Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Back to School Worries Cards: Free Printable Card Set for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Back to School Worries Cards is a free printable card set for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children cut out the cards, pick one and talk about it with a grown up. The cards name everyday worries, such as not knowing anyone or getting lost, and there are two happy starters about looking forward and feeling happy.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children cut out the cards and spread them on the table. Each card is a short question or sentence starter. Some name a worry, such as what if I get lost, or what if I miss home. Others begin with happy thoughts: I am looking forward to, and I feel happy when. A child picks a card and says what they think and feel. The grown up listens. No card is right or wrong.
- What if I do not know anyone?
- What if I get lost?
- What if I miss home?
- What if the work is hard?
- What if I need the toilet?
- What if I cannot find my friends?
- What if I forget something?
- I am looking forward to...
- I feel happy when...
Setting up a calm card chat
Cut out the cards
Children can cut along the lines with child safe scissors, or a grown up can do it. Spread the cards out so your child can see them all.
Pick a quiet spot
Choose a time when nobody is rushing. A sofa, a table or the floor all work. Put phones and screens out of sight.
Start with a happy card
Begin with I am looking forward to or I feel happy when. It makes the chat feel safe before you reach the harder worries.
Why talk about school worries?
Starting a new school year is a big change, even for children who have done it before. A new class, a new teacher and a different classroom can all bring mixed feelings. It is normal for a child to feel excited and nervous at the same time. Year 2 children can often say how they feel when they have a simple prompt to help them find the words.
Saying a worry out loud can help it feel smaller and easier to manage. Cards help because a child can point to a worry instead of explaining it from scratch. They also show that other children may feel the same way. PSHE at primary level includes learning about feelings and mental wellbeing, and short, calm chats like this support that learning at home or in school.
This sheet is for everyday worries. If a worry feels big, or does not ease over time, tell your child's class teacher or school so they can help. Do not rush to fix a worry on the spot. Listening is the main job.
Good to know about feelings
- Everyone feels worried sometimes, including grown ups.
- You can feel nervous and excited at the same time.
- Feelings are not good or bad. They are just feelings.
- Telling someone about a worry can help it feel smaller.
- A worry can feel big in your head and then feel easier once you have a plan.
Skills and curriculum link
- Naming feelings
- Talking about worries
- Listening
- Asking for help
- Thinking ahead
What children will be able to do
- I can name a worry I have.
- I can say how a worry feels.
- I can tell a grown up about it.
Ideas for the grown up
- Listen firstLet your child finish before you say anything. A pause often gives them time to add more. Try not to jump in with a fix.
- Name the feelingOffer words such as nervous, shy, unsure or excited. A bigger feelings vocabulary makes it easier for children to explain themselves.
- Say it is normalTell your child that many children have worries about school. You can share a time you felt nervous and what helped you.
- Keep it light and shortStop when your child has had enough. You can come back to the cards another day. A calm tone matters more than finding answers.
Key words
- WorryA thought about something that might happen, which makes you feel uneasy.
- FeelingWhat you notice inside, such as happy, sad, nervous or excited.
- NervousA bit worried or jumpy about something new.
- Looking forwardFeeling pleased about something that is going to happen.
- ListenPay attention to what someone says and wait until they have finished.
- PlanA set of things you decide to do to help with a problem.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
- Cut out the cards together. Spread them out and let your child look at them before choosing.
- Work through the cards together the first time. Ask your child to pick one and say what they think. Talk about each choice.
- Check the notes on page 2 for ways to help or stretch. Praise your child for sharing, not for any particular answer.
- Come back to the cards another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let your child pick a card and just listen. Do not rush to fix it. If talking feels hard, start with a happy card, or let them point to a card instead of speaking. Stop when they have had enough and try again another day.
To stretch confident children
Make a plan for each worry. Pick a card, then ask your child what they could do if it happened and who could help. Write or draw the plan beside the card. Children can read their plans aloud to a grown up.
Make it a game
Finish by drawing a picture of a good thing about school. Children can share it with the grown up and say why they chose it. Display the picture at home, or keep it in a school bag to look at.
Talk about it
- Which card is closest to how you feel today?
- What does a worry feel like in your body?
- Who at school could you ask for help?
- What is one thing you are looking forward to?
- What helps you feel calm when you are nervous?
- What would you say to a friend who had this worry?
Take it off the page
Pack the school bag
Pack the bag together a day early. Talk through what goes in it. Having a plan can make it easier to feel ready.
Draw my classroom
Draw the classroom you are going to, or the one you remember. Add the people and places that feel friendly.
Story time
Read a picture book about starting school or feeling nervous. Pause to ask how the characters might feel and what could help them.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child and let them lead. Start with a happy card. Listen without hurrying to fix things. Stop when they have had enough. Come back before term starts or after a hard day.
Teachers
Use the cards as a circle time starter, a settling in task or a table activity in the first weeks of term. They need no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Notes on page 2 help with support and stretch.
Home educators
Add the cards to your PSHE or wellbeing plan around a new term or a change of routine. They sit well with picture books, drawing and outdoor play. Reuse them with brothers and sisters, or whenever a new worry appears.
Where this fits in PSHE
Before this, younger children learn to name simple feelings and to understand that people feel different things. Setting class rules and learning about kind behaviour also helps children feel they belong. Class Rules Poster sits one year down in the same subject.
After this, children can look at how to cope when things feel hard, and how trying again helps them learn. Growth Mindset Spinner sits one year up in the same subject. Both use short chats that grow into a habit of talking about feelings.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Which worry card is closest to how you feel?
- Who could you talk to about it?
- What might help you feel a bit better?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Back to School Worries Cards for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Younger or older children may also enjoy talking through the cards, as they are open sentences that children can answer in their own way.
- What will children practise?
Children practise naming a worry, saying how it feels and telling a grown up about it. They also practise listening. The cards help children find words for feelings that can be hard to explain.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and cut out the cards. Sit with your child, let them pick a card and listen. Work through it together the first time. Use the notes on page 2 if you want help or stretch ideas.
- What if it feels too hard?
Let your child pick a card and just listen. Do not rush to fix it. You can begin with a happy card, or stop and come back another day. There is no pressure to finish.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another class, and use it whenever a new worry comes up.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as circle time, a starter, a plenary or a table activity at the start of term. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting, and page 2 has notes for support and stretch.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can colour the cards in if they want to, but it is not needed for the activity to work.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.