Morning Meeting for Anxious Students — K-2

Teacher Says

Put your hands together like a butterfly. Open and close them slowly. Now touch your butterfly to your neighbor's butterfly and whisper 'Good morning.'

Teacher Says

Rub your hands together until they feel warm. Now gently hold your neighbor's hands for a moment and say 'I'm glad you're here today.'

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Link pinkies with your neighbor and say 'I promise to be a good friend today.' Then give a little pinky shake.

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Turn to your neighbor. Gently bump elbows and say 'Hello, friend.' Then do the same with the person on your other side.

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Wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a big hug. Now look at your neighbor and say 'Good morning.' You're safe and welcome here.

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Give a tiny wave — just with your fingers. Now whisper 'Good morning' to the person next to you. Quiet and kind is just right today.

Teacher Says

Let's take one deep breath together. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. Now smile at your neighbor and say 'Good morning.'

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Hold up a peace sign to your neighbor. They hold one up back. Now touch your peace signs together gently and say 'Peace and good morning.'

Teacher Says

Show me a thumbs up if you're feeling okay, or a thumbs to the side if you need a little extra kindness today. Now give your neighbor a gentle thumbs up.

Teacher Says

Gently put your hand on your neighbor's shoulder and say 'Good morning, friend.' Then they do the same to you. Slow and gentle.

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Pretend your finger is a feather. Very gently touch your neighbor's hand with your feather finger. Now they do it to you. Whisper 'Good morning, friend.' Soft and gentle is perfect.

Teacher Says

Close your eyes. Imagine a big, fluffy cloud. Breathe in and make the cloud bigger. Breathe out and let it float away. Open your eyes, look at your neighbor, and say 'Good morning' softly.

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Make a heart shape with your hands. Hold it up and show it to your neighbor. They make a heart back. Now touch your hearts together gently. No words needed — your heart says it all.

Teacher Says

Wrap your arms around yourself like a cozy cocoon. Give yourself a little squeeze. Now slowly open up your arms and wave to your neighbor. Say 'Good morning. I'm here.'

Teacher Says

Hold up your hand like a star. Make a quiet wish for your day. Now touch your star to your neighbor's star and whisper 'Good morning.' Your wish is safe.

Teacher Says

Move your hand toward your neighbor in super slow motion. When your hands finally touch, whisper 'Good morning' in the slowest voice you can. No rush at all today.

Teacher Says

Draw a rainbow in the air with your finger. Nice and slow. Now draw one for your neighbor in front of them. Whisper 'Good morning — you make the day colorful.'

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Hold this smooth pebble in your hand. Feel how cool it is. Pass it to your neighbor gently and say 'Good morning.' When you hold the pebble, take one deep breath before passing it on.

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Open your arms wide but don't touch anyone. Send an invisible hug through the air to your neighbor. They catch it and hold it tight. Say 'I sent you a hug. Good morning.'

Teacher Says

Use the tiniest voice you have. Say 'Good morning' so quietly only your neighbor can hear. They say it back just as tiny. Sometimes small voices are the bravest.

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Hold your hand up high. Let it float down slowly like a leaf falling from a tree. When it lands on your lap, look at your neighbor and say 'Good morning.' Everything is okay.

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Gently tap your own shoulders like little raindrops — tap, tap, tap. Now tap your neighbor's hand softly two times and say 'Good morning, friend.' Raindrops are gentle, and so are we.

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Cup your hands together like a little bird's nest. Pretend there's a tiny bird inside. Show your nest to your neighbor and whisper 'Good morning, little bird.' We'll keep things safe and gentle today.

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Hold your hands up and wiggle your fingers softly like snowflakes falling. Let your snowflakes land on your neighbor's hands. Whisper 'Good morning, snowflake.' Soft and quiet is just right.

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Pretend you're pulling a warm blanket up to your chin. Take a deep breath under your cozy blanket. Now peek out, see your neighbor, and whisper 'Good morning.' You're safe and warm here.

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Turn to your neighbor. Put your hand on your own tummy. We're going to take three slow breaths together. Breathe in — feel your tummy go out. Breathe out — feel it go in. One more time. Now smile at your partner and say 'Good morning, buddy.'

Teacher Says

You don't have to get up or talk loud right now. Just wave from your seat. Wave to one person. Now wave to someone across the room. Now wave to me! That's our greeting. A wave says 'I see you and I'm glad you're here.' Good morning, everyone.

Teacher Says

Hold your hands out in front of you. Rub them together slowly until they feel warm. Now gently press your warm hands on your cheeks. Feels nice, right? Now reach out and give your neighbor the softest, gentlest high-five ever. Whisper 'Good morning.'

Teacher Says

Press your feet flat on the floor. Feel how strong the ground is underneath you. Put your hands on your desk. You have your spot. It's your safe place this morning. Now look at the person next to you in their safe spot and say 'Good morning. I'm right here.'

Teacher Says

Close your eyes. Breathe in and imagine you're breathing in your favorite color. It fills you up and makes you feel good. Breathe out and blow away any yucky feelings. Do it twice more. Open your eyes, smile at your neighbor, and say 'Good morning!'

Teacher Says

Turn to your neighbor. Give them two thumbs up and say 'Good morning — you've got this!' They give you two thumbs up back and say the same thing. Sometimes we all need someone to remind us we can do hard things.

Follow-up Question

Can you draw it in the air with your finger?

Follow-up Question

What do they do that helps you feel better?

Follow-up Question

Can you find something in the room that color?

Follow-up Question

Does it have a name?

Follow-up Question

Has someone ever said something nice to you when you were sad?

Follow-up Question

Can you show us with your body what that looks like?

Follow-up Question

What sounds do you hear there?

Follow-up Question

What do you think it would feel like?

Follow-up Question

Why does looking at it help?

Follow-up Question

Who was it?

Follow-up Question

What makes that person feel safe to be around?

Follow-up Question

How did your tummy feel right before you did it?

Follow-up Question

Does that sound feel loud or gentle?

Follow-up Question

What would the shield look like?

Follow-up Question

What helped you stop being afraid?

Follow-up Question

Can you show your partner right now?

Follow-up Question

Can you think of a way to help someone else feel safe too?

Follow-up Question

Where do you usually hear that song?

Follow-up Question

Let's try one together right now.

Follow-up Question

What color do you want to feel by the end of today?

Follow-up Question

Could you try your partner's idea next time you feel worried?

Follow-up Question

Practice saying those kind words to your partner right now.

Follow-up Question

How could you help someone else feel safe too?

Follow-up Question

Can you and your partner make a plan to help each other when things feel hard?

Follow-up Question

What else could you do besides using words?

Steps

1. Stand up and squeeze your whole body tight. Fists, shoulders, face. Squeeze!
2. Hold it... hold it...
3. Now let everything go! Be a floppy ragdoll.
4. Shake out your hands. Shake shake shake. Shake your feet too.
5. Stop. Stand still. Take a big breath in and let it out.

Steps

1. Sit in your chair. You are a little turtle.
2. Something scared the turtle! Pull your shoulders up to your ears and tuck your chin down.
3. Curl up small like you are hiding in your shell. Squeeze tight.
4. The scary thing is gone. Slowly peek out. Drop your shoulders. Lift your head.
5. Stretch your arms out wide. You are safe. Take a slow breath.

Steps

1. Cup your hands like you are holding a warm mug of cocoa.
2. Smell the cocoa. Breathe in through your nose. Mmmm!
3. Now blow on it to cool it down. Breathe out slow through your mouth.
4. Smell again... nice and yummy. Blow again... gentle and slow.
5. Three more times. Smell... and blow... Now take a pretend sip!

Steps

1. Hold up one finger. That is your birthday candle.
2. Hold up your other hand. That is a pretty flower.
3. Smell the flower. Big breath in through your nose.
4. Now blow out the candle. Slow breath out through your mouth.
5. Do it four more times. Smell the flower... blow out the candle...

Steps

1. Sit tall. Take a big breath in through your nose.
2. Now breathe out and hiss like a snake. Ssssssssss.
3. Try to make the hiss last a really long time. Ssssssss.
4. Again! Big breath in. Loooong hiss out. Sssssssssssss.
5. Two more snake breaths. Feel how calm you are now.

Steps

1. Sit still and look around the room.
2. Find five things you can see. Point to each one quietly.
3. Now find four things you can touch. Touch each one.
4. Listen. Can you hear two sounds?
5. Take one big breath. You are right here and you are okay.

Steps

1. Sit in your chair. Put both feet flat on the floor.
2. Press your feet down. Feel the floor under your shoes.
3. Push a little harder. Feel how strong the floor is.
4. Now wiggle your toes inside your shoes. Can you feel each one?
5. The floor is holding you up. You are safe right here.

Steps

1. Close your eyes. Imagine you can see thought bubbles above your head.
2. What is in your bubble right now? Just look at it.
3. Now imagine that bubble floating away. Up, up, up into the sky.
4. Here comes another bubble. Look at it, then let it float away too.
5. Open your eyes. You do not have to hold onto every thought.

Steps

1. Pretend there is a small box on your desk. It is your worry box.
2. Think of something that is bugging you. Pick it up with your hands.
3. Put it in the box. Close the lid tight.
4. If you have another worry, put that one in too. Close the lid again.
5. The box is holding your worries for now. You can check on them later.

Steps

1. Close your eyes. Think of a place where you feel happy and safe.
2. Maybe it is your bed. Maybe it is grandma's house. Maybe it is outside.
3. Look around your safe place. What do you see? What colors are there?
4. What sounds do you hear there? What does it smell like?
5. Take a big breath. You can visit your safe place any time you want.

Steps

1. Make your hands into the tightest fists you can. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze! Now let them go all floppy like wet noodles.
2. Scrunch your shoulders up to your ears. Tight, tight, tight! Now drop them down. Ahhh.
3. Squeeze your face up like you ate a sour lemon. Now let your face go soft and smooth.
4. Tighten your whole body — fists, shoulders, face, legs, everything! Hold it!
5. Now let it ALL go at once. Flop like a ragdoll. Notice how relaxed you feel.

Steps

1. Hold up your hand like you're holding a big yummy slice of pizza.
2. Mmmm, smell that pizza! Breathe in through your nose. Smells SO good!
3. Oh no, it's too hot! Blow on it to cool it down. Breathe out through your mouth nice and slow.
4. Smell it again — breathe in. Still too hot! Blow on it — breathe out long and slow. Do that two more times.
5. OK, your pizza is cool enough to eat now! Take one more sniff and one more gentle blow. Yum!

Steps

1. Sit up nice and tall. Let your arms hang loose at your sides.
2. Breathe in through your nose and pull your shoulders up, up, up to your ears! Squeeze them there!
3. Now breathe out and let your shoulders DROP. Let them fall all the way down. Doesn't that feel good?
4. Let's do it again — breathe in, shoulders up to your ears. Squeeze! Breathe out, drop them down. Two more times.
5. Last one — big breath in, shoulders way up. Hold it… and breathe out, let them fall. Feel how calm your shoulders are now.

Steps

1. Hold your hands out in front of you and press your palms together. Give your hands a hug!
2. Push your palms against each other. Feel how warm they get. Feel how strong that pressure is.
3. Now squeeze your fingers together tight like your hands are best friends holding on. Hold that squeeze!
4. Slowly let go and pull your hands apart just a tiny bit. Can you feel the tingly warmth between them?
5. Rest your hands on your lap. Notice how warm and calm they feel. That's your body saying 'I'm OK.'

Steps

1. Sometimes we need to tell our brain something brave. Let's practice! Put your hand on your heart.
2. Say this in your head: 'I can do hard things.' Say it again, a little louder in your mind.
3. Now try this one: 'It's OK to make mistakes.' Say it to yourself like you really mean it.
4. Pick your favorite — 'I can do hard things' or 'It's OK to make mistakes.' Say it one more time inside your head.
5. Take your hand off your heart. You just gave your brain a pep talk! You can say those words anytime you feel nervous.

Steps

1. Stand up and cross your arms over your chest like you're giving yourself a big hug.
2. Now cross one ankle over the other — you're a twisted-up pretzel! Squeeze yourself tight!
3. Hold your pretzel shape and take a deep breath in. Squeeze even tighter — you're the tightest pretzel in the bakery!
4. Slowly start to untwist. Uncross your ankles first. Then gently let your arms float apart, nice and slow like you're unrolling.
5. Stand tall with your arms by your sides. Shake out your hands. You went from a tight pretzel to a calm, straight breadstick!

Steps

1. Stand up super tall and stiff! You are a frozen snowman. Arms straight out. Don't move a muscle!
2. Oh no — the sun is coming out! Your head starts to get warm. Let your head droop down slowly.
3. Your arms are melting now! Let them flop down heavy, like wet noodles. Your shoulders are drooping too.
4. Your whole body is melting! Bend your knees, sloooowly sink down, down, down — you're a puddle on the floor!
5. Lie still in your puddle. Feel how relaxed and soft your body is. Take two slow breaths. You melted all your worries away.

Steps

1. Sit tall in your chair and put both feet flat on the floor. Press them down like you're trying to leave footprints. Really push!
2. Keep pressing. Can you feel the floor under your toes? Under the middle of your foot? Under your heels? That's three things already!
3. Now notice — is the floor hard or soft? Cold or warm? Bumpy or smooth? That's three more things about how it feels.
4. Wiggle your toes inside your shoes. Can you feel each toe? Scrunch them up tight, then spread them wide. Your feet are your anchors — they hold you to the earth!
5. Take a breath and press your feet down one more time. Feel how strong and steady the floor is underneath you. It's always there. You're safe and grounded right here.

Steps

1. Put one hand right on your chest. Can you feel your heart beating? It's like a little drum inside you — thump, thump, thump!
2. Let's count your heartbeats. Ready? Count along quietly in your head. Go! One... two... three... keep going until I say stop. Stop! How many did you get?
3. Now close your eyes and just feel it. Don't count — just notice. Is it fast like a rabbit or slow like a turtle? No wrong answer!
4. Take three slow, deep breaths with me. In through your nose... out through your mouth. In... out... In... out. Keep your hand on your heart.
5. Feel your heartbeat now. Is it the same speed or did it slow down? Your breathing just told your heart it's safe to relax. That's your superpower!

Steps

1. Sometimes worries sit on our shoulders like little bugs. Let's get rid of them! Reach up to one shoulder and pretend to pick off a worry. Pinch it between your fingers — got it!
2. Now FLICK it away! Flick those fingers and watch that worry fly across the room — bye bye, worry! Pick another one off your other shoulder and flick that one too!
3. Check your head — any worries hiding in your hair? Brush them off! Shake them out! Check your pockets — flick those worries away too!
4. Now your shoulders are empty. Let's put something good there instead. Reach up and pretend to place something awesome on one shoulder — maybe courage, or silliness, or kindness. Pat it down so it sticks!
5. Put something good on the other shoulder too. Now sit tall with your new good things. Take a deep breath. Worries got flicked away, and good stuff took their place. You're in charge of what sits on your shoulders!

Steps

1. Stand up straight and stiff like a piece of spaghetti right out of the box. Arms at your sides, legs together, stiff as a board!
2. You're UNCOOKED spaghetti! Make yourself as rigid as you can — squeeze your fists, tighten your legs, clench your jaw. So stiff!
3. Uh oh, someone dropped you in the boiling water! You're starting to soften. Let your fingers go loose first...
4. You're cooking! Your arms go floppy, your knees go bendy, your head droops down. Wiggle like wet noodles — bloop bloop bloop!
5. You're fully cooked spaghetti now! Flop down in your chair all loose and wiggly. Let your arms dangle. Ahhhh, that feels so much better.

Steps

1. Hold out one finger in front of you. Imagine the most beautiful butterfly just landed right on your fingertip. Don't scare it!
2. Breathe in very softly through your nose — so quiet the butterfly doesn't even notice. Shhhhh.
3. Now breathe out through your mouth, but make it SO gentle that the butterfly's wings don't even flutter. Soft as a whisper.
4. Again — tiny breath in, like you're smelling the tiniest flower. Tiny breath out, like you're barely fogging a window. The butterfly is staying!
5. One more super gentle breath in... and out... The butterfly feels safe. It's resting on your finger. Lower your hand to your lap. You feel calm too.

Steps

1. Put both of your hands flat on your desk, palms down. Don't move them — just let them rest there.
2. What does the desk feel like? Is it cool or warm? Is it smooth or bumpy? Just notice without talking.
3. Now press your hands down a little harder. Feel the desk pushing back against your hands. Press harder — like you're trying to push the desk into the floor!
4. Now lighten up. Press softly — barely touching. Can you feel the difference? Go back and forth — hard press, soft press, hard press, soft press.
5. Lift your hands up and flip them over. How do your palms feel now? Tingly? Warm? Put your hands in your lap. That calm, grounded feeling stays with you.

Steps

1. Put your hands on your lap, palms down on your legs. Just let them rest there — don't hold them up, just let them DROP.
2. Imagine your hands are made of something really heavy, like rocks. Feel how heavy they are. Feel gravity pulling them down into your lap.
3. Your hands are getting even heavier — like they're made of lead. They're sinking down, down, down. So heavy you couldn't lift them if you tried.
4. Now notice the warm spot where your heavy hands meet your legs. Feel that warmth spreading. Your hands are warm and heavy and still.
5. Take a slow breath. Your heavy hands are keeping you anchored right here, right now. Wiggle your fingers a tiny bit — they're just regular hands again, but you feel calmer.

Steps

1. Close your eyes or look down at your hands. Think of someone who makes you feel safe and happy. It could be anyone — a family member, a teacher, a friend.
2. Picture that person's face in your mind. What do they look like when they smile at you? Imagine them saying 'I'm here for you.' Hold onto that warm feeling.
3. Now think of a second person who helps you feel brave. Picture their face too. What's something nice they've done for you? Put them right next to the first person in your mind.
4. One more — think of a third helper. Maybe someone at school, or someone at home. Now you've got THREE people in your brain who care about you. That's your helper team!
5. Open your eyes. Touch your heart with one hand. Your helper team is always with you right here, even when they're not in the room. You are never alone. Take a calm breath.

Steps

1. Sit up tall. We're going to breathe like a snake! Snakes are very calm and quiet. They don't rush.
2. Take a big breath in through your nose — fill up your belly like a balloon. Hold it for a second.
3. Now let it out through your teeth and make a ssssssssss sound, like a snake. Make it last as looooong as you can. Ssssssssssss.
4. Let's do it again. Big breath in through your nose. Hold it. Now sssssssss it out. Even longer this time! Can you make it last until I snap my fingers?
5. One more time. Biggest breath yet. Hold it. Sssssssssssssss — all the way out until every bit of air is gone. Snakes are so calm. You're calm like a snake now too. Nice and quiet.

Steps

1. Hold your hands up by your face like little bunny paws. Wiggle your nose — you're a bunny!
2. Bunnies sniff really fast. Take three quick little sniffs through your nose — sniff, sniff, sniff! Then one loooong blow out through your mouth.
3. Again! Three quick bunny sniffs in — sniff, sniff, sniff — and one long slow blow out. The sniffs fill you up and the long blow calms you down.
4. Let's do four more rounds. Ready? Sniff-sniff-sniff, bloooow. Sniff-sniff-sniff, bloooow. Sniff-sniff-sniff, bloooow. Sniff-sniff-sniff, bloooow.
5. Put your bunny paws down. Take one normal breath. Notice how your body feels quieter inside. Bunnies look twitchy on the outside, but this breath makes you calm on the inside.

Steps

1. Cup your hands together like you're holding a tiny balloon. This is your worry balloon. It's very small right now.
2. Think of something that is bugging you or making you feel a little nervous. You don't have to say it out loud. Just think it. Now blow that worry into the balloon. Puff! Your hands get a little bigger.
3. Think of another worry — maybe something small. Blow it in too. Puff! The balloon is getting bigger. Open your hands wider. One more worry. Puff! It's a big round balloon now.
4. Hold your balloon up high over your head. Look at it. All your worries are in there, not in your body anymore. Ready? Open your hands and let the balloon go! Watch it float up, up, up to the ceiling and right through the roof into the sky.
5. It's gone! Wave goodbye. Take a deep breath. Your worries floated away. If they come back later, you can always blow another balloon.

Steps

1. Close your eyes or look down at your desk. We're going to build a protective bubble around you. This bubble keeps all the good feelings in and lets the worried feelings bounce off.
2. Imagine the bubble starting at your feet. It's glowing with your favorite color. Watch it grow up around your legs, your tummy, your chest. It goes all the way over your head like a big round dome.
3. Inside your bubble, everything is calm and quiet. You can still hear my voice, but all the stuff that was worrying you bounces right off the outside. Boing! Boing! Nothing gets in that you don't want.
4. Take a slow breath inside your bubble. The air in here is warm and safe. Look around inside your bubble — it's just you, feeling peaceful.
5. Open your eyes. Your bubble is still there, even though you can't see it. It stays with you all day. Whenever something feels scary or too much, remember — your bubble is there. Take one more breath and you're ready.

Steps

1. When a turtle feels scared, what does it do? It pulls into its shell! We're going to be turtles. Sit in your chair and curl up as small as you can — tuck your head, wrap your arms around your knees.
2. You're in your shell. It's safe in here. Everything is quiet. Take three slow breaths inside your shell. In through your nose, out through your mouth.
3. Now the turtle peeks out. Slowly lift your head just a little. Look around. Is it safe? Take another breath.
4. The turtle comes out a bit more. Sit up halfway. Stretch your arms out a little bit. Look around the room. Everything is okay.
5. The turtle is all the way out now. Sit up tall and open your arms wide. You were brave to come out of your shell. Take one big breath. You're safe and strong.

Steps

1. Imagine you have the coziest, heaviest blanket in the whole world. It's your favorite color and it's so warm. Let's wrap up in it.
2. Wrap your arms around yourself in a big hug, like you're pulling that blanket tight. Squeeze yourself gently. Feel the pressure of your own arms.
3. Keep hugging yourself. Rock side to side just a tiny bit, like someone is rocking you in a rocking chair. Slow and gentle. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth.
4. Squeeze a little tighter. Your blanket is keeping all the worries outside and all the safe feelings inside. Three more slow breaths while you squeeze.
5. Slowly unwrap. Let your arms come down to your sides. The blanket is still around you — you just can't see it. It's invisible and it goes everywhere with you. Take one more breath inside your cozy blanket.