Encouraging Self Care for Kids

July 24 is Self Care Day, and it’s really important for us as parents and teachers to help our kids understand what self-care is and how to develop those habits early on in life. It’s not about literally taking care of your physical needs (though that can be part of it!) but more about tending to your mental health and feelings.

Self Love Rainbow has a great graphic all about the basics for kids (and adults!) who might need help getting started. It’s great to talk to kids about what you do for self care (and start up some routines if you don’t already do self-care regularly!) as options that they might consider for their own self care.

It’s important that self-care activities for kids be age appropriate, of course. Journaling, for example, is a great way to process emotions, but it might not be suitable to all ages or all kids.

Incorporating physical activity into a self-care routine is a great idea at all ages, whether that’s going for a family walk through the neighborhood (which was at least a daily occurrence, if not more often, when we were all home during covid), doing yoga together or riding a bike inside or outside.

Other easy ideas are reading books or listening to audio books; doing something creative like drawing, painting or knitting; talking to a friend; playing games; or playing with or petting your pet.

Mental Health Center Kids has a list of 101 different self-care activities that are great for kids if you need more ideas. Have your kids (at home or in the classroom) make a list of activities they like to do and use that list as a reminder when things get stressful or even when they say they’re bored.

Do you have tips for encouraging self care among kids? I’d love to hear them!

[Photo: Self Love Rainbow]

Free Printable Christian Gratitude Journal As you delve into the pages of the Christian Gratitude Coloring Journal, you’ll find not only a creative outlet but also an opportunity to deepen your relationship with your faith. Rediscover the joy of slowing down, appreciating life’s little wonders, and nurturing your connection with the divine. Allow this journal to be a beacon of light that illuminates your path towards spiritual growth and genuine contentment.

Leif Erikson Day is celebrated on Oct. 9, and it’s a great time to learn more about the Vikings and why we still remember Erikson all these years later.

If you don’t know about Leif Erikson (sometimes spelled Eriksson), he’s believed to have been born in Iceland, and is considered the first European to set foot on continental America, more than 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

123 Homeschool 4 Me has a printable mini book about Leif Erikson and the Vikings for kids to read and color. It talks about who the Vikings were, what kind of ships they used, how they got to America and more. It’s a good overview for younger kids to use.

A good unit study is available from Simple Living Creative Learning, which includes a page where kids can write what they know, what they want to learn and what they learned through the unit, as well as information on the Vikings, longships, helmets, clothing and more.

Get a printable Viking unit study with reading passages, comprehension questions and other activities aimed at grades 4-8 from Creative Classroom Core at Teachers Pay Teachers. (And see more Vikings content from TPT here.)

Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus has some great unit study ideas, too, including suggested books and videos. The post includes information about the Viking voyages, society, mythology and ships, as well as some vocabulary and a list of famous Vikings. While you’re over there also check out her free printable lapbook, which includes mini books on ships, a timeline, a Viking women coloring page, draw your own Vikings, geography, ancient runes and more.

Piqolo Kids has a lesson on Viking women with (available for purchase) worksheets about a day in the life of Viking women. Even if you don’t grab the printables there’s some good resources on that page and a link to a video on Viking women.

Learn how to draw a Viking ship with instructions from Drawing How to Draw, or grab Vikings coloring and labeling worksheets from Kids Puzzles and Games.

There’s a Leif Erikson Festival annually in Norway, Michigan, which you can learn more about here.

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