Throw unhelpful thoughts in the bin with our fun Brain Bin downloadable resource! This visualisation activity provides a practical technique to release worries and promote healthier thinking patterns.

About this resource:

The Brain Bin offers a creative approach for children to manage their thoughts and worries. Children are encouraged to write down their upsetting or unhelpful thoughts and then imagine throwing them away in the brain bin. This visualisation activity helps children acknowledge their thoughts and ‘let go’ of negative thinking patterns.

Key Features:
• Prompts children to write down and ‘discard’ unhelpful thoughts
• Visual representation of releasing worries and negative thinking

Benefits:
• Thought Management: The Brain Bin helps children let go of their thoughts and helps to prevent overthinking.
• Self-Regulation: By visualising the act of throwing away negative thoughts, children learn to regulate their emotions and reduce anxiety.
• Effective Communication: The activity encourages children to express their thoughts and emotions, leading to open communication with trusted adults.
• Increased Resilience: By actively discarding unhelpful thoughts, children build resilience and can learn to develop healthier coping mechanisms.
• Positive Mindset: Releasing worries through the Brain Bin promotes more positive thinking – with their negative thoughts in the bin, the positive ones have room to grow.
• Empowerment: Children gain a sense of control over their thoughts and emotions, empowering them to navigate challenging situations with greater confidence.
• Improved Well-Being: The Brain Bin promotes a healthier mental state, leading to enhanced overall well-being and emotional stability.

If your child has a great imagination, the visual aspect of throwing their unhelpful thoughts away can be extremely powerful – this is something they can practise anywhere. You could even create your own physical brain bin and ask children to write down their thoughts, scrunch them up and toss them away!