It's no secret my family loves video games. Like a lot. So much so that I've even made a handful of video game themed birthday cakes by this point, the most recent being a Mario coin block and a NES console (neither of which are on the blog yet, but either are last year's cakes...).
If you know me well, or even follow me on Instagram, then you also know that I'm a big proponent of using your child's interest to teach new skills.
So if I can combine my kids' interests with something else, it's going to be a big win.
That's where these video game themed coping skills worksheets come in. They get my boys thinking about what they can do to help them stay regulated (or "in control"), all while appealing to their love for video games.
About these Video Game Controller Themed Coping Skills Worksheets
These worksheets are based on this brilliant idea from Crozet School Counseling. She used it specifically with her class to come up with strategies for test taking. Unfortunately, there was no printable version and not every kid likes PlayStation...Seriously, if you were to ask my youngest what his favorite console is, he'd likely say something like Master System or Mega Drive, not something more common like Wii or Xbox.
Anyway, I already had some video game controller clipart that I used for this I spy game and decided to put it to use again.
The idea is to have the kids brainstorm their favorite strategies that help them stay "in control" of their body and emotions. Then they can pick one of the seven different controller worksheets and fill in the boxes with their favorite coping strategies.
Ideas to Help Your Kids & Teens Fill in these Coping Skills Worksheets
These coping skills worksheets are great for teens, tweens, and kids who love video games and can be used to discuss anger strategies, worry strategies, coping strategies, impulse control, or anything else you can think of.
But if you need some ideas to help your kids with the brainstorming part, here are some useful resources:
- List of 100 calm down strategies
- Grounding techniques like the 5 senses or the tree grounding technique
Download the Free Video Game Controller Themed Coping Skills Worksheets
This printable pack includes 7 different video game controllers with spots for kids to write down their favorite coping skills and calm down strategies. The number of spots to write varies from controller to controller. To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:
>> Click here to download the free printable
