When I see a kiddo for their first therapy session, I usually give them an easy, getting-to-know-you assignment to complete before their second session.  For kiddos who are dealing more with emotional issues than behavioral, I like to have them make a list of 5 things that make them feel happy, 5 things that make them feel sad, 5 things that make them feel worried, and 5 things that make them feel mad.

This list is a great way to “break the ice” and going over it is beneficial for building rapport.  It also helps give me an idea of their knowledge and awareness of emotions.  Additionally, it’s easy to fit in questions about how they cope with the situations, which also gives me an idea of how they are at coping with emotions.

To make the assignment more fun, I created an easy worksheet with the Inside Out characters for kids to take and fill out.  Some kids are turned off when they hear the words “assignment” or “homework,” but show them a piece of paper with an Inside Out character on it, and it doesn’t seem so bad. 🙂

Here’s what the worksheet looks like:

Printable version here.