A note from the creators:

Hi all! We are so happy to share each day of our 20-Day Mental Health Challenge with our Just Be Books family. (Running March 30-April 18) With the help of Shannon Sweitzer, PhD, we have created 20 days of positive mental health tools/coping activities for little ones and their families. If you think this might be helpful for friends with kiddos, please share!! We hope this will be especially helpful during these unprecedented times. Be sure to post if you complete a challenge and tag us so we can see (and share!!).

DAY 1

What you’ll need:

1 cup salt
¾ cups flour
1 cup water
Food dye
Small saucepan
Stove top

Storage:

Wrap play dough in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Add a few drops of water if it’s dry next use.

Instructions

Mix salt, water, and flour in a saucepan and cook over medium heat (I used a wooden spoon to mix)

Remove from heat when mixture is thick and rubbery

Knead in drops of food coloring on a baking sheet or parchment paper as it cools

DAY 2

What you’ll need:

A clear jar (or water bottle)
Glitter
Clear glue OR dish soap
Additional fun: Sparkly gems + Beads Hot glue (for the lid)

How to Use:

To help with anxiousness or anger, try having your child shake the jar and imagine each bead or glitter piece is their emotion. Have them watch as the "emotions" settle at the bottom. Repeat as many times as needed/wanted.

Instructions

Clean inside and outside of jar

Fill jar ¾ of the way with warm water

Fill (almost) the rest of the jar with either dish soap OR clear glue

Add 2 teaspoons of glitter

Add any other fun gems or beads you’d like

(Parents) Optional: hot glue lid onto jar to prevent spilling

Day 3

How to Play

You can either print this out for your kids to write on, or go to this site: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/1000752/

and you can use it online! If you have time, talk to your child about what their favorite activities are on the word search list and how the words/activities listed help them feel better.

Day 4

Click here to download Free Coloring book story!

Day 5

Day 6

What you’ll need

Jenga blocks
Sharpie/markers
Optional: paint/stickers/other decorating tools

Parent Prep:

Write one feeling (list below) on the top side of each Jenga block. Decorate with your child if you’d like!

Instructions

- Build the Jenga tower

- Play Jenga as normal, as you pull each block you should reveal a feeling

- When you reveal a feeling, each player can either: describe what that feeling feels like, tell a story about a time they felt that feeling, make up a short story about an animal who feels that way

- Repeat!

Feelings List

Calm

Frustrated

Eager

Anxious

Safe

Discouraged

Confident

Lonely

Hopeless

Inspired

Scared

Proud

Overwhelmed

Thankful

Stressed

Energized

Worried

Bored

Excited

Confused

Cheerful

Uncomfortable

Loved

Irritated

Important

Lost Rejected

Character

Bird

Fox

Squirrel

Snake

Snail

Butterfly

Deer

Goose

Frog

Cat

Settings

Playground

Library

School

Kitchen

Amusement Park

Museum

Baseball Game

Train

Cafeteria

The Woods/Forrest

Day 7

How to Participate

We have the video above embedded in our website OR If you have access to YouTube, type in the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhYtcadR9nw / the video title: " Squish the Fish | A Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure! " The channel Cosmic Kids Yoga tells fun stories for kids while having them practice yoga poses. We are sure you and your child will have fun and want to keep doing more yoga videos with Jaime.

Day 8

What you'll need

- Markers - Blank paper

How to do this activity

It's fun and easy! Take a dark marker and draw some fun outlines of objects and people on your blank piece of paper. We picked a relaxing park scene with a girl jump roping.

Have fun coloring in the drawing you just made!