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My Favorite Social Emotional Learning Tools (As A Former School Counselor)
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items As a former school counselor in both elementary and middle school, it was important to have the right tools/toys to help them get through some of their most difficult moments! This list has all of the game-changing tools that help me breakthrough to ...
Sections
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Younger Children
Older Children
Younger Children
These were also a clean, mess free favorite for my elementary students! The illustrations helped start conversations about feelings and the cool visual stimulation would help calm and regulate my students when they were having a hard time!
hand2mind Express Your Feelings Sensory Bottles
Another hit for my sensory seekers! This was another great distraction when my younger students would be having a hard time or dealing with big feelings. I also love it because it can also be used for fine motor skills as well as academic purposes!
hand2mind Colors & Shapes Sensory Pad Toy
This is a must-have for my elementary students! Sometimes it’s very hard for little ones to identify or explain their feelings, so this toy is perfect to work through feelings by using play therapy and displaying the different emotions on the plushie...
TeeTurtle Reversible Turtle Plushie 4in
Another great tool for sensory seekers, especially little ones! This was a great addition to my office for when students would feel upset or overwhelmed, one squeeze of the pillow and they would be able to begin processing their feelings and not feel...
Special Supplies Bumble Bee Sensory Vibrating Pillow
This is a staple for the little ones as the grow in their expressive language! This tool helps them not only learn feelings words, but they also give real world examples of each feeling so that it can really resonate with the child in a relatable way...
Torlam Feelings & Emotions Book for Kids
This is probably my most loved tool with all of my students (and teachers!) There is something about the texture of the sand and the ability to work with your hands, makes talking about hard things a lot easier! My students would love to build differ...
Kinetic Sand Kit
Older Children
Kinetic sand is great for everyone! This particular kit worked really well with my older students and many staff members enjoyed it as well when stopping by my office! This is a staple when teaching children how to regulate their emotions and gives t...
Playfoam Sand Sensory Spheres - Zen Garden Kit
This has been one of the most popular tools amongst my students, especially my middle schoolers! This was a discreet tool that would help some of my most anxious students without drawing a lot of attention to themselves (a middle schoolers nightmare!...
Schylling NeeDoh Nice Cube Sensory Toy
This is another great option for those with sensory needs! It is super discreet and not distracting to the user or others around them but gives them something else to focus on rather than what they are feeling!
Yrissmiss 3PCS Fidget Pad Stress Relief Toy
Never underestimate the power of stickers! These were an absolute hit with my middle schoolers! They can be used as motivation as well as a reward for a big accomplishment. I would give these out to my students who may be having a hard time and I wou...
Water Bottle Stickers 145Pcs Waterproof VSCO
Coping skills were a very popular topic when I was working as a middle school counselor. This age is pivotal in solidifying good habits around coping and handling difficult situations. This game is perfect for opening the door to the conversation of ...
Mind Brain Emotion 52 Coping Skills Cards
I love these dice for the first week of school ice breakers! This is an easy way to get to know each child and learn different things about them without them feeling pressured! The questions range from very surface level to a little more complex and ...
Hanaive 12 Pcs Learning Conversation Cubes