Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Coping Super Cards: Free Printable Card Set for Year 5

  • ForYear 5
  • StageKey Stage 2
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Coping Super Cards is a free printable card set for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children design four strategy cards, then use them to battle six everyday scenarios, giving a reason for each choice. It needs only paper and a pencil. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and answers.

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, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children fill in four strategy cards. Three begin with a strategy already named: slow belly breathing, talking to a trusted adult and moving your body. The fourth is their own idea to name. Each card has prompts about speed, energy and where the strategy could be used. Then comes the battle. Six scenarios, from reading aloud to feeling left out, ask children to choose a card and say why. Pairs can compare their choices.

  • Card 1: Slow belly breathing. Draw it. Speed? Energy? Where?
  • Card 2: Talk to a trusted adult. Draw it. Speed? Energy? Where?
  • Card 3: Move your body. Pick a way. Speed? Energy? Where?
  • Card 4: Your own idea. Name it. Speed? Energy? Where?
  • Scenario 1: You must read aloud and your heart is racing.
  • Scenario 2: You feel cross after a falling out at break.
  • Scenario 3: You cannot sleep because of tomorrow's test.
  • Scenario 4: Your team lost and you want to shout.
  • Scenario 5: You feel left out in a busy room.
  • Scenario 6: A worry has stayed in your head all week.

Why talk about coping strategies?

Everyone has difficult feelings, such as worry, anger or feeling left out. Knowing a few ways to cope helps children feel more in control. No single strategy suits every feeling or every place. Some can be done quietly at a desk. Others need space, or another person. Children learn by trying strategies out and noticing what each one is like to use.

Comparing strategies asks children to think about how a strategy works, not only to name it. Prompts about speed, energy and place give them simple tools for comparing. Giving a reason turns a guess into reasoning. Hearing a partner choose a different card shows that people cope in different ways, and that there is often more than one sensible answer.

This sheet is for everyday feelings. It is practice, not a replacement for support. If a child seems very upset, has been worried for a long time, or the feelings affect sleep or school, talk to their teacher, the school pastoral lead or a GP. Some scenarios may feel close to home, so let children pass on any they would rather not discuss.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Comparing strategies
  • Giving reasons
  • Self awareness
  • Listening to a partner
  • Making choices

Ideas for helping children think

  • Name the feelingPutting a word to a feeling, such as nervous, cross or lonely, is a good first step. A child who can name it can start to think about what might help.
  • Notice the bodyFeelings often show in the body, such as a fast heartbeat, tight shoulders or restless legs. Asking where a child notices a feeling helps them pick a strategy.
  • Try it outA strategy is easier to choose when you have tried it. Let children practise their cards when they feel calm, so they are familiar when things feel harder.
  • More than one cardMany situations can be helped by more than one strategy. Encourage children to say why they chose a card, and to listen when a partner chooses differently.

Key words

  • CopingFinding ways to manage a difficult feeling or situation.
  • StrategyA plan or method you can use to help with something.
  • ScenarioA short story about something that could happen.
  • Trusted adultA grown up you feel safe with and can talk to about a worry.
  • ReasonThe because part of a choice. It explains why you picked it.
  • Self awarenessNoticing what you feel and what you need.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Read the card prompts together. Let your child draw or write on each of the four cards, including naming their own idea for the fourth.
  3. Cut out the cards if you want to use them in the battle. Read the first scenario aloud and ask which card to play.
  4. Work in pairs if you can. Each player gives one reason for their choice, then the partner may challenge it politely.
  5. Check the notes on page 2, then come back another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Offer a word bank: breathe, talk, walk, draw, music. Fill in the Speed and Energy prompts together with your child. Start with one scenario and talk it through before moving on. Drawing a card is fine if writing feels hard.

To stretch confident children

Ask which scenario could have two good winning cards, and why. Then design a fifth card that could beat a tricky scenario. Explain to a partner how it works and where it could be used.

Make it a game

Score one point for each reason that fits the scenario. Partners can challenge a choice and suggest a better card, but must give a reason too. Swap roles each round. The player with the most points after all six scenarios wins.

Talk about it

  • Which of your cards would you use first, and why?
  • Can you think of a time when a strategy helped you feel calmer?
  • Did you and your partner choose the same card? What was different about your reasons?
  • Which strategy can you use anywhere, and which one needs a special place?
  • Who are the trusted adults you could talk to at home and at school?
  • What would your own idea card look like for a different feeling?

Take it off the page

Strategy poster

Make a poster of your four cards with drawings. Put it somewhere you can see it, so you can look at it when you need a reminder.

Feelings charades

Take turns acting out a feeling without words. The others guess the feeling and suggest a strategy that might help.

Calm corner plan

Draw a plan for a calm corner at home or in class. Label what you would put there and which strategy it would help you use.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Listen to their reasons without correcting them. Choose a calm moment, not straight after an upset, so they can think clearly about the feelings.

Teachers

Use it as a PSHE starter, plenary or table activity. Pairs work well for the battle round. Page 2 offers support and stretch ideas for mixed groups, and the cards can be kept in books or on a class display.

Home educators

Pair it with a walk, a book about feelings or a chat over a drink. Brothers and sisters can play the battle together. Print again for a later review, and let children add new ideas to their own card.

Where this fits

Before this, children usually learn to name feelings and notice how their bodies react. They talk about who they can ask for help. That gives them the words they need to describe a strategy and say when it might be useful.

After this, children can build a personal set of strategies and talk about how they change as they grow. They can look at supporting a friend, asking for help and thinking about how feelings affect choices at school and at home.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Coping Super Cards for?

It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10) in Key Stage 2. Younger children can join in with adult help. Older children can use the stretch idea to go further.

What will children practise?

Children compare coping strategies for difficult feelings and explain which one suits a situation. It supports PSHE health and wellbeing through short, focused talk, drawing and writing.

How do I use it?

Children complete the four cards first. Then they battle each scenario in pairs, giving one reason per choice. Work through it together the first time, then check the notes on page 2.

What if it feels too hard?

Offer a word bank: breathe, talk, walk, draw, music. Rate Speed and Energy together with an adult. Start with one scenario, talk it through, and come back to the rest another day.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or a later review with the same child.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add their own colour when they draw on the cards if they like.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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