Activity: Describe an object to calm anxious thoughts

This activity is good for children and early teenagers, and is useful when they’re feeling very anxious. It helps them refocus, slow their breathing, and feel calmer.

You can find different guided pebble meditations online for children to help you through this activity.

1. Find a palm-sized object. This could be any anything with an interesting texture (such as a pebble).

2. Get your child to explore the object with their hands, feeling the bumps, grooves and rough areas.

3. Ask them to describe the object to you. How does it feel, and which bits do they like or dislike?

If your child finds this activity useful, they can use it as a “go to” resource whenever they feel overwhelmed.

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This advice was written by our experienced Parent Talk coaches. Parent Talk is a free online service for parents and carers, provided by the charity Action for Children. For more advice, message our parenting coaches with our online chat.

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