health assignment for elementary students

Make Learning Enjoyable with these Health Lessons for Kids

Explore different ways to teach kids health in the classroom or at home, that will keep them engaged and enthusiastic. Our health lesson plans range in topics designed for preschool kids to elementary and middle school students. We’ve designed these health lessons for kids to be time-efficient yet impactful and memorable. Whether you’re a teacher, other type of educator, parent or guardian, our lessons for kids will make learning enjoyable for both you and your students.

In these lessons, kids will learn fun ways to practice mindfulness and balance, how to eat well, ways to be active, or keep clean and hygienic—and without it feeling like another chore. Choose one of our health lesson plans below for a quick and easy learning activity for your child or children.

• 3-14 Years Old
• 3-8 Years Old
• 9-14 Years Old
• Responsible Decision Making
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Exercise and Your Brain

All fats are not created equal, bad breath: what to do about it, backpack safety: that’s a thing, body composition, brain boost, breakfast power, breathe easy: asthma 101, create your own healthful snack, decreasing screen time, drive your bike keys to safe and healthy cycling, eye protection, fast food alert, food allergy awareness, gardening – growing goodness, get out and enjoy nature, get the facts: know your food label, gratefuls and grumbles: helping kids develop an attitude of gratitude, gratitude: overlooked blessings, grocery store virtual tour, guided imagery for younger children, guided imagery: create the state you want, hand-washing: a weapon against germs, healthy heart, how hungry am i, hungry for breakfast, it’s all in the breathing, it’s mealtime relax and enjoy, know what matters to you, learning mindfulness through movement, let’s talk maximizing the benefits of family mealtime, learning to calm fear, listen hear all about the ear, living a healthy life, love your lunch, marketing mania, mental remix, milk matters, more milk, please, smile bright tooth care, the power of meditation, wash hands for health, move it the importance of daily exercise for kids, myplate and yours too, noticing walk and reflection, oversweetened: the truth about sugary drinks, pedometer fitness fun, picky eating, portion distortion, power-up with snacks, quench your thirst the importance of water, safe and fun, in the sun, safe food is good food, self-esteem and body image activities for kids, skin: caring for the largest organ, smart snacking, splash why is it important to bathe, sports drinks and energy drinks, how to stay safe during physical activity, stress busters, stress no body needs it, stretch for your best, super sleep, the concussion conundrum, the dish on gluten, tobacco and e-cigarettes, vegetarian basics, water: making living things grow, what we can do to stress less, having a positive mindset, what’s my portion size.

This site is presented for information only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice. Health Powered Kids is a trademark of Allina Health System. Presentation and Design © 2015 Allina Health. All Rights Reserved.

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12 Grab & Go Projects for Health

• June 11, 2016

https://thehealthteacher.com/the-blue-zones-project/ * this post originally appeared on Choices.Scholastic.com

Many schools are shifting their curriculum to include project-based learning (PBL), but in the life of a teacher, project planning time is always tight.

As a head start, use any of these 12 ready-to-go projects and adapt them to your class as needed. Just click on the project title for a step-by-step outline.

1. The Blue Zones Project: Cultivating Healthier, Happier Student Lifestyles

Students research The Blue Zones, five areas of the world where people are most likely to live to be over 100. After learning about the healthy behaviors that lead to longevity, students set “Blue Zone” goals to implement within their homes and communities.

2. The Energy Bar Project: Part 1  &  Part 2

Students analyze food packaging health claims by making a trip to the grocery store, taste-testing energy bars, then creating and marketing their own healthy bars, complete with product boxes and a commercial. (This is a new project I tried this year, and my students absolutely loved it!)

3.  Exploring Dietary Guidelines Around the World (and at Home)

Let’s be real: The FDA’s new dietary guidelines are more confusing than ever. To learn to love real food, rather than fear food data, students will research dietary guidelines from around the world and create a set of guidelines for your school, using journalist  Michael Pollan’s Food Rules as an aid.

4.  A Nutrition PBL That Can Lead to Healthier School Lunch

After watching an inspirational documentary about a group of kids who bettered the lunch options in their school’s cafeteria, students work to make change in their own school with the help of an awesome advocacy kit from  DoSomething.org .

5. The Family Values Project

Family values play a key role in the decision-making process, and as teens gain more freedom, sticking to those values will help keep them safe from high-risk behaviors. In this project, students have a conversation with their parents to create a list of core values and a mission statement for their family.

6. The Alcohol Research Lab

Research on the impact of alcohol and the teenage brain is updated almost constantly. Rather than give the students the facts, let them find out for themselves as they dig up the latest details on the risks of underage drinking.

7. Teaching Kids About E-Cigarettes

Using resources provided as a launching point, students will create their own inquiry-based project to learn more about e-cigarettes.

8. An Advocacy Project to Help Kids Learn About the Benefits of Sleep

Today’s teens are horribly sleep deprived, and many of them don’t understand all of the ways that it’s negatively impacting their health. In this project, they’ll research the benefits of sleep and create an advocacy campaign to convince their classmates to get more shut-eye.

9. Stress Management for Teens

This unit plan ends on a positive note, with students making videos of their favorite healthy coping skills and stress busters. (This one is always a highlight for my sixth grade students.)

10. Positive Peer Pressure to Help Stop Bullying

Rather than take the anti-bullying angle, this project has students use a medium of their choice to encourage and support others via positive prevention methods.

11. Advocacy Through Art

In this cross-curricular project, health classes and art classes team up to create a public service announcement and a logo for an advocacy campaign of their conception.

12. Using Social Media to Teach Advocacy

So often we focus on the negative when talking to kids about social media, but in reality, they’re using social media to do amazing things to bring about positive social change. In this project, students find an advocacy group on social media that inspires them and present what they learned to the class.

Don’t have enough time to fit in a full project with your class? Team up with a colleague from another subject and check out these ideas for cross-curricular learning .

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Grade 3 to 5 Elementary Health Lesson Plans

- This is a good activity to do in the beginning of the year. Students have an opportunity to tell about themselves in a fun and different way. - In this lesson, students plan an obstacle course where people can practice bike safety rules. - All the bones in our body have unique characteristics. In this lesson, students will identify those characteristics while they are building a paper skeleton.

• First Aid Kit - The student will be able to identify the objects in a first aid kit.
• Food and Nutrition - Students will identify healthy, nutritious foods as opposed to foods with little benefit to their health and be able to create healthy choices.
• Healthy or Not Healthy - Students have to make choices every day about what they eat. Helping them think critically about foods is important to encouraging them to have a healthy lifestyle.
• Home Safety - How to stay safe from Electric Shock, Poisons, Common Household dangers.
• Maintaining a Healthy Smile - This lesson will focus on the Importance of daily brushing and flossing your teeth.
• The Five Food Groups - Student will demonstrate an understanding of the five food groups and which foods belong to each group.

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SMART Goals for Health and Wellness

Goal setting is a great way to help children build self-confidence and help them create healthy habits. Encourage children to dream big while practicing goal-setting through small, attainable stepping stones to reach a larger focus. Use the SMART goal template to simplify the goal-setting process for children and ask them to think of all of the different things they can achieve and ways they can grow as a healthy and kind human being!

Take Action

Brainstorm health and wellness goals with students – individually and goals that the class can achieve together. Next, break them down by using the SMART goal template!

• S- Specific. It is important to be specific with what you would like to achieve and how you think you can achieve it.
• M- Measurable. A measurable goal is a goal that has clear deadlines and expectations of what the final product will look like.
• A- Achievable. Your goal should be achievable, even if that means starting with a smaller goal that may help you to achieve your more ambitious goals later.
• R- Relevant. Make sure your goal is relevant to your larger aspirations.
• T- Timely. Setting smaller goals that are timely will allow you to plan out how you will achieve success on a timeline.

Here are a couple of examples of SMART goals around nutrition that can be achieved at school and at home.

• S- Specific -Who? You or you and your family. What? Trying new healthy foods. Where? At school or at home. Why? During national nutrition month, you want to explore new foods and eat healthier.
• M- Measurable- 1 per week (That means 4 new vegetables and/or fruit by March 31).
• A- Achievable- 1 new vegetable or fruit per week – this could be in the lunch line at school or as your grocery shopping with family for lunch or snacks.
• R- Relevant- March is National Nutrition Month and is a perfect time to try new healthy foods.
• T- Timely- The month of March will go by in a hurry allowing you a short manageable time frame to try something new!
• S-Specific. While children are enjoying their snack, talk to them about why there is a snack time (to give us fuel to learn and be active) and what constitutes a healthy snack (protein, vegetables, fruit, real food, etc.).
• M-Measurable. One nutrition lesson a month per month for 3 months.
• A-Attainable. Preparing a nutrition lesson for a 20-minute snack time can be done in 30 minutes. Visit Action for Healthy Kids Healthy Eating Toolkit for ideas at school and at home or speak with a health teacher at your school!
• R-Relevant. Nutrition education can be a great way to foster healthy habits and help children make the mind-body connection to food and how it makes us feel.
• T-Timely. Leveraging snack time is a great way to make use of time that is already carved out in the day while exploring something new.
• Have your students set weekly or monthly goals. Create a “goal board” to display everyone’s goals somewhere visible in the classroom. At the end of the week, hold a “reflecting on our goals” session where students reflect on how they worked towards achieving their goal throughout the week and why they may or may not have reached it and outline the steps needed to try again.
• Set goals as a class! Make sure you write them somewhere visible as a constant reminder of your class goal. Talk about how goal setting can help us be more productive and achieve our hopes and dreams.

Looking for more ideas to jumpstart your health and wellness goal setting?

• Try hosting a taste test to help children think outside of the box and try some of their favorite foods in new ways.
• Encourage children to think about goals specific to their own personal well-being. Maybe they want to rethink their drink and drink more water. Maybe they want to log a certain number of steps by the end of the school year. Help them to set these goals with support of family and friends and discuss the power in working together to achieve goals that align or support one another.
• Create a school garden. This is a great activity to demonstrate setting a series of smaller goals to reach a larger one.

Social Emotional Health Highlights

Activities such as these help students explore…

• Self-Awareness: Goal setting can be extremely effective in the development of self-awareness. Knowing one’s strengths and areas for growth is essential to learning and development. If children learn how to recognize these characteristics early on, they can set goals that will allow them to become better throughout time.
• Social Awareness: Sharing our goals with peers and family can be very effective in developing social awareness of others’ aspirations, feelings, and perspectives. Asking those around you to help you achieve your goals together creates relationships that go beyond the completion of a task or project and helps you to understand more about each other.
• Responsible Decision Making: Goals provide clear outcomes that require making responsible decisions to stay on track and achieve. The best way to learn is by doing! Regardless of whether a goal is reached, goal setting helps kids take personal responsibility for the actions needed to achieve their goal and reframe failure as an opportunity to grow and learn.

Start small! Break up lessons on goal setting in smaller chunks in the beginning by having children write down one goal and a set of action steps to start. Use the SMART goal template to refine and get into the nitty-gritty details of what, how, and when they will achieve their goal.

Emphasize that it is okay to not reach your goals the first time around – and how often this actually happens! Help them reframe and begin to look at it as a valuable opportunity to reflect on strengths and areas for growth. Help students identify what barriers or challenges presented themselves and work to reframe and overcome the next time around.

Think outside the box. Goal setting is a powerful tool that can be used at school and at home to empower children’s autonomy in decision making and promote self-awareness. Help them use this tool to set goals around specific classes or to develop a new skill, manage stress or anxiety before a big test or presentation, and step outside of their comfort zone to try new things.

Encourage goal setting in the classroom and at home. Share the activities you are doing in the classroom in parent newsletters or communications. Have students share their classroom goals with their families and explore creating mirroring goals for health at home. Hosting a family event? Kick it off with healthy goal setting or start a community campaign to set and achieve a certain number of goals and encourage one another to keep up the hard work!

For more activities and ideas like this one, be sure to  sign up for our news and updates . And if you like what you see, please  donate to support our work  creating more ways to help build a healthier future for kids.

Build a Better Breakfast

In March, schools across the country celebrate National School Breakfast Week. Take this time to review participation in your school's breakfast program and get students excited about eating breakfast.

Host a Taste Test

Expose your students to a variety of healthy food items so they'll eat better!

More Water, Please!

One of the easiest ways of ensuring kids, school staff and families drink more water is to make water more accessible and fun throughout the day.

Rethink Your Drink

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• / Health Education Blog
• / Fun and Engaging Health Activities for Elementary Students

Fun and Engaging Health Activities for Elementary Students

Introduction

Encouraging health and wellness in elementary students is crucial for their overall development. Engaging them in fun and interactive activities not only promotes physical fitness but also instills healthy habits from a young age. Here are some exciting health activities that can be incorporated into the daily routine of elementary students.

Dance Party

Organize a dance party where students can let loose and move to the rhythm of their favorite tunes. Dancing is a great way to get their hearts pumping while having a blast. Not only does it promote physical activity, but it also uplifts their mood and energy levels.

Healthy Snack Creations

Teach students how to prepare simple and nutritious snacks. This hands-on activity not only educates them about healthy eating but also encourages them to make better food choices. They can create their own fruit skewers, yogurt parfaits, or veggie wraps, learning the importance of balanced nutrition in a creative manner.

Nature Walks

Take the students on nature walks around the school premises or nearby parks. Encourage them to observe and appreciate the natural world around them. This activity not only promotes physical movement but also provides an opportunity to educate them about the environment and the importance of staying connected to nature.

Fitness Challenges

Organize fun fitness challenges such as relay races, obstacle courses, or hula hoop contests. These activities not only promote physical strength and endurance but also foster a sense of friendly competition among the students. It encourages teamwork and perseverance while keeping them active and engaged.

Initiate a small garden within the school premises where students can participate in planting and maintaining fruits, vegetables, or flowers. This activity not only teaches them about the importance of nurturing living things but also provides hands-on experience in outdoor physical work. It connects them to the earth and highlights the value of fresh, homegrown produce.

Incorporating these health activities into the daily routine of elementary students can have a lasting impact on their overall well-being. By making health and wellness fun and engaging, we can instill lifelong habits that promote physical, emotional, and mental fitness. These activities not only contribute to their physical development but also impart valuable lessons that they can carry into their adult lives.

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Hygiene Worksheet for Elementary Students

Are you looking for an easy way to teach your kids about good hygiene? This hygiene worksheet for elementary students is the perfect tool to help your kids understand and practice hygiene habits.

Teach more about health and hygiene to your kids at home with these health worksheets for kids .

This worksheet provides interactive hygiene activities that make learning fun! These activities also encourage kids to consider why good hygiene habits are important in keeping themselves healthy.

With adorable and colorful illustrations, engaging exercises, and helpful tips, this all-in-one hygiene worksheet will empower your young students with the life skills they need for lifelong healthy habits!

Just print out the sheets and get started with your kids right away!

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read my disclosure policy here.

See a list of my favorite Amazon Deals for your home and homeschool.

How Do You Teach Personal Hygiene to Kids?

Teaching personal hygiene to students is an important task that can be turned into a fun and memorable activity. It’s about breaking down the lesson into manageable, interactive, enjoyable, and educational activities that they’ll love.

You can start with the basics. Teach them about the importance of handwashing. This is one of the easiest and most essential steps in maintaining good hygiene among young kids.

You can introduce the concept of dental hygiene. A fun way to do this can be by using fun dental hygiene pretend play toys, you can find one of my recommended sets below!

Don’t forget about personal grooming too – simple things like combing their hair and keeping their fingernails short and clean.

Remember, the goal is to grow these healthy hygiene habits from a young age, so they become second nature. So, keep the lessons fun, interactive, and as hands-on as possible!

Recommended Hygiene Books for Kids

Uncover the secrets of staying healthy with my handpicked selection of engaging and informative health and hygiene books, tailor-made for kids in elementary to foster a lifetime of good habits.

Hygiene Worksheet Printables Supplies

• Printer ( I have this one )
• Pencil or Pen

I have the HP printer 8710 but it’s not available anymore. It’s still running well for years now. Look for another HP Instant Ink-ready printer so that you can use their program to send you ink cartridges whenever your printer gets low on ink.

Recommended Hygiene Activity Kits

Encourage your elementary students to adopt a daily hygiene routine that includes balanced eating, regular exercise, plenty of water intake, and good personal hygiene with the help of these fun hygiene activity kits for kids.

What’s Included in the Hygiene Worksheets for Elementary Students?

Good hygiene tips.

This part of the worksheet will show your kids useful tips for maintaining good hygiene, they can practice what they learn by cutting the tips from the word bank and pasting them beside the colorful images above.

What’s the Effect?

This exercise will not only teach our students what happens when we do unhygienic stuff but will also help them practice constructing sentences along the way.

Hygiene Crossword

Help your kids develop their problem-solving skills as well as think critically by finishing this fun hygiene crossword activity.

The Ultimate Hygiene Cheat Sheet

Let your child list down all the good hygiene practices and help them explain how and when these good hygiene practices are done in this fun part of the worksheet.

My Hygiene Routine

Discuss with your kids what good hygiene practices they are currently doing every morning, afternoon, and nighttime and how they can also improve on them at the end of this activity.

So make sure to grab your hygiene worksheets and enjoy a fun, informative journey to a cleaner, healthier life for kids!

Download Your Hygiene Worksheet for Elementary Students Below

Print out these hygiene worksheets to get your child to keep up with healthy habits for life.

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Themes & Lesson Planning

25 elementary physical education lesson plans.

Almost every elementary school curriculum includes physical education. Physical activity should be a regular part of children’s lives so they can  develop their activity skills, motion, balance and overall physical fitness. 

Physical activity  not only helps children develop critical physical skills, but it also encourages healthy habits and improves educational performance .

To ensure that students receive a comprehensive physical education experience, it is  important to have well-planned and engaging lesson plans . However, even experienced teachers find it challenging to design engaging and developmentally appropriate physical education lesson plans.

Fortunately, there are many resources available for teachers to create effective physical education lesson plans.  A little creativity and planning can help teachers design lesson plans  that incorporate a variety of skills and activities, and tailor them to their students’ skills and needs.

The goal of this article is to explore the fundamentals of physical education lesson planning for elementary students. Our goal is to provide an  overview of the different types of lessons that can be used to engage students and develop appropriate fitness goals and objectives.

Whether you are a new teacher looking for inspiration or an experienced teacher updating your curriculum, this article will provide you with information and ideas that will make creating engaging and effective physical education lesson plans easier.

You will gain insights into how to integrate different types of activities into your lessons, from warm-ups to cool-downs. In general, this article will  help you plan effective physical education lesson plans that will improve the physical skills of your students  and improve their overall health and well-being.

Why Physical Education Is Important for Elementary Students?

There are several reasons why elementary students need physical education lesson plans. The first and foremost purpose of physical education is to  promote physical health and fitness .

Children can  maintain a healthy weight, develop strong bones and muscles, and reduce their risk of chronic diseases  like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity by participating in regular physical activity.

Including physical education in the school day ensures that children get the exercise they require in order to stay healthy.

Besides promoting physical health , physical education lesson plans encourage children to develop motor skills and coordination . Practicing coordination and balance while running, jumping, throwing, and catching can help children develop a greater sense of body awareness and control. 

Physical activity is also linked with mental development and consistency  that’s why developing athletic skills at a young age can also help children perform better academically.

Social and emotional development is another skill that can be promoted through physical education lesson plans . Communication, cooperation, and teamwork are among the social skills that children can develop through group activities and team sports.

During these activities, children can gain new skills, achieve personal goals and build self-esteem and confidence.

It’s a common fact that fun and engaging physical education lesson plans can  keep students motivated and active throughout the school day. 

Let alone that teaching children how to remain engaged in physical activity can help them develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

List of Elementary P.E Activities for your Lesson Plan

1. warm-up stretches.

Warm-up stretches are an  essential feature of any physical education lesson plan . The benefits of stretching before physical activity include  preparing the body for movement, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and reducing the risk of injury . Warming up your students with stretches can also  keep them engaged and motivated.

Your warm-up routine can be enhanced by teaching students different stretches and  having them perform them in a circuit-style fashion . During a circuit-style warm-up, students rotate through different stretches or exercises, each performing the stretch or exercise for a set amount of time before moving on to the next.

Make sure your warm-up stretches target a variety of muscle groups and body parts . For example, you might do stretches for the hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, chest, shoulders, and neck. However, keep in mind that students should also be taught  stretches that are appropriate to their age and skill level.

To make warm-up stretches more engaging add music to your warm-up stretches or incorporate partner stretches . Stretching with a partner can improve trust and teamwork skills for students, as well as provide a deeper stretch than stretching alone.

Stretching is a great way to prepare your students’ bodies for physical activity while also keeping them active and enthusiastic. Lastly, by teaching students the importance of warming up and stretching before any physical activity, you can  help them develop healthy habits  that they can carry into their future.

2. Fitness Circuit 

Incorporating a fitness circuit into a physical education lesson plan is a  great way to include a variety of exercises and activities . The intention of a circuit is to  rotate through several stations, each focused on a different type of activity or exercise.

Here is an example of a fitness circuit for elementary students:

Station 1: Jumping Jacks

Students should perform 20 jumping jacks. By performing this exercise, students will improve cardiovascular endurance and strengthen their arms, legs, and core.

Station 2: Hula Hoops

Give students hula hoops and have them practice spinning them around their waists or performing tricks with them. This activity helps develop coordination and balance.

Station 3: Lunges

On each leg, have students perform 10 lunges. By performing this exercise, students will strengthen their legs and improve their balance.

Station 4: Jump Rope

Give students jump ropes and have them jump continuously for 30 seconds. This exercise boosts cardiovascular endurance and coordination.

Station 5: Push-ups

Have students perform 5 push-ups. This exercise is ideal for building up the upper body.

Station 6: Balance Beam

Set up a balance beam and have students practice walking across it or doing other balance exercises. This activity can improve balance and core strength.

Station 7: Sit-ups

Students should perform 10 sit-ups. This exercise helps strengthen the core.

Rotating through these stations will not only improve students’ coordination, balance, and cardiovascular endurance, but will also offer a full-body workou t.

By increasing the number of repetitions or the amount of time spent at each station, you can make the circuit more challenging. If you feel that your circuit lesson plan becomes a bit boring you can switch out stations or use different equipment.

Yoga poses can be a  fun and engaging way to promote physical activity and mindfulness  in elementary school students.  It has been proven that yoga is beneficial to both mental and physical health , including increasing  flexibility, strength, and balance, and reducing stress . Here is an example of a basic yoga sequence that can be used with elementary school students:

• Mountain Pose

Students should stand tall with their feet hip-width apart and their arms by their sides. Encourage them to take deep breaths and focus on grounding themselves in the present moment.

• Downward Facing Dog

In the downward-facing dog pose, students should come down on their hands and knees, then lift their hips up and back. Practising this pose is beneficial for stretching the hamstrings, calves, and spine.

Bring students into standing and have them rest one foot on the opposite thigh, pressing their foot into the thigh while bringing their hands to their heart centre. The purpose of this pose is to improve balance and concentration.

• Child’s Pose

Get students to come down to their knees and sit back on their heels, stretching out their arms. Practising this pose helps to release tension from the back and shoulders.

By introducing students to basic yoga poses and guiding them through a sequence, you can  help them foster physical skills, mindfulness, and overall well-being . Let alone  group yoga can also foster a sense of community  and connection among students.

4. Tag Games

The c lassic and popular tag game is a great way to get elementary school students active.  Chasing after and trying to tag their peers is an excellent way to  promote cardiovascular endurance and coordination . The following are some examples of classic tag games that can be played with elementary school students:

During freeze tag, one player is “it” and tries to tag other players. When tagged, a player must freeze in place until another player crawls between their legs to “unfreeze” them. The game continues until all players are frozen.

• Sharks and Minnows

In Sharks and Minnows, one or more players are designated as the “sharks” and sit in the centre of a selected area. The other players are the “minnows” and must try to run from one side of the area to the other without getting tagged by the sharks. In the event that a player is tagged, they become a shark and help on tagging other players.

In blob tag, one player starts as the “blob” and tries to tag other players. A tagged player must help tag other players by joining hands with the blob. As more players join, the blob grows bigger and bigger until every player has been tagged.

Elementary school students can  have fun while improving their cardiovascular endurance, coordination, and teamwork skills  when they play tag games. It is also possible to modify or change the rules of these games in order to make them suitable for different skill levels and group sizes.

Additionally,  playing tag games can promote physical activity and exercise while also developing social skills like communication and sportsmanship.

5. Ninja Warrior Course

The Ninja Warrior Course is a  challenging and exciting way to encourage physical activity and develop strength, agility, and problem-solving skills  in young students.

The Ninja Warrior course is based on the popular television show American Ninja Warrior and can be set up indoors or outdoors, depending on the skill level and size of the group.

Some popular obstacles in a Ninja Warrior Course for kids involve balance beams, rope swings, cargo nets, monkey bars, and wall climbs.  By setting up a Ninja Warrior course kids can build their confidence and skills gradually as they progress through the obstacles.

Elementary school students  benefit physically and mentally  from Ninja Warrior Courses. It is a great way to  promote fitness and healthy habits, while also encouraging kids to challenge themselves and develop important life skills .

6. Football Skills 

Football is one of the most favourite and adored sports of all time. Kids love to play and chase the ball; that’s why creating a P.E. lesson plan for football will excite students. 

Football skills r efer to the physical abilities and techniques required to play football effectively . These skills include  passing, dribbling, shooting, and ball control , among others. Developing football skills requires practice, coordination, and physical fitness. 

By improving their football skills,   students can increase their enjoyment of the game and improve their performance on the field . Additionally, learning football skills can encourage physical exercise and healthy routines, while also building trust and teamwork skills.

Football Skills Lesson Plan Example

Materials: Footballs, cones or markers, goals or target areas.

Warm-up (5-10 minutes):

• Jogging: Have students jog around the field or designated area to get their heart rate up and warm up their muscles.
• High Knees: Have students jog in place while bringing their knees up to their chest.
• Butt Kicks: Have students jog in place while bringing their heels up to their butt.
• Side Shuffles: Have students shuffle to the left and then to the right, facing the same direction.
• Stretching: Have students stretch their legs, arms, and back.

Main Activity (30-40 minutes):

• Passing Drills: Divide students into pairs and have them practice passing the ball back and forth to each other. Encourage them to use the inside of their foot to pass the ball accurately.
• Dribbling Drills: Set up a course using cones or markers and have students dribble the ball through the course, using both feet to improve their coordination and control.
• Shooting Drills: Set up goals or target areas and have students practice shooting the ball into them. Urge them to use proper techniques, such as planting their non-kicking foot next to the ball and following through with their kicking foot.

Cool Down (5-10 minutes):

• Walking: Have students walk around the field or designated area to bring their heart rates back down.
• Static Stretching: Have students stretch their legs, arms, and back to prevent muscle soreness and improve flexibility.

7. Noodle Hockey 

The game of noodle hockey is a  great way to expose children to hockey and help them build their physical fitness and agility.  The soft and less rigid nature of pool noodles makes the game safer and less likely to cause injury; that’s why they are excellent for an elementary physical education activity.

In addition, the use of foam balls as the puck allows for a lighter and easier-to-handle object, making it accessible for young children to participate.

Including noodle hockey in elementary physical education courses or after-school activities  can encourage communication and teamwork . The game  provides children of all skill levels with a fun and inclusive environment for them to enjoy and develop a love of physical activity.  

Noodle hockey is an excellent way to introduce children to the fundamentals of a popular sport while teaching them about staying active.

8. Balloon Tennis

Another enjoyable activity for physical education classes in elementary school is balloon tennis. Regardless of the season, physical education teachers can  easily set up the game, use minimal equipment, and play it indoors or outdoors.

During balloon tennis, children can  exercise and develop their motor skills, coordination, and reflexes while having fun . This low-risk activity uses a balloon instead of a ball, so children can  learn the basics of tennis without being injured or frustrated  by the traditional tennis ball and racket.

Furthermore, balloon tennis  can be   played in groups or pairs , allowing children to develop communication and teamwork skills. It is also possible to modify the game rules so that it is accessible to students of all skill levels.

In general, balloon tennis is a  safe and fun way to teach children the fundamentals of popular tennis sport.

9. Fitness Dice

Fitness dice is a  fun and interactive way to encourage physical activity  in elementary schools. These  large foam dice have different exercises and movements printed on each side , such as jumping jacks, lunges, and push-ups. S tudents roll the dice and then perform the exercise indicated on the side that faces up.

Fitness dice can be used in a variety of ways in elementary physical education classes.  Teachers can use them as part of a warm-up routine or as a way to break up the monotony of traditional exercises.  They can also be used in group activities or as a fun way to introduce new exercises and movements to students.

Using fitness dice in elementary schools encourages physical fitness and helps children formulate coordination, balance, and dexterity. Additionally, because the dice provide a variety of exercises, students can exercise different muscle groups and improve their overall fitness levels.

Fitness dice are also a great way to make physical activity more fun and engaging for children . They  can be used as part of a game or challenge, and students can compete with one another  to see who can complete the exercises the fastest or with the most accuracy.

Overall, fitness dice is a versatile and useful tool for boosting physical training and improving fitness levels in elementary schools. The foam dice exercise can provide a fun and interactive way for children to engage in physical activity and develop important motor skills and coordination.

10. Jump Rope

Jump rope is a  traditional and widely used physical exercise  that can be integrated into elementary school physical education plans. Students can benefit physically and mentally by learning basic jump rope skills and practising in groups or individually.

The jump rope activity c an improve students’ coordination, balance, and cardiovascular fitness.  By playing this game – activity students can also gain a  better sense of rhythm, timing, and spatial awareness . A fun and engaging activity like jumping rope can also  help students relieve stress and improve their mood.

To teach elementary students jump rope skills,  you should start with basic jumps such as the two-foot jump and then progress to more advanced jumps like the cross-over and double-under . To make the activity more exciting and varied, teachers can include jump rope games, such as Double Dutch.

It’s a  versatile activity for all weather conditions , as you can game both indoors and outdoors. Additionally, the jump rope  can be easily modified to suit different skill levels and abilities , making it accessible to everyone.

Including dance in an elementary school fitness education plan is an amazing way to inspire students to engage in physical activity while also delivering a fun and innovative source for self-expression.  Introducing a simple dance routine and having students perform it together can offer a range of physical and mental benefits.

Dance delivers a full-body exercise that can improve cardiovascular fitness, strength, balance, and coordination . It can also improve flexibility, posture, and body awareness. Moreover, dance is an imaginative and expressive training that  can assist students to build confidence, self-esteem, and social skills.

When teaching a dance routine to elementary students,  it is important to choose music and choreography that are appropriate for their age.  Teachers can also include different styles of dance, such as hip-hop, jazz, or ballet, to r eveal students’ different workout/dance techniques.

Dance can be performed both indoors and outdoors, making it an adaptable activity that can be adjusted to all spaces.  It can also be altered to suit different group sizes, making it an inclusive activity for all students.

In summary, mixing dance into an elementary school physical education plan is an  excellent way to encourage physical wellness, creativity, self-expression, and social skills .

By teaching a simple dance routine and encouraging students to perform it together, teachers can help students improve their physical and mental well-being while also having fun.

12. Heads or Tails

Heads or Tails is an exciting and easy physical exercise that can be used by elementary school physical education teachers to get students engaged and active during class time.  All that is needed to play this game is a coin and a list of physical activities for students to perfor m.

To play Heads or Tails, pairs of students are given a coin and take turns flipping it.  If the coin lands on heads, the first student in the pair chooses an activity from the list and the pair performs it together . If the coin lands on tails, the second student in the pair chooses an activity.

The list of physical activities can be tailored to the age and skill level of the students and can include a variety of exercises such as jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, or lunges . By allowing students to choose their own activities, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to participate.

Heads or Tails is a great way to get students warmed up and ready for other fitness lessons . It is also a perfect activity for days when there is limited time for lesson prep. Additionally, this game helps to improve coordination, balance, and other physical skills.

Heads or Tails is a simple and practical physical activity that can be used by elementary school physical education teachers to engage students and get them moving. 

13. Cone Race

The cone race is a fun, engaging activity that is great for children in first grade and younger. By playing this game,  students will improve their hand-eye coordination, motor skills, and colour recognition .

The activity involves  placing cut-up pool noodles over tall plastic pipes  or broom handles inserted into cones to hold them steady.

To play Cone Race, students are divided into teams and given a set of pool noodles that have been cut up into small pieces.  The goal of the game is to match the coloured noodles with the corresponding cones . The team that matches all its noodles to the cones first wins.

For this fitness lesson,  students must focus on their hand movements and the placement of the noodles  as they place the cut-up pool noodles over the tall plastic pipes or broom handles.

A cone race is a great way to get young students moving and engaged in physical education. Regardless of class size or skill level, it is simple to set up and adaptable. Overall,  the Cone Race is a great way to promote physical activity and help young children develop their motion and mental – thinking skills.

14. Parachute Fun

Parachute games are a fun and exciting way for elementary students to learn about  teamwork, coordination, and motor skills . Here is a lesson plan for a parachute game that can be used in an elementary PE class:

Objectives:

• Students will learn to work together as a team.
• Students will develop gross motor skills.
• Students will have fun and stay active.
• Large parachute
• Balls or beanbags
• Warm-up: Have students stand in a circle around the parachute. Begin by keeping everyone hold onto the parachute with one hand and doing some light stretches with the other hand. Then, have them switch hands and repeat the stretches.
• Introduce the game: Present to the students that they will be playing a game with the parachute. Have them practice lifting and lowering the parachute as a group.

Game 1 : Ball toss. Place some balls or beanbags in the middle of the parachute. Have the students lift and lower the parachute to toss the balls into the air and then catch them on the parachute.

Game 2 : Parachute popcorn. Have the students lift and lower the parachute quickly to make the balls or beanbags “pop” up like popcorn.

Game 3 : Switch sides. Divide the students into two groups and have them stand on opposite sides of the parachute. On the count of three, have each group lift the parachute and walk towards the other group until they have switched sides.

• Cool down: Have the students gather around the parachute and take turns saying one thing they liked about the game.

Variations:

• Change the number of balls or beanbags used in the games.
• Change the movements of the parachute (e.g., waving, shaking, twisting).
• Add in more complex games like “shark attack” where students must run under the parachute without getting tagged by students holding it.

Parachute games are a great way to  get students excited about PE  while teaching them valuable skills like teamwork and coordination. By incorporating fun and interactive games like these into PE classes, students are more likely to  develop a lifelong love of physical activity.

15. Olympic-Style Events 

Olympic-style events can be a great way to engage elementary students in physical education and  teach them about the importance of sportsmanship, cooperation, and determination .

These events can be created to be age-appropriate and can be  adjusted to suit the skill levels  and capabilities of each individual student.

Some examples of Olympic-style events that can be integrated into elementary  physical education   lesson plans include relay races, obstacle courses, long jump competitions, and mini-triathlons .

Students can be teamed into groups and allowed to contest against one another, with medals or ribbons awarded to the winners.

In addition to the physical benefits Olympic-style events, can also provide an opportunity for  students to learn about different countries and cultures .

The Olympics is a global event that brings together athletes from all over the world, and elementary students  can learn about different countries and their traditions through classroom discussion s and research projects.

Overall, Olympic-style events can be a joyful and fascinating way to  encourage   physical activity and teach important values  to elementary students. By incorporating these events into physical education lesson plans, teachers can help students formulate a lifelong love of sports and physical fitness.

16. Basketball Skills 

Basketball is a famous sport that can make students excited about physical education. Here are some basketball skills that can be integrated into an elementary physical education lesson plan:

• Dribbling : Familiarize students with the basics of dribbling, including proper hand placement and dribbling techniques. Have them practice dribbling in a specified area or through an obstacle course.
• Shooting : Introduce students to fundamental shooting techniques, such as the BEEF (balance, elbow, eyes, follow-through) approach. Have them practice shooting baskets from various spots on the court.
• Passing : Train students how to properly pass a basketball, including chest passes, bounce passes, and overhead passes. Have them practice passing to a partner or through an obstacle course.
• Defence : Teach students primary defensive techniques, such as guarding an opponent and blocking shots. Have them rehearse these techniques in one-on-one or small group drills.
• Gameplay : Separate learners into teams and have them play an altered game of basketball. Make sure to highlight the significance of good sportsmanship and teamwork.

By incorporating these basketball skills into a physical education lesson plan, elementary students can grow their coordination, teamwork, and sportsmanship skills, all while having fun and staying active.

17. Volleyball Skills 

Volleyball is a famous team sport played worldwide, and it is also a great way to enhance physical wellness and develop teamwork skills. In elementary physical education classes, students can be introduced to the basics of volleyball and learn skills such as serving, bumping, setting, and spiking. 

By incorporating volleyball skills into lesson plans, teachers can help students develop their hand-eye coordination, motor skills, and communication skills.  Volleyball can be played with varying levels of intensity, making it adaptable for different age groups and skill levels.

• Students will be able to execute basic volleyball skills such as passing, setting, and serving.
• Students will be able to work collaboratively with their peers to accomplish a common goal.
• Students will learn the importance of communication and teamwork in a sports setting.
• Volleyballs
• Cones to mark boundaries
• Students will participate in a brief warm-up that includes jogging, jumping jacks, and stretches.

Skill Instruction

• The teacher will instruct students on how to perform basic volleyball skills such as passing, setting, and serving.
• Students will practice each skill individually, then work in pairs to practice passing and setting to each other.
• Students will divide into teams and play an altered version of volleyball that concentrates on practising the skills they learned.
• Teams will work to pass, set, and serve the ball over the net to score points.
• The teacher will observe and provide feedback to students to help them improve their skills.
• Students will participate in a brief cool-down that includes stretching and reflection on what they learned during the lesson.

Assessment:

• The teacher will assess students’ progress in performing basic volleyball skills during the gameplay portion of the lesson.
• The teacher will also assess students’ ability to work collaboratively with their peers and communicate effectively during the gameplay portion of the lesson.
• For advanced students, the teacher can introduce more complicated volleyball skills such as spiking and blocking.
• Students can make their own individual versions of the game to practice various skills.
• The teacher can include a discussion about sportsmanship and fairness in sports.

18. Hula Hoop

The Hula hoop is  an adaptable object that can be utilised for a broad range of physical activities in elementary schools . It can help children develop their  teamwork, balance, and motion skills , while also promoting cardiovascular health and endurance. In physical education classes, hula hoop games can be incorporated in many ways, including:

• Hula Hoop Relay

Divide students into teams and have them race to pass a Hula Hoop down the line as fast as possible. Each line of students stands in a line and holds a Hula Hoop. Upon receiving the signal, the first player passes the Hula Hoop to the next in line without letting go. The game continues until the last player in each line reaches the end and crosses the finish line.

• Hula Hoop Tag

This fun game twists the classic game of tag. To play the game Hula Hoops must be worn around students’ waists as they run around a designated area. The student who is “it” tries to tag the other students with their Hula Hoop. Students must also hold their own Hula Hoop once they are tagged and attempt to tag others.

• Hula Hoop Toss

An excellent game for developing hand-eye coordination. Each student tosses a Hula Hoop to a partner in a circle. A Hula Hoop must be kept moving around the circle without being dropped. If you want to make the game more challenging, try adding a second or third Hula Hoop.

• Hula Hoop Obstacle Course

 Use Hula Hoops to create an obstacle course. In order to complete the game, the students finish the course without touching the Hula Hoops. This game is a great way to develop balance and agility.

Students can engage in physical activity and promote their overall health and well-being through hula hoop games and activities. In general,  children can learn healthy habits that will last a lifetime by engaging in fun and exciting physical activities  and moving their bodies.

19. Rock Climbing 

Rock climbing c an be an exciting and innovative activity to add a physical activity lesson for elementary students . It’s an activity that not only boosts  physical strength and endurance but also helps students to build their problem-solving skills. 

One perfect way to introduce rock climbing to students is by adding to your course equipment a bouldering wall in the gymnasium or in an outdoor space.  Start by teaching students the basic techniques of climbing and bouldering , like footwork and handholds, and progress to more difficult courses as they earn experience and confidence.

As a teacher , you can also use a portable climbing wall that can be easily set in any space . Those walls are made to be perfectly safe and user-friendly for children and can be adapted to all skill levels and ages. 

However,  keep in mind that this sport is a bit more dangerous and demanding that’s why proper supervision and equipment   should always be in place . By using a climbing wall you will help students to develop both physical and mental skills.

20. Scooter Board Activities

Scooter boards are  small boards with wheels that can be used for a variety of physical activities . Scooter board activities can be an  innovative lesson  to add to your physical education lesson plan as elementary students can be  taught valuable skills like balance, coordination and teamwork skills . There are many scooter board activities that can suit all skill levels and ages.

Some  famous scooter board activities are relay races, obstacle courses, and target games . For relay races, students can contest in teams and check who can finish the course in the fastest time, while also sitting or lying on the small scooter boards.

Obstacle courses can be set up using cones, hurdles, and other tools to challenge students’ balance and motion skills. Target games can include actions like rolling a ball or beanbag onto a target while seating on a scooter board.

Scooter board activities can be  adjusted for all ages and skill levels . They are a versatile option for physical education teachers who are tired of using the same traditional games. 

They can be utilises as an exciting break from classic sports and games , while still providing useful physical activity and skill development opportunities.

21. Sack Races

Sack races are a  classic physical activity that elementary school students can participate in and have fun while exercising . This activity involves students standing inside a large sack or pillowcase and jumping toward a finish line .

A student wins the race if he or she crosses the finish line first . Everything is a matter of speed, balance and coordination skills

A sack race is not only a fun and entertaining activity, but it  can also provide a number of physical perks . The purpose of sack games is to develop  fine control skills, coordination, balance, and leg strength.  The distance and size of the sacks can also be  adjusted for students of different ages and skill levels.

For a more challenging activity, you can  use obstacles such as cones or hoops and let students race through them . Relay races can also be incorporated, where students pass the sack to each other before sprinting to the finish line. Generally, sack races can be a great way to get elementary students active and involved in physical education.

22. Kickball

Kickball is a  traditional physical education activity that is used in elementary schools for years.  Kickball is a simple twist of the classic baseball game.

The game involves kicking a large rubber ball instead of the traditional baseball one. T he game is played outdoors with four bases and a pitcher, and the purpose is to score runs by running around the bases after kicking the ball.

Kickball is an amazing activity that helps students  grow their fitness levels and physical skills, like strength and agility.  It is a game that also promotes more  personal skills like teamwork and sportsmanship , as students must play together to win the game while following the rules.

If you want to make the game more difficult there are plenty of variations that can be added. Apply some different rules for the base running or use different types of balls. Kickball games can be played in indoor and outdoor spaces making it an excellent choice for all elementary schools.

23. Wall Ball

Wall Ball is an easy and  exciting activity for elementary school students that can be played both indoors and outdoors . It is an amazing way to enhance  hand-eye coordination, throwing and catching skills, and overall fitness.

The game  involves throwing a ball against a wall and catching it before it hits the ground or bounces off  in an unexpected direction. Students can play this game individually or in teams, and the rules can be changed based on their age and skill level.

Wall Ball can be played with different types of balls such as tennis balls, rubber balls, or foam balls.  It is an easy and accessible game that requires minimal equipment and can be adapted to fit the available space and resources.  

Wall Ball also provides a chance for children to engage in friendly competition and practice sportsmanship. With the proper equipment and supervision, Wall Ball can be a safe and enjoyable activity for elementary students of all skill levels.

24. Topple Tube

Topple Tube encourages teamwork and strategic thinking through fun and engaging gameplay.  Students must be divided into teams in order to play the game.  Each team must flip its coloured cups to be on top of its opponents’ coloured cups in order to win the game.  The cups are placed on top of tall poles or tubes, making it challenging for players to reach them.

In this game,  two teams are formed, and each team is given a set of cups of a specific colour.  Afterwards, the players scatter around the playing area, flipping cups to the colours of their teams. Depending on the equipment available, you can use either plastic cups or wooden blocks with different colours on each end.

In order to flip the cups effectively, the players must strategize and communicate with each other.  To succeed in the game, they must also be quick on their feet and have good hand-eye coordination.  By the end of the game, the team with the most cups flipped to the colour of their team wins.

The Topple Tube is an excellent physical education activity for elementary school students. As well as promoting physical activity and hand-eye coordination,  Topple Tube promotes teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking skills.

25. Portable Balance Games

Portable balance games are  a great way to challenge elementary school students’ balance and coordination skills.  To play the games you  only need some buckets  in order to create the course and  place them upside-down .

The upside-down buckets can be modified to fit students of all skill levels since they can walk along them at their own pace.  If you want to make the activity more challenging, arrange the buckets in a zig-zag or curvy pattern . In order to navigate the bucket course, students will need to use their balance and gross motor skills in different ways.

Another  great feature of portable balance games is that they can be positioned indoors or outdoors . As a result, it is an excellent option on days when the weather may prevent outdoor activities or for classrooms with limited space.

In addition, the buckets are a  low-cost and convenient option for physical education lessons  on a budget since they can be easily stacked and stored.

In conclusion, physical education is a critical element of a well-rounded education.  It encourages physical exercise, teamwork, sportsmanship, and overall health and wellness . With the increasing prevalence of technology and passive lifestyles, it is more important than ever to foster children to engage in physical activity.

The 25 elementary physical education lesson plans listed above are just a few examples of the many activities and games that can be used to boost physical activity and learning.  As an instructor though you can form your own lesson plans  based on the requirements and interests of your students.

By making physical education fun and engaging, we can help children create a lifelong love of physical activity and healthy living . Let’s continue to prioritize physical education in our schools and communities, and encourage children to lead healthy, active lives.

Jessica Elrajan

Jessica Elrajan has been in the field of education for the past decade. She has taught all grade levels from Kindergarten through 5th grade (and some twice!). Jessica also wrote an ELA Curriculum for Elementary school students that has been implemented district-wide for six international schools in Asia and the Middle East. More about Jessica

28 Mental Health Games, Activities & Worksheets (& PDF)

Despite this, increasing mental health awareness is crucial as it can have many positive outcomes.

For example, one study examining a British anti-stigma campaign found that people who were more familiar with the campaign were more likely to feel comfortable disclosing mental health issues to family, friends, or an employer, and were also more likely to seek professional help (Henderson et al., 2017).

Fortunately, there are all sorts of ways to learn about mental health issues, whether one is an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between.

This article will cover tools that can supplement mental health interventions, worksheets and activities that help people learn about mental health, books dealing with mental health for adults and children, Facebook groups for mental health issues, and finally World Mental Health Day activities and events.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values and self-compassion and will give you the tools to enhance the mental health of your clients, students or employees.

This Article Contains:

5 tools for mental health interventions.

• 5 Mental Health Worksheets & Awareness Activities (PDF)

5 Most Popular Books About Mental Health

• 5 Most Popular Children’s Books About Mental Health

Facebook Groups for Mental Health

World mental health day ideas for schools and workplaces, a take-home message.

Here are some tools that will help a psychotherapy treatment plan go more smoothly for both the client and the clinician:

1. Thought Record Worksheet

This PDF is a way to record one’s thoughts and reflect on them. It asks the user to log their emotions and thoughts as well as what was going on to make them feel that way, then has the user reflect on whether or not there is evidence to back up their automatic thoughts. This could be a valuable supplement to a psychotherapist-led CBT treatment, but could also help people teach themselves about CBT .

In fact, one study has shown that thought records are an effective way to modify beliefs, even when used by themselves and not in conjunction with a CBT treatment plan (McManus et al., 2012). Find the Thought Record Worksheet here.

2. The Feeling Wheel

The Feeling Wheel is a simple printout with 72 feelings sorted into 6 groups: angry, sad, scared, joyful, peaceful, and powerful. Represented as a colorful pie, it can be an excellent tool for psychotherapy clients who have difficulty articulating or expressing their feelings.

While this can make it easier for clients to describe their relationships and experiences outside of therapy, it can also help them give immediate feedback on how they feel during a session.

This technique is commonly used to help clients identify emotions, expand their emotional vocabulary, and develop their emotional regulation (Kircanski et al., 2012).

3. Daily Mood Tracker

This Daily Mood Tracker was developed for people dealing with anger management issues but can be helpful for anyone who wants to track their mood.

It splits the day up into several two-hour blocks and asks the user to track their emotions, as well as allowing for notes to explain these moods.

This can also be helpful for clients who have trouble expressing themselves but can provide valuable self-reflection opportunities for anybody. Interestingly, some research has even shown that depressed clients can improve their mood by tracking it (Harmon et al., 1980).

4. Self-Care Checkup

This worksheet is a self-report Self-Care Checkup that therapists can give their clients after each appointment, to fill in between the sessions. The client is meant to consider the activities they are engaging in to keep up good mental health and wellbeing.

While many could be considered routine, such as exercising or getting sufficient sleep, they can often be neglected when they matter most – during times of stress.

This way, the Self-Care Checkup invites clients to become more aware of the frequency with which they practice self-care, categorizing these activities into five groups:

• Professional; and
• Spiritual self-care.

By filling it out regularly, clients can compare their self-care practices from week to week, spotting areas for development and brainstorming more activities that might help them maintain their mental health.

5. Preventing Mental Health Relapse

This is a worksheet that can help clients learn more about possible mental health relapse. It can be used near the end of a therapy treatment plan to help the client recognize a relapse when it is coming, but can also teach strategies to avoid relapse.

This would likely be most helpful for mental health issues that flare up at specific times (as opposed to more chronic mental health issues), and can also be helpful during treatment changes.

For example, patients with anxiety disorders receiving both psychotherapy and antidepressants are at risk of relapse when they discontinue their antidepressant treatment (Batelaan et al., 2017).

Download and use this Preventing Mental Health Relapse activity here.

5 Mental Health Games & Awareness Activities (PDF)

One way to get around this is to have them complete worksheets or participate in activities related to mental health awareness, so they can learn in a more hands-on way.

These worksheets and activities are excellent for cultivating mental health awareness:

1. Mindfulness Exercises For Children

This article includes a huge collection of easy mindfulness exercises that children can do to learn more about mindfulness. It includes activities for teachers, parents, caregivers, and teenagers, along with a host of meditation scripts, books, quotes, and more.

Check out the following, too, for some great ways to get children thinking about mindfulness, while subtly introducing them to mental health issues more broadly: 18 Mindfulness Games, Worksheets and Activities for Kids .

2. Mental Illness: Myths and Reality

Mental Illness – Myths and Reality is a helpful lesson plan for teachers who want to educate students about mental illness stigma.

This activity requires less than 30 minutes and very little preparation – it’s also great for any class size and can be a useful talking point to start insightful discussions around mental health.

It includes 8 myths and 8 facts about mental illness for students to sort out in pairs, to distinguish between common misconceptions and objective facts about diagnosis and life with a mental health condition.

3. Exercise and Mental Health

Exercise and Mental Health  introduces younger children to the importance of exercise and physical activity, illustrating how they go hand-in-hand before giving suggestions for students who want to get more active on a daily basis.

This informational resource is a great handout as part of a lesson about mental health.

4. Understanding Mental Health Stigma

Introducing youths to the concept of stigma can be quite tough, but it’s important.

This Understanding Mental Health Stigma sheet can be used as an aid to help raise awareness of the stigma that surrounds mental illness , as well as what it looks like.

5. Mental Health Management Bingo

Mental Health Management Bingo  is a fun classroom game that can be played with slightly older students.

While it aims to raise awareness about the importance of positive coping strategies, it can also be a great way for students to bond with one another and discover new, healthy ways to look after their mental health..

To play, students require a copy of each sheet and a pencil, and each Bingo square worksheet contains 22 positive coping mechanisms that are related to maintaining good mental health. It’s easy for students to play, and just as easy for teachers or parents to join in!

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We suggest picking at least one of these popular to broaden your understanding of mental health.

1. Mental Health Emergencies: A Guide to Recognizing and Handling Mental Health Crises – Nick Benas and Michele Hart

Written by a mental health associate and a social worker, this book aims to help people recognize mental health crises in the people around them.

This book also aims to teach the reader how to support people in the midst of a mental health crisis.

The authors targeted this book to teachers, human resources workers and other professionals who are concerned with the mental wellbeing of other people, but it can be helpful for anyone who wishes to know more about mental health.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Ten Days in a Mad-House – Nellie Bly

This book details investigative reporter Nellie Bly’s exposé of a New York City insane asylum in the late 1800s.

In the book, the author details how she checked into a boarding house, feigned insanity and was promptly declared insane and sent to an insane asylum.

Bly spent 10 days in the asylum, during which she uncovered the horrific conditions that patients were subjected to, causing the city and the country to reevaluate how they treated the mentally ill.

This book illustrates how horribly mental health patients were treated in the late 1800s, but can also cause the reader to think about how society treats mental health issues today.

3. Stigma: The Many Faces Of Mental Illness – Joy Bruce M.D.

This book, from a doctor with a mood disorder, aims to educate people about mental health issues and ultimately destigmatize mental health issues.

The book describes various mental health disorders and the nuances of them, making it a great educational book.

The author also discusses a wide variety of people with mental health issues, breaking down stereotypes about mental health along the way. This is a great book for someone who wants to understand more about mental health issues in themselves or others.

4. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s – John Elder Robison

This memoir discusses the author’s experience of living with Asperger’s syndrome.

The author was not diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome until he was 40 years old, so before then he just lived as someone who felt that he could not connect very well with others for some reason but displayed an affinity for machines and electronics.

This book is an excellent way to gain some insight into the world of Asperger’s syndrome and may help the reader better understand someone in their life who deals with Asperger’s syndrome.

5. Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat – Oliver Sacks and Jonathan Davis

This book from Oliver Sacks is a pop psychology classic. In it, Sacks discusses a few different cases of mental health disorders, focusing on the person rather than the disorder the whole way through.

This is an excellent book for learning about mental health disorders in a way that doesn’t necessarily otherize people with mental health issues. The book’s scope also makes it a great introduction to mental health disorders.

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5 Most Popular Children’s Books About Mental Health

Nurturing an understanding of mental health from a young age can be done with these great reads.

1. Can I Catch It Like a Cold?: Coping With a Parent’s Depression – Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Joe Weissmann

This book from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Canada is aimed at children whose parents struggle with depression.

The book describes what depression is and is not, and gives the reader strategies to cope with the situation. It is aimed at children as young as five years old and can be a child’s first official introduction to mental health disorders.

2. Dear Allison : Explaining Mental Illness to Young Readers – Emma Northup Flinn

This book discusses mental health in an adventurous, conversational way that can help children start to understand the subject.

Written from the perspective of the reader’s cousin (who has teamed up with an ant to explore mental health issues across parts of the United States), this is another excellent book for introducing children to mental health.

The book is partially a collection of letters from the narrator to her nine-year-old cousin, “Allison”, so this book is definitely appropriate for children as young as 9 to start learning about mental health.

3. Marvin’s Monster Diary: ADHD Attacks! (But I Rock It, Big Time) – Raun Melmed, Annette Sexton, and Jeff Harvey

This book is an excellent way to teach children as young as 7 years old about attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly if they have it.

Aside from helping children understand ADHD, it offers a mindfulness-based solution the author calls ST4 – “Stop, Take Time To Think”.

This book is an excellent resource for children with ADHD to learn more about themselves and strategies they can use every day to focus.

4. How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids – Tom Rath, Mary Reckmeyer, and Maurie J. Manning

This book was written by Tom Rath, an important author in positive psychology and particularly strengths finding (as he wrote StrengthsFinder 2.0).

It is a children’s adaptation of another one of his popular books, How Full Is Your Bucket?, which claims that people can either “fill your bucket” with positivity or “dip from your bucket” with negativity.

This is an excellent book to show kids how social interactions can affect their self-esteem and wellbeing, and how the way they treat people can affect the self-esteem and wellbeing of others.

5. Please Explain Anxiety to Me! Simple Biology and Solutions for Children and Parents – Laurie E. Zelinger, Jordan Zelinger, and Elisa Sabella

This book, co-authored by a play therapist and a child psychologist, aims to explain anxiety to children in a simplified but still accurate way.

This means describing the physiology of anxiety in a way that children as young as 5 can start to understand.

It also includes some actionable exercises that children can use when they are feeling anxious. This book can help children deal with their own anxiety and learn some concrete psychology along the way.

Sometimes, the best thing for someone struggling with mental health issues is the ability to reach out to someone who will understand them.

Facebook is great for this, as people can start community-based groups focused around mental health issues.

That said, as is always the case with the internet, anybody can contribute to these groups, which has the potential to be harmful to members of that group.

For that reason, we have only highlighted closed groups (as opposed to open groups), which require admin approval to join. This way, it is more likely that someone will find a group full of people who only want to help.

Someone looking for a Facebook group to discuss mental health should try joining one of these:

Adult ADHD/ADD Support Group… By Reach2Change

This is a support group for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Anxiety/Depression Mental Health Support Group

This is a support group for people (18+) who struggle with depression or anxiety .

Bipolar Disorder

This is a support group for people with bipolar disorder, people who know someone with bipolar disorder, or people who want to learn more about bipolar disorder.

Mental Health Inspiration (Support & Awareness)

This is a support group for people with all sorts of mental health issues, as well as people who wish to be an ally or learn more about mental health.

PTSD Buddies

This is a support group for people (19+) with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

30 Minute relaxing yoga for mental health – Jessica Richburg

October 10th is World Mental Health Day.

The objective of this important day is to spread awareness about mental health issues, express thanks to mental health care providers, and do more to make mental health care a reality for those who need it. Overall, the day represents a valuable opportunity to start a dialog about mental health with others in your life.

If you’re a teacher, manager, or principal looking for ways to start this conversation in your school or workplace, here are four ideas to get started.

Yoga and pilates have both been shown to reduce a range of mental health symptoms, such as fatigue and feelings of anxiety, while simultaneously increasing feelings of energy (Fleming & Herring, 2018; Hagen & Nayar, 2014).

To leverage these benefits, consider bringing in a yoga or pilates expert (or linking up with a nearby studio) to do a guided class with your staff or students.

Host a charity event

There are many charitable organizations around the world that are working hard to provide mental health support to those who may otherwise not have access to it.

To help, you can work with your students or staff to identify a cause they feel passionate about and run an event to raise money for a worthy cause. For example, consider hosting a raffle, games evening, cake stall, or fete open to the public.

Wellness gift exchange

A simple gift can do a lot to start a conversation, so consider hosting a wellness gift exchange.

To start, randomly assign your students or staff a ‘gift buddy.’ If you like, you can make the identity of gift-givers and receivers anonymous, much like a Secret Santa, by having your staff or students draw names from a hat.

Next, allocate a spending limit and have each person purchase a gift for someone else. The focus of the gift should encourage the recipient to relax and take some time out for him or herself. Examples of good gifts include movie tickets, a pampering face mask, or a soap and candle gift basket.

Information sessions

Teaching children how to start a conversation with someone about mental health is a skill that can serve them for a lifetime. At the same time, the stigma associated with mental illness may act as a barrier for adults to start a conversation with someone they’re concerned about or seek help.

To help, consider bringing in a mental health speaker or expert and host an information session. The aim of the session should be to connect your students or staff to resources and give them the skills to check in with the mental health of those they care about.

Further, you can take this opportunity to remind your students or staff about internal support services in your school or office, such as forms of personal leave or internal counselors.

In addition to the ideas above, it is likely that public spaces around you, such as libraries and community centers, will have planned events around World Mental Health Day. So consider linking up with groups in your local community to support this important cause.

17 Top-Rated Positive Psychology Exercises for Practitioners

Expand your arsenal and impact with these 17 Positive Psychology Exercises [PDF] , scientifically designed to promote human flourishing, meaning, and wellbeing.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

At the end of the day, nobody can know everything there is to know about mental health issues. The key is constantly being willing to learn, so that you know how to help when someone you love deals with mental health issues, and have the strategies to deal with your own mental health issues if and when they arise.

Some people prefer reading books, others prefer more hands-on learning such as worksheets, and still, others just prefer going out and talking to people. No matter what type of learning you prefer, the important thing is that you make an effort to make this world a better place for everyone, no matter what mental health issues they are or aren’t facing.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free .

• Batelaan, N.M., Bosman, R.C., Muntingh, A., Scholten, W.D., Huijbregts, K.M., van Balkom, A.J.L.M. (2017). Risk of relapse after antidepressant discontinuation in anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of relapse prevention trials. BMJ, 358(1) , j3927.
• Fleming, K. M., & Herring, M. P. (2018). The effects of pilates on mental health outcomes: A meta-analysis of controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine , 37, 80-95.
• Hagen, I., & Nayar, U. S. (2014). Yoga for children and young people’s mental health and well-being: research review and reflections on the mental health potentials of yoga. Frontiers in Psychiatry , 5.
• Harmon, T.M., Nelson, R.O., Hayes, S.C. (1980). Self-monitoring of mood versus activity by depressed clients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48(1) , 30-38.
• Henderson, C., Robinson, E., Evans-Lacko, S., Thornicroft, G. (2017). Relationships between anti-stigma programme awareness, disclosure comfort and intended help-seeking regarding a mental health problem. British Journal of Psychiatry, 211(5) , 316-322.
• Kaduson, H.G., Schaefer, C.E. (Eds.). (2003). 101 favorite play therapy techniques. Volume III. Lanham, MA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
• Kircanski, K., Lieberman, M. D., & Craske, M. G. (2012). Feelings into words: contributions of language to exposure therapy. Psychological Science, 23 (10), 1086.
• Lambert, M.J. (2015). Progress Feedback and the OQ-System: The Past and the Future. Psychotherapy, 52(4) , 381-390.
• McManus, F., Van Doorn, K., Yiend, J. (2012). Examining the effects of thought records and behavioral experiments in instigating belief change. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 43(1) , 540-547.

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