Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Pack a Hero's Backpack: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Pack a Hero's Backpack is a free printable PSHE worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children read four qualities, tick two, then draw a moment for each. For every quality they show how a hero uses it and how they could use it too. 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 meet four qualities: courage, patience, kindness and honesty. Each has a short description in child friendly words. They tick the two they want to work on. Then they use the boxes for each chosen quality. In one box they draw or write how the hero uses it. In the other they show how they could use it themselves. Pictures and short notes are both fine.
- Courage: trying even when I feel scared
- Patience: waiting calmly for my turn
- Kindness: helping someone who is sad
- Honesty: telling the truth
- Quality 1: the hero uses it
- Quality 1: I could use it
- Quality 2: the hero uses it
- Quality 2: I could use it
Why talk about qualities in Year 2?
In PSHE at Key Stage 1, children learn about themselves, their feelings and how to get along with others. Talking about qualities such as courage, patience, kindness and honesty gives them words for things they already do every day. A child who can say, I waited for my turn, is starting to notice their own choices. That is a useful first step.
A hero is a gentle way in. Children often find it easier to talk about what a character does than to talk about themselves. On this sheet they first show the hero using a quality, then show themselves. Drawing helps too. Young children can show an idea in a picture before they feel confident writing it down.
Skills and curriculum link
- Naming qualities
- Drawing ideas
- Thinking about choices
- Talking about feelings
- Linking qualities to everyday moments
Ideas for talking about qualities
- Start with a storyPick a favourite book or film character. Ask what the character did that was brave, kind, patient or honest. Then ask what a child could do in a similar moment.
- Use feeling wordsAsk how a person might feel before, during and after a moment. Words like nervous, proud, upset and calm help children explain their pictures.
- Keep drawings simpleStick figures and quick sketches are enough. The idea matters more than the artwork. Children can add a word or a speech bubble to show what is happening.
- Link to home and schoolAsk for small everyday moments, such as sharing at tea time, waiting in a queue or tidying up. These are easier to picture than big, far away adventures.
Key words
- QualitySomething good about the way a person acts or thinks.
- HeroSomeone we look up to because of what they do. A hero can be from a story or from real life.
- CourageTrying even when I feel scared.
- PatienceWaiting calmly for my turn.
- KindnessHelping someone who is sad.
- HonestyTelling the truth.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for the grown-up.
- Read the four qualities aloud. Ask your child what each one means in their own words.
- Let your child tick two qualities. For each one, they draw or write how the hero uses it and how they could use it.
- Talk about the pictures together. Ask what is happening, who is there and how everyone feels.
- Check the notes on page 2. Come back another day and choose a different pair of qualities.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Act out each quality together before any drawing. Pretend to try something you feel nervous about, or comfort a toy that is sad. Let your child tell you their idea first, then draw it. Stick figures are fine, and a single word can count as a note.
To stretch confident children
Write one sentence under each box beginning with the word because. Swap sheets with a friend and see whether you chose the same qualities for different reasons. Then add a third quality of your own on the back, with a drawing.
Make it a game
Take turns acting out one of the four qualities without speaking. The others guess which one it is. The person who guesses right acts next. For a harder round, act out a moment when the quality is needed and talk about it.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child cannot choose and wants to tick all four.
Try thisSay it is fine to like them all. Ask which two feel most like them today. Come back another day and choose a different pair.
Watch forA child draws only the hero, or draws the same picture twice.
Try thisAsk what they would do at home or at school. Add a small everyday moment, such as lining up or sharing a toy, to the second box.
Watch forA child says a quality is too hard to draw.
Try thisDraw two people and add a speech bubble or a face showing how they feel. Writing one word beside the picture is also fine.
Talk about it
- Which two qualities did you pick, and why?
- What is the hero doing in your picture?
- How do you think the hero feels?
- When could you use this quality at school?
- Has someone ever shown you this quality? What happened?
- Which quality would you like to get better at?
Take it off the page
Act it out
Make up a short play with a toy or a puppet that needs one of the four qualities. Let your child decide what the puppet should do next.
Backpack of words
Fold a piece of paper into a backpack shape. Write or draw qualities you would like to carry with you, and say why each one is useful.
Spot the moment
At the end of the day, each person shares one moment when someone was kind, patient, honest or brave. Say the quality out loud.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Read the qualities aloud, then listen to their ideas before they draw. Short sessions work best. Praise their thinking, not only their pictures.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity in PSHE. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a favourite picture book or a walk, and talk about qualities you notice along the way. It is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit with a different pair of qualities.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this sheet, children in Reception and Year 1 talk about feelings, taking turns, sharing and being kind. They learn simple words for how people feel and how they treat each other. This sheet builds on that by naming qualities and linking them to choices.
After this sheet, children can describe qualities in more detail and explain why they matter. In later years they think more about responsibility, how their choices affect others, and how to be a good friend and a good member of a group.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Pack a Hero's Backpack for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Younger children can join in with a grown-up, and older children can use the stretch idea to add reasons to their pictures.
- What will children practise?
Children practise naming personal qualities such as courage, patience and kindness. They link each one to an everyday choice by drawing a moment for the hero and a moment for themselves, which supports PSHE work.
- How do I use it?
Read the four qualities aloud first. Children tick two, then draw the hero and themselves in each box. Talk about their pictures afterwards. Work through it together the first time, then let them try alone.
- What if it feels too hard?
Act out each quality together before drawing. Let your child tell you their idea and then draw it. Simple pictures, single words and stick figures are all fine, so keep the pressure low.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or for another go with a different pair of qualities a few weeks later.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour to their drawings with pencils or crayons if they want to, but it is not needed.
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.