[Printable] What Can I Control? Coloring Activity

Regulating emotions is tough - for all of us. And understanding (and accepting) what's in and out of our control is a powerful tool to help.

In our students, learning to control feelings is an important lesson that will guide them through decision-making, personal relationships, and cause-and-effect consequences - both now and throughout their lives. And because we at VariQuest want to continue to help you fill your teacher toolbox with valuable learning - and in this case, social-emotional learning - supports, we've designed this fun coloring activity as a picture diagram of recognizing things both in and out of an individual's control - to help with this learning process!

Download this printable coloring sheet, designed for elementary and special education students' social-emotional learning, and use it as a poster in your classroom, a desktop student art project, or as a reminder for their journals! 

VariQuest customers can download this template from the VariQuest Resource Center for printing as a poster-sized visual on your VariQuest® Perfecta® Poster Design System!

Here are some ideas on how you can use this coloring poster/sheet:

Wall Hanging in Your Classroom

Place the "What Can I Control?" poster on your classroom wall, for use as a reference point when students are trying to manage big feelings. Consider making it a class lesson/discussion by covering up the text with post-it notes and having students share scenarios of events and whether or not those things are within or outside of their control.

Example: "When someone is gossiping or talking negatively about me," - that is outside of our control, but how we react to it, is within our control. (One is outside the bear vs. inside the bear depicting what's "in" and "out" of our control.)

Student Art Project/Coloring Activity

Give each student a print-out of the coloring sheet for their desks, to be used as an activity during downtime, a brain-break, or as an art project they complete and hang on the hallway wall. You could also print out extra sheets for a classroom calming corner as an additional reminder or reinforcement tool. Coloring by itself is a great way to help students re-focus and re-center especially when needing to find calm.

As a Take-Home Resource or Journal Support

Send this coloring sheet home with students in a take-home folder as a resource to discuss with their parents and families, or print a small sticker version on the VariQuest Motiva® 400 Specialty Printer to place in an interactive notebook or journal and have students reference it whenever an emotional event or reaction occurs that they need help managing.

Interested in more social-emotional learning content from VariQuest? Check out this blog, Social-Emotional Learning Lessons & Activities for the Whole Child, for more resources you can use in your classrooms and learning communities.

Want to learn more about the VariQuest Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Suite and how it can make creating activities like these easier with time-saving templates and content? Contact us for a no-obligation demonstration with one of our expert education consultants today!