“Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry! I can get ahead of myself. I'm Anxiety, one of Riley's new emotions, and we are all super jazzed to be here. Where can I put my stuff?” [Holds up several suitcases] – Anxiety from Inside Out 2 (2024)
Anxiety in children is on the rise, often fueled by challenges they encounter at school, at home, or in the media they consume. The Brink says “Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the United States for adults. And since the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety that interferes with daily life has risen in young people, making everyday activities like going to school and socializing difficult and more stressful.” Kids have a much harder time than adults understanding the complicated nature of anxiety. But thankfully, more and more efforts are being made to address childhood anxiety. Schools are pivotal in helping children find safe, effective coping mechanisms for these complicated feelings. Arts activities for social-emotional learning (SEL) are extremely effective in supporting children in understanding and managing their emotions.
Kids were able to put a name to that pesky feeling when Anxiety made her on-screen debut in Inside Out 2. This film is a great example of how the character Anxiety opens the doors to conversations about childhood fears, allowing children to personify and externalize their worries, making them easier to process and manage. By using the arts as a bridge to social-emotional learning, kids gain tools to navigate their feelings creatively and build resilience through self-expression.
Arts as a Path to Self-Awareness and Self-Management
Social emotional learning (SEL) activities encourage kids to develop self-awareness and self-management—key skills in understanding and regulating emotions like anxiety. According to the Institute of Arts Integration and STEAM, the arts offer natural connections to SEL, as they allow children to explore their thoughts and feelings through creative expression.
For example, students can use a STEAM art curriculum that integrates drawing, music, or movement to safely explore and express emotions. These activities allow them to process complex emotions, build self-confidence, and practice self-regulation. Music and movement, visual art, and role-playing are all effective ways for children to explore their inner world and connect with others more meaningfully.
Practical Arts Activities to Help Manage Anxiety
Here are a few practical arts activities for social-emotional learning that teachers can use to help students navigate anxiety:
Music & Movement for Mood
Music is an incredible tool for managing stress and helping kids “move” through difficult emotions. Choose songs that represent a range of moods and ask students to match the music’s tone with movements—slow, fluid motions for calm songs and energetic gestures for upbeat tunes. This activity helps children connect body movement to mood regulation, providing a creative outlet for their anxiety.
Role-Playing with Characters like ‘Anxiety’
In a structured classroom setting, students can act out scenarios involving a character like “Anxiety” from Inside Out 2. Through this role-play, they can safely express their feelings, discuss what might trigger anxiety, and think of ways to comfort and calm the character. This SEL lesson helps students with self-awareness and empathy as they learn that their peers may also experience anxiety and that it's a common, manageable feeling.
Color and Emotion Drawing
Visual art provides children with a non-verbal way to express their feelings. Have students choose colors to represent their moods and create abstract artwork. They can share their art with classmates if they feel comfortable, sparking discussions about different emotions and helping normalize feelings of anxiety or stress. This activity promotes social awareness and empathy, as students recognize that others may also experience complex emotions.
These social-emotional learning activities for elementary students offer a productive way for kids to engage with their emotions. The arts allow children to express and even understand what words might not capture, creating pathways toward emotional resilience.
A Path Forward: Using the Arts to Manage Anxiety
By bringing arts activities for social-emotional learning into the classroom, educators provide children with powerful tools for managing anxiety. Not only do these activities promote emotional awareness and resilience, but they also create a safe and collaborative learning environment.
Booksicals Literacy & The Arts Kits: A Comprehensive SEL Tool
For teachers looking to integrate SEL activities into their classroom in a structured way, Booksicals’ Literacy & The Arts Kits provide a complete package. Each kit includes eight lesson plans in art, music, dance, theater, and writing, all connected to a story from one of Booksicals' picture books. Additionally, each digital kit comes with a play script, a sing-along soundtrack, a musical video, a dance instructional video, and 9 arts-based lesson plans that engage students from K-5 in unique SEL and STEAM arts curriculum that fosters self-expression and creativity.
By using these kits, teachers have ready-to-go SEL lessons for elementary school students that meet the five core competencies of social-emotional learning, such as self-management and relationship skills. Booksicals’ kits make it easy for teachers to focus on SEL while seamlessly incorporating literacy and the arts.
If you’re ready to see the difference the arts can make, explore Booksicals’ Literacy & The Arts Kits. These resources provide everything you need to create an emotionally supportive classroom that nurtures creativity, curiosity, and confidence.
Sources:
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/why-are-kids-struggling-with-anxiety-more-than-ever/