We are a School Psychologist and Classroom Teacher, each with 18 years experience working in Inner City schools. We are passionate about advocating for the exceptional abilities of educators, students and families, hoping to inspire others in the process!
We offer a range of educational and wellness resources, ranging from social stories, interventions, to lesson plans, digital prints and workbooks.
Please take some time to enjoy our Wellness Playground!
We are a School Psychologist and Classroom Teacher, each with 18 years experience working in Inner City schools. We are passionate about advocating for the exceptional abilities of educators, students and families, hoping to inspire others in the process!
We offer a range of educational and wellness resources, ranging from social stories, interventions, to lesson plans, digital prints and workbooks.
Please take some time to enjoy our Wellness Playground!
This Social Story: When My Parents Separate or Divorce, was created to help and support children who are living through a family break up, in particular, parents who are experiencing a separation or divorce. Parental separation has a significant impact on our children and students, and is a form of loss and trauma that needs careful attention and intervention.
This social story guides the child/reader through the following:
a. What constitutes a family
b. Explaining that families sometimes have difficult times
c. Parents sometimes argue too much and no longer get along
d. Parents decided it may be best to live apart to prevent further stress on family
e. Reinforces that the child is never to blame - it is never the child’s fault
f. Reinforces that this is an adult decision
g. Explains that even though parents separate, they often still get along and work together for the sake of the children, and still love their children very much
h. Provides examples of various emotions the child may be feeling
i. Provides examples of the various reactions the child may be experiencing
j. Validates these feeling and reactions
k. Walks through ways to feel supported, such as talking to trusted adult, counselor and expressing feelings through writing, drawing, art and music
l. Makes note of possibility of parents meeting different partners, and possibly introducing new members to the family (e.g., stepsiblings, etc.) but that these new connections can be fun and interesting
m. Finally, the story normalizes the experience of going through this separation and loss, and emphasizes that things will be okay!
What You Will Receive:
The social story is 15 pages, in PDF (8.5 x 11) format, and so can be easily printed and laminated. It uses engaging visuals and simple language that is appropriate for all developmental levels and ages.
How To Print:
a. Following Purchase, Download File to your Device
b. Open PDF file and save and/or print
c. You may use home printer, online service, or local printshop.
Please leave your review and feedback, so we may continue to provide practical resources to our fellow educators. Thank you
This is a social story meant to help early and middle years children to better understand their SENSORY NEEDS, and how to Self-Regulate. Many of our students (in particular, those on the Autism Spectrum, ADHD, etc.) are highly sensitive to their surroundings, and have various sensory sensitivities.
This social story talks about what our 5 Senses do, and why they are important for better understanding our world. The story talks about how students can become overwhelmed due to one or more of their senses being ‘Too Excited’!, particularly in certain settings/places. The story talks about how the student may react (e.g., yelling, crying, hiding, running away, etc.) and offers alternative, safer ways to cope with excited senses (e.g., deep breathing, calm space, headphones, etc.). It ends by validating the student’s emotions and reinforces the student’s safer choices, and reminds them that they can do this successfully with help from their friends, family and teachers.
It is in PDF Format (8.5 x 11 inch), and so can easily be printed and/or laminated. It is presented in a simple, fun and visual way, and while it is geared towards early and middle years, can be used across all ages and developmental levels.
I have personally used it in individual and group format, in elementary and special needs junior high/high school classrooms. I hope it helps you, help your students!
This Social Story is intended to provide students with awareness of their body, with emphasis on the fact that their body has private parts, and these parts should be respected. This story ideal for students across elementary and into junior high levels, in particular for students with special needs (intellectual disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, etc.). Some of the areas covered include:
Our body is private and has private parts
Definition of private parts
Fact that boys and girls have different private parts
Private parts should not be shown or touched in public
If private parts need to be touched, this should be done in private, such as bathroom or change room (in public), and bedroom or bathroom (at home)
Presents different reasons for wanting to touch private parts: bothering them, need to use washroom, or to fulfill curiosity
Covers topic of self-touching out of curiosity - that this is okay, but needs to be done at home, in private
That touching or staring at other people��s private parts is NOT okay
Reminder to respect others personal space and privacy
Reinforcing that reminding self to follow these rules will make them proud!
This story is in PDF format, and can be easily printed and laminated. It has developmentally appropriate language, and is full of engaging visuals.
As always, please leave your feedback/review, so I may continue to provide practical resources to my fellow educators. Thank you!
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD | PRINTABLE SOCIAL STORY
High-Resolution PDF | 8.5"x11" Format
This social story on Personal Hygiene is a resource for teachers and parents to assist children and students with managing their own personal hygiene.
This resource is 9 pages, and in PDF format (8.5 x 11), and so can be easily printed. It contains developmentally appropriate language and engaging visuals in order to engage the child in a fun and interactive way.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
1 High-Resolution colour PDF file, in 8.5x11 format
HOW TO PRINT:
Following purchase, your file will be emailed to you for printing.
Simply Print, laminate if you wish, and staple, bind or place in duotang or folder to use with students and children.
Download, print, and enjoy!
PERSONAL NOTE:
We love what we do, and do our best to provide a wide variety of options, quality resources, and flexibility in printing our digital files, all in attempts to make your life easier!
PLEASE NOTE:
No physical product will be shipped, as this is a digital download. Colours may vary slightly due to different colour monitor/calibration.
This purchase is licensed for PERSONAL USE ONLY. All Digital Prints are copyright of The Wellness Playground.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CHECK OUT OUR OTHER LISTINGS, AND FOLLOW OUR PAGE FOR UPDATES ON NEW PRODUCTS AND SALES. THANK YOU FOR VISITING!
The sad reality is some of our students, in their already vulnerable state, lack the necessary coping mechanisms to manage strong behaviour, emotions and feelings, and events in their lives, and will choose to Self-Harm or Self-Injure in order to cope.
This is a Social Story meant to help children and youth to navigate and deal with Self-Harm/Self-Injury, by Choosing Safe and Healthy Alternatives, instead. This social story validates the student’s emotions, by acknowledging their desire to self-harm, but stresses that these are harmful choices, and that there are some very healthy and effective alternative behaviours that can keep them safe, while getting them the help they need. In addition to suggested strategies, there is a page for the student to list their own personal strategies, as well.
This is an important topic that warrants a frank discussion, and I hope this social story helps get the message across to youth, whether they be higher functioning or more developmentally vulnerable.
This 8-page social story is in PDF, 8.5 x 11 inch format, and so can easily be printed and/or laminated. It is presented in a simple and visual format, and can be used across all ages and developmental levels.
I have personally used it in individual and group format, in elementary and special needs junior high/high school classrooms. I hope it helps you, help your students!
I always appreciate feedback and comments, so please feel free to leave your opinions and suggestions! Thank you.
Taming Your Thoughts is a Fun, Simple and Interactive Activity that Helps to Empower Kids and Youth to Take Control of Their Thoughts. This 14 page resource is in Powerpoint format, in 8x11.5 inches, and so can be easily printed. It is best suited for approximately Grade 3 to 8, but can be used across all elementary and junior high levels.
Children, just like adults, can be hard on themselves when it comes to how they think about what they do or say. This is particularly true for kids with mental health issues or behavioural disorders who may be especially down on themselves. They can get stuck in negative thinking patterns that can make emotions seem overwhelming, and contribute to social/emotional difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, and social isolation.
These negative thinking patterns are also referred to as cognitive distortions, cognitive errors or thinking mistakes – and they are very common, but often times are unrealistic, and need taming.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), teaches us to recognize and catch thinking errors that may be making us feel negative about ourselves, and provides skills to change negative, debilitating thoughts into positive, empowering thoughts. CBT can be learned easily with enough practice, and can help us and the children we raise and work with, to live healthier and happier lives.
The following exercise is a simple strategy to empower kids to identify, challenge and control their thinking. The strategy is preceded by clear examples, followed by concrete and simple to follow instructions and templates that can be used across home and school settings.
The General Overview:
Child writes down their current negative thoughts in the thought bubbles provided
Then, they use the subsequent page to write down their positive replacement thoughts
They then cut out the positive replacement thoughts and glue the upper tab to the top portion of the negative thoughts (it will work like a flap).
In the end, child will have negative thoughts, with flaps over top, containing the positive replacement thoughts
They can use this tool to practice replacing negative thinking with positive thinking!
Have fun with it! And, as usual, please feel free to leave a comment/feedback/suggestion to earn credits towards future purchases, and to allow me to continue to provide practical resources to my fellow educators. Thank you!
Many of our students have difficulties navigating the classroom and assignments, and in particular, ASKING FOR HELP. This is especially true with our students who are more anxious, worried, and have learning, developmental and/or communication difficulties.
This is a social story meant to help students ASK FOR HELP in non-threatening, and easy-to-learn ways. It provides an overview of what asking for help looks like, and reminds us that everybody needs help sometimes, and that even if they feel unsure about asking for help, there are easy ways to do this, it gets better with practice, and teachers and classmates are there to help! The social story consists of 8 pages of visual teaching of these concepts.
It is in PDF format (8.5" x 11"), and so can easily be printed and/or laminated. It is presented in a simple, fun and visual format, and can be used across all ages and developmental levels.
I have personally used it in individual and group format, in regular elementary and special needs classrooms. I hope it helps you, help your students!
Please feel free to leave your review and feedback, as I am always striving to provide valuable resources to my fellow educators. Thank You!
This is a social story meant to help children to navigate and deal with bullying in healthy and effective ways. This social story validates the student’s emotions, by acknowledging how bullying can make them feel, and identifies that bullying can be towards them or others, and affect them equally. The script goes on to present differences between ‘bad’ choices and ‘good’ choices, and outlines ‘good’ ways to deal with bullying, to keep themselves happy and safe.
It is in PDF, 8.5 x 11 inch format, and so can easily be printed and/or laminated. It is presented in a simple, fun and visual format, and can be used across all ages and developmental levels.
I have personally used it in individual and group format, in elementary and special needs junior high/high school classrooms. I hope it helps you, help your students!
I always appreciate feedback and comments, so please feel free to leave your opinions and suggestions! Thank you
Many of our students have difficulties modulating and controlling the volume of their voices. This is especially true with our students who have issues with language, impulse control, and limited social awareness (e.g., language disorder, deaf/hard of hearing, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, FASD, etc.).
This is a social story meant to help children to practice controlling the volume of their voice, across all settings, but particularly at school, and in the classroom. The social story consists of 13 pages of visual teaching of these concepts.
It provides an overview of what Voice Volume looks like, from Not Talking at all, to Soft/Quiet, to Medium, to Loud and Extra Loud. This story explains that each volume level can be appropriate, but only in the right place and situation, and right time - providing examples of what this looks like.
Included in the story is a VOICE VOLUME METER visual, that incorporates a 1-5 rating scale, and corresponding visuals and descriptors. This visual aid can be laminated and used in the classroom and at home, either on the wall or in a binder.
It is in PDF format, and so can easily be printed and/or laminated. It is presented in a simple, fun and visual format, and can be used across all ages and developmental levels. I have personally used it in individual and group format, in regular elementary and special needs classrooms. I hope it helps you, help your students!
And, please feel free to leave your review and feedback, as I am always striving to provide valuable resources to my fellow educators. Thank You!
INSTANT DOWNLOAD | PRINTABLE WORKBOOK
High-Quality PDF | 8.5"x11" Format
How to Tame Your Worry Monster: An Anxiety Workbook
This 30-page anxiety workbook was created to educate and support children and youth with managing their worries and anxiety in a fun, creative, and engaging way.
It may be used independently or with guidance from an adult. We hope it offers some strategies and a glimmer of hope to anyone who uses it.
What You Will Receive:
30-Page Digital Workbook
High-Resolution Colour PDF
8.5"x11" Format for Easy Printing
This is a DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. You WILL NOT receive a physical product.
How to Download:
A. Download the PDF file
B. Print at home, or
C. Use a local print/copy shop to print for you, or
D. Upload to an online printing service to have the prints delivered to your door
E. Bind or staple, or place in duotang or folder
PERSONAL NOTE:
We love what we do, and do our best to provide a wide variety of options, fun products, and flexibility in printing our digital files, all in attempts to make your life easier!
Please provide your feedback, so we may continue to offer worthwhile products!
Thank you.
Digital Product | Instant Download | JPEG & PDF Format
112 AFFIRMATION CARDS INCLUDED!
Positive Self-Affirmation Cards
This bundle comes with 112 Positive Self-Affirmation Cards suitable for use with children, youth and adults. They are formatted to business card-size, and so can be easily used and accessed at a desk, in a binder, pocket, wallet, etc. Each card is unique in it’s saying - and contains positive self-affirmations, paired with engaging visuals.
Use them as deck(s) of motivational cards in a classroom - have students pick cards throughout their day to offer reminders of their potential, and self-worth.
Use them to keep in your wallet - pull them out as you need a boost of positivity in your day
Have students choose cards to keep at their desk, in their bag or pocket - so they can access these positive statements throughout their day, as needed
Use the cards as a lesson - have students choose from the deck of cards, and describe how the message applies to them and/or others. Make each card a teachable lesson!
There are several uses and opportunities to expand the utility of these cards. Use you imagination and have fun!
What’s Included:
112 Unique Cards
1 Zip file with JPEG files
1 PDF file
How to Print:
A. Choose your desired Card(s)
B. Print at home, or
C. Use a local print/copy shop to print for you, or
D. Upload to an online printing service to have the prints delivered to your door
We recommend using high-quality card stock for best results
PERSONAL NOTE:
We love what we do, and do our best to provide a wide variety of options, fun products, and flexibility in printing our digital files, all in attempts to make your life easier!
Please provide your feedback, so we may continue to offer worthwhile products!
Many of our students have difficulties managing their worries and anxiety. This is especially true with our students who are more on-edge and emotionally sensitive, as well as our students who have diagnoses such as: Anxiety Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, FASD, and Communication disorders.
This is a social story meant to help students manage their worry/anxiety in healthy ways. It provides an overview of what Worry and Anxiety looks like, and explains how a person may feel, and react when feeling anxious, and outlines effective and practical strategies to help them manage their worry/anxiety across all settings, but particularly at school, and in the classroom. The social story consists of 12 pages of visual teaching of these concepts, including specific breathing and worry strategies that can be cut out, laminated and used directly with students.
It is in PDF format, and so can easily be printed and/or laminated. It is presented in a simple, fun and visual format, and can be used across all ages and developmental levels. I have personally used it in individual and group format, in regular elementary and special needs classrooms. I hope it helps you, help your students!
And, please feel free to leave your review and feedback, as I am always striving to provide valuable resources to my fellow educators. Thank You!
Our students and children often struggle with managing their emotions and feelings, especially when these emotions are strong and overwhelming. It can be difficult to understand how to manage emotions in the midst of stress, and how to juggle more than one emotion at a time. This Social Story is meant to provide students with clear, step-by-step guidance and instruction around How to Manage Strong Emotions.
This includes:
A. Normalizing the experience of having strong emotions
B. Examples of common emotions
C. Examples of what being extremely excited, angry, and worried might look like, both mentally and physically
D. Introducing effective strategies to Calm and Process strong emotions
E. Offering space for the student to come up with their Own strategies
F. Reinforcing the importance of learning this skill!
This 11-page social story is in PDF format, and can be easily printed and laminated. It contains engaging visuals and developmentally appropriate language. It is best suited for elementary students (Gr. K-6) and students in special education/life skills classroom settings.
As always, I encourage you to leave a review/feedback, so I may continue to provide practical resources to my fellow educators. Thank you!
The Social Story: Coping with Change, was created in order to help students and children to learn about what change means, and more importantly, to share effective and practical ways to cope with change in our lives.
The story cites several examples of what change means, what change looks like (seasons, weather, time, family, friends, where we live, where we go to school, how we feel, our thoughts, looks, etc.), and how change can affect our daily life. It speaks to normalizing change and reinforces that change is normal and okay!
The story discusses how some change is expected and planned, while other change is unexpected and sudden. It goes on to outline how change may cause us to feel and react, and how we can self-regulate in order to handle change effectively at home and school, or other setting.
This 10-page social story is in PDF format, 8.5x11, and can be easily printed and laminated. It uses clear language and engaging visuals, and while tailored for elementary years, is suited to all developmental and grade levels, across regular and special education settings.
Sometimes our students struggle with the loss of a loved one. This Social Story: When Someone I Care About Dies, is meant to teach students about death and dying - in particular, losing someone they care about.
The social story guides the student through the concept of death (in basic terms), what death means (being alive vs. not alive), what various feelings we can experience after a loved one’s death, and what we can do to help support ourselves. It also touches on the various beliefs around death, including the afterlife. It goes on to normalize these feelings and emphasize that the grief process is healthy and we can do this on our own time, and with the support of family and others who care for us.
It is in PDF format (8.5 x 11 inches) and so can easily be printed and/or laminated. It is presented in a simple and visual format, and can be used across all ages and developmental levels.
I have personally used it in individual and group format, in elementary and special needs junior high/high school classrooms. As always, please leave feedback/review so I may continue to provide practical and meaningful resources to my fellow educators. Thank you!
This Social Emotional Learning Journal is a resource meant to facilitate healthy conversations with students around their mental health and social emotional well being, in fun and interactive ways. It is ideal for students Grades 3-6, but may be used with older students as well.
It is a great tool for educators, guidance counselors, school psychologists and therapists to use with their clients and students. It covers a variety of topics such as family health, self-esteem, interests/hobbies, passions, future-goals, strategies for recognizing and managing feelings, worries and behaviours, and many more topics related to mental health and wellness.
This resource is 46 pages, and in High-Resolution PDF format (8.5 x 11), and so can be easily printed. It contains developmentally appropriate language and engaging visuals in order to engage the child in a fun and interactive way.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
1 High-Resolution colour PDF file, in 8.5x11 format
HOW TO PRINT:
Following purchase, your file will be emailed to you for printing.
Simply Print, laminate if you wish, and staple, bind or place in duotang or folder to use with students and children.
Download, print, and enjoy!
PERSONAL NOTE:
We love what we do, and do our best to provide a wide variety of options, quality resources, and flexibility in printing our digital files, all in attempts to make your life easier!
Please provide your feedback, so we may continue to offer worthwhile products!
PLEASE NOTE:
No physical product will be shipped, as this is a digital download. Colours may vary slightly due to different colour monitor/calibration. This purchase is licensed for PERSONAL USE ONLY. All Digital Prints are copyright of The Wellness Playground.
FEEL FREE TO CHECK OUT OUR OTHER LISTINGS, and BE SURE TO FOLLOW OUR PAGE FOR UPDATES ON NEW PRODUCTS AND SALES.
This Social Story: Stimming is My Superpower, discusses the concept of Stimming, a common behaviour in children with. The story reframes stimming as a child’s SUPERPOWER - in that it helps students communicate their feeling and thoughts, and to self-regulate by calming their minds, bodies and voices. It talks about and validates the various moods that can bring on stimming behaviours, and how to best communicate (using words and/or pictures) to adults (teachers, parents) about their need to stim.
The social story provides 17 pages of visual, child-friendly content. It is in Powerpoint file, in 8.5x11 inch format, so it can be both presented (projector or Smartboard), and printed out on regular printer paper. It can be used individually or in small group or whole classroom settings. It is best suited for Grades K to 6, but can be used in junior high and high school settings as well, particularly with special education settings.
As always, please leave feedback and review so that I may continue to provide practical resources to my fellow educators. Thank you!
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD | TEEN JOURNAL
HIGH-RESOLUTION PDF FORMAT
LIFE IS A JOURNEY: SELF-DISCOVERY JOURNAL FOR YOUTH
This resource called, LIFE IS A JOURNEY: A SELF-DISCOVERY JOURNAL FOR YOUTH, is a journal and workbook for children and youth. The purpose of this journal is to provide youth with an opportunity to:
explore their feelings
discover their interests and strengths
enhance self-esteem and mental wellness
engage in future-thinking and goal planning
practice self-care activities
navigate topics of gratitude and self-discovery
This journal is in high-resolution PDF (8.5"x11") format, and contains 46 pages of engaging content, with fun exercises and visuals. It can be easily downloaded, printed and bound or stapled to be used individually, with clients, or in group format. It is best suited for Grade 6 to Grade 12 students.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
1 High-Resolution colour 46-page PDF file, in 8.5x11 format
HOW TO PRINT:
Following purchase, your file will be emailed to you for printing.
Simply Print, laminate if you wish, and staple, bind or place in duotang or folder to use with students and children.
PERSONAL NOTE:
We love what we do, and do our best to provide a wide variety of options, quality resources, and flexibility in printing our digital files, all in attempts to make your life easier! Please provide your feedback, so we may continue to offer worthwhile products!
PLEASE NOTE:
No physical product will be shipped, as this is a digital download. Colours may vary slightly due to different colour monitor/calibration.
This purchase is licensed for PERSONAL USE ONLY. All Digital Prints are copyright of The Wellness Playground.
THANKS FOR VISITING, and FEEL FREE TO CHECK OUT OUR OTHER LISTINGS!
This Social Story, entitled My ADHD & ME: Strategies for Life! is something I created in order to not only educate, but to empower children and youth with ADHD, in order to better understand themselves, to advocate for themselves, and learn strategies to utilize their many strengths, in life.
Children and youth with ADHD need to be educated on what ADHD means, what it brings (both challenges and positive strengths) and how to best manage it, so that they may experience life to the fullest!
This 20 page social story is more of a Success Guide for Life, for children and youth with ADHD. It can be used independently, as well as alongside teachers and parents.
It includes the following:
Description of ADHD, including explanations of Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity
Analogy of ADHD as our brain and body being like a turbo-charged engine
Discussion on how Revving so fast can affect our learning
What feelings and emotions may come along with ADHD
Validation and examples of different emotions and how this can look when it overwhelms us
Analogy of learning how to apply the brakes to slow down, and be a happy driver and in control
Discussion of several practical strategies to help with applying the brakes and regaining control, including space for child to list their own strategies
Brief discussion on medication as a tool to help with staying on track
Emphasis on the ADHD child’s strengths, with examples and space to list their own!
Reminder that ADHD makes them extra special
Page for child/youth to write or draw what it is like for them to live with ADHD.
This 20 page story is in PDF format (8.5x11 inches), and is easily printable. It is full of engaging visuals, and uses developmentally appropriate language. It is geared towards elementary to early junior/secondary students, as well as students in special education and life skills settings.
As always, please leave a review/feedback so I may continue to provide practical resources to my fellow educators. Thank you!
This resource called, FASD and ME: Social (Success) Story - Strategies for Life!, is really a manual and workbook for children and youth living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder - to use in order to empower and educate themselves on FASD, identify with others with FASD, and learn strategies to live and cope with FASD in healthy ways. This resource can be used independently, or the child can be guided through with the support of an adult (Teacher, EA, parent, etc.)
This resource is 37 pages, and in PDF format (8.5 x 11), and so can be easily printed. It contains developmentally appropriate language and engaging visuals in order to engage the child in a fun and interactive way. There are Two Parts, with Part 1 focusing on Education on FASD, and Part 2 focusing on Strategies to Live with FASD.
Part 1: Living with FASD - All About Me
What is FASD
Communication
Socialization
Attention, Hyperactivity, Impulsivity
Sensory
Emotions/Feelings
Learning Difficulties
Life Skills
Managing Change & Transitions
Emphasis on Strengths & Talents
Part 2: Living with FASD - Strategies & Ideas
Examples of Feelings and Emotional Reactions
Strategies to Process Feelings and Emotions
Strategies to Regulate Sensory Needs
Strategies to Incorporate Routine and Structure
Strategies for Communication
Strategies for Social Interaction and Making Friendships
Strategies to Navigate Bullying Behaviours
Mention of Medication as means to Moderate Behaviours
Emphasis on Strengths and Talents
Opportunity to Draw and/or Write About What It’s Like Living with FASD
As always, please leave feedback and review, so that I may continue to provide practical resources to my fellow educators. Thank you!