Monthly Skill Building Activity 

Predict & Plan

This activity helps students become more aware of their emotions and how they can respond to them in a balanced way.

What You’ll Need:

• Paper or a journal

• Colored pencils or markers

Instructions:

1. Weather Report Your Emotions: Ask the students to think about their emotions as different types of weather. For example:

   • Sunny = Happy, Calm

   • Stormy = Angry, Frustrated

   • Cloudy = Sad, Worried

   • Windy = Nervous, Anxious

   • Rainbow = Grateful, Optimistic

2. Have them draw a weather icon (or just describe it) that represents how they are currently feeling or how they’ve been feeling throughout the day.

3. Predict the Weather: Ask them to think about what might happen later today, tomorrow, or during the week that could affect their emotions. What do they predict their “emotional weather” will be like? Encourage them to write down these predictions, such as “I might feel stormy before my math test” or “I’ll probably feel sunny after hanging out with friends.”

4. Plan for Emotional Storms: Once they’ve identified potential emotional challenges (like "storms" or "windy days"), have them brainstorm coping strategies that can help them regulate those emotions. They could list things like:

   • Taking deep breaths

   • Counting to 10

   • Listening to calming music

   • Talking to a friend or teacher

5. Review & Reflect: At the end of the day or week, have them look back at their "forecast." Were their predictions accurate? Did they use any coping strategies to help manage their emotions? What worked best?

Purpose:

This activity encourages self-awareness by making emotions more visual and relatable. It also helps students plan ahead, making them feel more in control of their emotional reactions and better equipped to handle tough moments.

Here are three simple coping strategies that students can use in the "Feelings Forecast" activity to help manage their emotions:

1. 4-7-8 Breathing:

• How it works: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds, and then slowly exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times.

• Why it helps: This deep breathing technique can calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and help them feel more grounded.

2. The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique:

• How it works: When they feel overwhelmed, they can focus on:

  • 5 things they can see

  • 4 things they can touch

  • 3 things they can hear

  • 2 things they can smell

  • 1 thing they can taste

• Why it helps: This strategy shifts focus away from emotional distress and anchors them in the present moment, helping to reduce anxiety.

3. Positive Distraction:

• How it works: Engage in an activity they enjoy, like drawing, listening to their favorite song, or going for a short walk.

• Why it helps: Sometimes, taking a break and focusing on something enjoyable can help reset emotions and create space to think more clearly.

These coping strategies can be included in their "Feelings Forecast" plan, helping them feel more prepared to manage any emotional "storms" that come their way!