughts show up
Time: 30 minutes (or add to over time)
Prep: 10 minutes
Works for: Individual, small groups (3-6), or whole class
What You'll Love
Situation-specific prompts — Six different challenging scenarios (mistakes, comparisons, worry, disappointment, trying new things, self-criticism) address real situations students face, making the practice relevant and immediately useful.
Scaffolded creation process — Examples and sentence starters provide structure while students create their own personalized thoughts, balancing guidance with autonomy.
Flexible format options — Minibook format for students who want an ongoing reference tool, worksheet version for simpler or quicker completion—you choose what fits your students' needs.
Realistic examples included — Shows what balanced, helpful thoughts sound like to help students avoid toxic positivity while creating genuinely supportive self-talk.
Expandable design — Blank page lets students add their own situations and continue building their collection beyond the six provided scenarios.
Perfect If ...
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You're teaching students to recognize and challenge negative thoughts and need the next step
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You want students to develop positive self-talk that's personalized and believable, not generic affirmations
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You need flexible options that work for different students and settings (individual, group, or class)
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You're looking for a concrete tool students can keep and reference independently
Details
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Grade Levels: 4-6 (adaptable for grade 3 or 7 with support)
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Ideal For: Individual counseling, small groups (3-6 students), or whole class
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Session Length: 30 minutes (or complete over multiple sessions)
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
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Materials Needed: Optional: scissors to cut out minibook, colored pencils
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Format: PDF (10 pages)
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Printing: Works in color OR black & white
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Approach: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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.
