Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
The Shrinking Worry Comic: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
The Shrinking Worry Comic is a free printable PSHE worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children draw a worry blob and show it getting smaller from panel to panel as they try calming ideas. They then retell the story aloud. 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 tell a short picture story about a worry. The comic starts with a big worry blob. As the panels go on, the blob gets smaller each time the character tries something calming, such as slow breathing, talking to someone they trust or moving their body. Children also draw a calming idea of their own. In the last panel they show how the character feels. There are boxes for drawing or notes.
- 1. The worry blob appears. Draw it big.
- 2. Slow breathing. Draw the blob smaller.
- 3. Talk to someone you trust. Smaller again.
- 4. Move your body. Stretch, walk or jump.
- 5. Your own calming idea. Draw it.
- 6. The blob is tiny. Show how they feel.
How the comic helps children talk about worries
Turn a feeling into a shape
A worry can feel hard to describe. Drawing it as a blob gives children something to look at and point to. They can make it big, small, spiky or smooth.
Show change over time
The blob shrinks panel by panel. Children see that a feeling can change, and that what we do can help it change.
Choose their own idea
One panel asks for a calming idea of their own. This lets children say what works for them, not only copy what is on the page.
Retell with first, next and finally
Retelling the comic to a partner builds spoken sequencing. It also gives children a calm, low pressure way to talk about feelings through a character.
Why talk about worries in PSHE?
Every child feels worried sometimes. It might be about school, friends, a new place or something that is hard to name. In PSHE, children learn to notice feelings, name them and find ways to cope. Primary schools in England teach about mental wellbeing as part of health education, and this includes talking about feelings and simple ways to manage them.
Children aged 7 to 8 can usually say more about their feelings than they could a year or two earlier, but they still find it easier through pictures and stories. Drawing a character, not themselves, can feel safer. It lets children practise ideas for calming down before they need them, so the ideas feel familiar on a harder day.
This sheet is a gentle practice activity. It is not a replacement for support. If a child seems very distressed or a worry does not ease, talk to them calmly and speak to their teacher, the school's pastoral lead or your GP.
Skills and curriculum link
- Naming calming strategies
- Sequencing a story
- Talking about feelings
- Drawing to show ideas
- Retelling with first, next, finally
Ideas to help you talk about worries
- Worries are normalEveryone has worries, children and adults. A worry does not mean something is wrong with you.
- Feelings can changeA big feeling does not last for ever. Children can learn that it can get smaller.
- Different ideas suit different peopleWhat calms one child may not calm another. Let children choose and explain what feels right for them.
- Saying it can helpPutting a worry into a picture or words can make it easier to share with someone.
Key words
- WorryA feeling of being nervous or upset about something that might happen.
- CalmFeeling quiet and settled inside.
- StrategyA plan or idea that helps you do something. A calming strategy helps you feel calmer.
- PanelOne box in a comic. Each panel shows one part of the story.
- CaptionThe short words under or in a panel that tell you what is happening.
- TrustTo feel safe with someone and believe they will listen and help.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2 for yourself, as it has the notes and answers.
- Read the panel captions aloud together. Ask your child what they think the worry blob might look like.
- Let your child draw the story, one panel at a time. Stick figures and scribble blobs are fine.
- Ask them to retell the comic to you or a partner using the words first, next and finally.
- Check against page 2 and talk about each choice. Come back another day, because repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let your child use a simple stick figure and a scribble blob. Talk through each idea aloud before they draw it. Do one panel at a time and stop for a chat. Ask, "What could the character do next?"
To stretch confident children
Add speech bubbles to each panel to show what the character says or thinks as the worry shrinks. Then invent a new character with a different worry, and draw a second comic with calming ideas of their own.
Make it a game
Fold the sheet into a toolkit card. One child acts out a calming strategy without speaking. A partner guesses which panel it matches. Swap roles, and take turns until every strategy has been acted out.
Talk about it
- What does your worry blob look like, and what colour is it?
- What does the character do first, next and finally?
- Which calming idea would you choose first, and why?
- Who is someone you trust that you could talk to?
- What is your own calming idea? How did you think of it?
- How does the character feel in the last panel?
Take it off the page
Worry blob play dough
Roll a big ball of play dough to be a worry. Squash it smaller as you say a calming idea for each press. Talk about how it feels to make it smaller.
Calm corner
Make a small calm space with a cushion, a book and a soft toy. Let your child decorate a card listing their favourite calming ideas to keep there.
Strategy charades
Take turns to act out calming ideas, such as stretching, slow breathing or walking. Guess what each one is and say when it might help.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go and let them lead. Listen more than you advise. If they draw a worry of their own, thank them for sharing it and stay calm. Short, relaxed sessions work best.
Teachers
Use it as a PSHE starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, supply cover or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Pair children to retell the comic, and use page 2 for support and stretch in mixed groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider PSHE plan and pair it with books, outdoor play and everyday talk. It works well for brothers and sisters together, and you can return to it a few weeks later as a gentle check in.
Where this fits in PSHE
Before this sheet, younger children learn to name basic feelings such as happy, sad, angry and scared. They also learn that they can ask a trusted adult for help. These first steps give them words to describe how they feel.
After this sheet, children can go on to explore feelings in more depth. They can compare calming strategies, recognise when to ask for help and think about how to support a friend who feels worried. Older children move on to more complex feelings and ways to look after their mental wellbeing.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is The Shrinking Worry Comic for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Children in nearby year groups can also use it, with more support for younger ones and speech bubbles or extra detail for older ones.
- What will children practise?
Children practise choosing and describing calming strategies for worries by telling a short picture story. They also practise sequencing a story and talking about feelings, using the words first, next and finally when they retell it.
- How do I use it?
Read the panel captions aloud. Children draw the story, then retell it to a partner using first, next and finally. Work through it together the first time, then check against the notes on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Let children use a simple stick figure and a scribble blob. Talk through each idea before they draw. Do one panel at a time and stop for a chat in between. Drawing skill does not matter here.
- What if my child draws a worry that is real?
Stay calm and listen. Thank them for sharing it and ask gentle questions. If the worry is serious or does not ease, speak to their teacher, the school's pastoral lead or your GP for further support.
- Is it free and do I need colour?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No colour is needed. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and children can add colour with pencils if they like.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a PSHE starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or in a wider plan, and print it again for brothers, sisters or a later revisit.
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.