Art Therapy Worksheets For Kids

As someone who is always around kids, I can vouch that they experience big emotions every single day—joy, frustration, worry, excitement, anger, sadness. Unfortunately, they don’t always have the words to explain what’s going on inside. For many kids, especially young children, talking about their feelings can feel overwhelming or confusing. That’s where these art therapy worksheets for kids can make a powerful difference.

These art therapy worksheets that I am about to share with you today will give children a safe, creative way to explore emotions. Build emotional awareness, and practice important life skills like kindness, responsibility, sharing, and self-regulation.

Instead of being asked to “talk it out,” children are invited to draw, color, and create, which often feels more natural and less intimidating.

So, in this post, we’ll explore what art therapy worksheets are, why they’re so effective for kids, and how you can use them at home or in the classroom. I’ll also share a thoughtfully designed Art Therapy Worksheets for Kids pack, now available in my Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) storefront, that will make social-emotional learning simple, engaging, and meaningful.

So What Are Art Therapy Worksheets for Kids?

Art therapy worksheets are guided activities that combine creative expression with emotional learning. While they’re inspired by therapeutic principles, they don’t require a therapist to use them. Instead, they provide gentle prompts that help children:

• Identify and name their emotions

• Understand big feelings like anger or worry

• Learn healthy coping strategies

• Practice kindness, sharing, and responsibility

• Build confidence and positive self-talk

These worksheets are especially helpful for children who struggle to express themselves verbally, feel easily overwhelmed, or benefit from visual and hands-on learning.

Why Art-Based Emotional Learning Works So Well?

1. Kids Communicate Through Art – Young children often express their feelings through drawings long before they can explain them with words. Art allows emotions to come out naturally and safely, without pressure to say the “right” thing.

2. It Reduces Emotional Pressure – When kids are asked direct questions like “Why are you upset?”, they may shut down. Art therapy worksheets shift the focus from talking to creating, which feels calmer and more inviting.

3. It Builds Emotional Awareness – When children connect colors, images, and symbols to feelings, they begin to recognize emotions in themselves—and eventually in others.

4. It Encourages Self-Regulation – These art therapy worksheets focus on calming strategies, reflection, and emotional control, helping kids learn what to do when feelings feel too big.

Key Skills Art Therapy Worksheets Help Develop

Art therapy worksheets support a wide range of social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, including:

• Emotional identification and expression

• Coping with anger, frustration, and worry

• Kindness and empathy

• Sharing and cooperation

• Responsibility and independence

• Positive self-talk and confidence

• Mindfulness and calm-down strategies

Because these skills are practiced through creativity, children are more engaged and more likely to remember what they learn.

How to Use These Art Therapy Worksheets?

These worksheets are incredibly versatile and easy to use. Here are a few simple ways to incorporate them into daily routines:

At Home

As a parent or caregiver at home, you can:

• Use one worksheet during quiet time or after school

• Sit with your child and talk gently about their artwork

• Use them during emotional moments as a calming activity

In the Classroom

As a teacher, you can:

• Add them to morning work or SEL lessons

• Use them during circle time or calm-down corners

• Pair them with discussions about feelings and behavior

In Counseling or Small Groups

As a counsellor or therprist, you can:

• Use worksheets as conversation starters

• Allow kids to share only what they’re comfortable with

• Focus on validation, not correction

Art Therapy Worksheets for Kids (TPT)

To make emotional learning easy and accessible, I’ve created a set of 15 Printable PDF Art Therapy Worksheets and Activities for Kids that focus on big feelings, kindness, responsibility, and emotional regulation—all through art-based activities.

This printable resource is now available in my Teachers Pay Teachers storefront and is designed to be print-and-go, with no prep required.

SHOP ART THERAPY PRINTABLE PDF ON TPT

What’s Included in the Art Therapy Worksheets Pack?

As I mentioned above, this set includes 15 engaging worksheets, each with simple, child-friendly directions and open-ended creative space:

1. My Feelings Are Colors – Express emotions using color

2. Big Feelings Volcano – Understand anger and emotional buildup

3. Calm Down Jar – Create personal coping strategies

4. Kindness Garden – Explore kindness and empathy

5. Sharing Superhero – Practice sharing and cooperation

6. Responsibility Tree – Learn responsibility through growth imagery

7. Emotion Faces – Identify and recognize emotions

8. My Safe Place – Reduce anxiety and build emotional safety

9. Feelings Weather Report – Daily emotional check-ins

10. Kind Words Mirror – Build positive self-talk and confidence

11. What I Can Control – Learn emotional responsibility

12. My Heart Is Full When… – Practice gratitude and joy

Each worksheet is black-and-white, printer-friendly, and designed for first, second, third, and fourth-grade students with flexibility for older or younger children.

Why Teachers and Parents Love This Resource?

Here are some common reasons parents, teachers, and counselors love this resource.

These worksheets and activities:

✔ Encourages emotional expression without pressure
✔ Easy to use at home or in the classroom
✔ Supports SEL standards naturally
✔ Helps kids feel seen, heard, and understood
✔ Promotes calm, confidence, and connection

These worksheets aren’t about “fixing” emotions—they’re about helping kids understand them.

Supporting Kids Beyond Academics

In today’s world, I strongly agree that children need more than academic skills.

They need tools to handle emotions, build relationships, and develop resilience.

These Art therapy worksheets provide a gentle, effective way to support the whole child.

Whether you’re a parent trying to help your child navigate big feelings, a teacher building an SEL routine, or a counselor supporting emotional growth, these worksheets offer a meaningful way to connect with kids where they are.

SHOP WORKSHEETS ON TPT!

Art Therapy Worksheets For Kids

Art gives children a voice when words feel hard. With the right tools, we can help kids learn that all feelings are okay, that they have choices when emotions feel big, and that kindness—toward themselves and others—matters.

Art therapy worksheets are more than just printables. They’re conversation starters, calming tools, and confidence builders—and they can make a real difference in a child’s emotional world.

Pin These Art Therapy PDF Printables For Kids

Make sure to save these activities to your SEL Pinterest board so that you can easily access them when needed. And while on Pinterest, please consider following me – I will absolutely appreciate it.