My Anger Volcano – A Metaphorical Anger Management Resource for Children and Teens

A powerful visual tool to help young people understand, express and manage their anger.

Anger can be big, loud, and overwhelming, but underneath it all are often a mix of emotions wanting to be noticed. My Anger Volcano is a simple yet impactful one-page printable designed to help children and teens explore their anger and their responses to anger. Through self-reflection and creative expression, this resource supports the development of emotional awareness and self-regulation skills that last a lifetime.

About This Resource

This printable worksheet features a colourable volcano illustration with built-in prompts to help children understand that anger is often made up of many feelings bubbling beneath the surface, just like a volcano.

In the volcano, children are encouraged to think about what makes them angry and name any emotions that build up inside them, such as frustration, jealousy, or fear. In the cloud above, they identify the behaviours or reactions that erupt when those feelings go unexpressed, like yelling, crying, or slamming doors. This helps children connect their feelings to their actions, making space for better understanding and regulation.

Features

• One-page printable with a volcano-themed visual layout

• Colourable design to promote calm and creativity

• Prompts that explore both underlying emotions and outward behaviours

• Easy to use in a variety of settings i.e. home, school, therapy, or group work

• Encourages open discussion and emotional vocabulary development

Benefits

• Helps children identify complex emotions beneath anger.
• Supports emotional literacy by labelling feelings and connecting them to actions.
• Helps children to identify their triggers to explore what leads to outburts.
• Teaches self-regulation and builds healthy coping strategies.
• Encourages mindfulness and reflection through a calm, creative activity.
• Promotes conversation between children and trusted adults about anger and behaviour.
• Reduces shame by normalising big emotions and offering tools to manage them.

How to Use

1. Print the worksheet and offer colouring materials to make the process creative and engaging.

2. Introduce the metaphor of the volcano, explain how anger often builds up slowly with different emotions bubbling inside.

3. Guide the child through the prompts:

   • In the volcano, write or draw what makes them angry and the feelings that build up (e.g., sadness, fear, frustration).

   • In the cloud, describe what happens when those feelings erupt (e.g., shouting, withdrawing, crying).

4. Use the completed sheet as a starting point for discussion, helping the child reflect on their emotional triggers and how they can respond differently in the future.

5. Revisit regularly to track progress, identify patterns, or support ongoing anger management work.

Ideas for Use

• During 1:1 emotional check-ins with children who struggle with big feelings. Use the worksheet as a gentle conversation starter to explore what's been building up inside, helping the child put their emotions into words and reflect in a non-confrontational way.

• As part of anger management programs or SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) in schools. Integrate the resource into structured lessons about managing big emotions, teaching students how anger is often layered with other feelings and how to express themselves more calmly.

• In therapy or counselling to support conversations around emotional regulation. Therapists can use this visual metaphor to help children identify triggers, build emotional vocabulary, and link feelings to behaviours in a way that feels safe and relatable.

• At home, especially after emotional outbursts, to help children and teens reflect on what they were feeling, why those emotions might have built up, and how they responded. Caregivers can use this moment to discuss alternative coping strategies and reinforce emotional understanding.

• In calm corners or behaviour toolkits to encourage independent emotional reflection. Children can be taught to use the worksheet proactively when they start noticing signs of anger, allowing them to process their emotions before they escalate.

• As a follow-up after an emotional outburst, using the worksheet to guide reflection on what led to the eruption. Children can explore what emotions were bubbling underneath, what actions occurred when the “volcano” erupted, and most importantly, how they could respond differently next time. This helps build self-awareness, accountability, and future-focused problem-solving skills.

My Anger Volcano is a visual, child-friendly anger management tool that helps children and teens explore the triggers and emotions that fuel their anger and the behaviours that erupt when it overflows. With its calming design and simple prompts, this printable encourages self-awareness, healthy expression, and emotional growth, making it the perfect resource for any emotional well-being toolkit.

Download now and help your child turn eruptions into understanding.