Pick one of these eight anger management activities to practise with a child aged 6–12. Use toys, drawings or a pretend situation to help them spot anger early, ask for help, set a limit or work out what to do afterwards. Each activity shows what to put on the table, what to say and what the child does.
Practise when the child is settled. If they’re already overwhelmed, pause and focus on safety and support. Anger is a feeling; when something is unfair or unsafe, adults may need to change the situation.
1. Spot the first sign of anger
You need: Two sticky notes and a pencil.
- Set it up. Draw a puzzle on the first note. Say, “Mia is doing a puzzle. Another child keeps leaning over it. Mia grips the puzzle tray.”
- Give the child a turn. Ask, “What did Mia do just before she got really angry?” Let the child circle Mia’s hands in your drawing or act out gripping the tray.
- Practise the next step. On the second note, draw what Mia could do next. Offer two choices if needed: ask for more room or point to an adult. Act out the choice once.
What it looks like: The child points to Mia’s hands, then practises saying, “Can I have more space?”
Make it easier: Use toy figures and let the child point instead of drawing.
2. Decide who can help
You need: Three cards labelled I can do something, I need an adult, and Both.
- Set it up. Lay out the cards. Say, “Ravi is angry because someone keeps teasing him at lunch. Which card fits?”
- Give the child a turn. Let the child place a counter on a card and tell or show you why. Ask, “What could Ravi do right now? What does an adult need to do?”
- Practise the next step. Write one action next to each person. Read the two actions back so it is clear who does what.
What it looks like: Ravi moves near the lunch supervisor. The supervisor listens, records what happened and follows up on the teasing.
Make it easier: Read the cards aloud or use pictures. Keep real incidents private in a group.
3. Make and practise a help card
You need: A blank card and a marker.
- Set it up. Ask, “If it’s hard to talk, what would you like an adult to know?” Help the child write or draw one message on the card.
- Give the child a turn. Agree what you will do when they show it. Say, “When you show me this, I’ll stop talking and give you a choice: space or help.”
- Practise the next step. Pretend you are giving instructions. The child shows the card; you do what you agreed. Ask, “Did I do what you needed?” Identify a backup adult for the real setting.
What it looks like: Eli draws a blue square for ‘too noisy’. The teacher agrees to offer a quieter seat. Eli practises showing the square without speaking.
Make it easier: Use an existing gesture or communication device. Confirm that the adults who will see the signal know how to respond.
4. Try two ways to reset
You need: A chair in a quieter spot and room to stretch.
- Set it up. Ask the child to choose two things they could try when they want a break. Say, “Let’s test them now, while we’re settled.”
- Give the child a turn. Try the first option briefly. Give a simple instruction such as “Point to the green pencil.” Ask, “Did that feel easier, harder or the same?” Repeat with the second option and a similar instruction.
- Practise the next step. Have the child choose one option to try another day, or say neither helped. Write down when they can ask for it.
What it looks like: Noah likes stretching but finds it easier to hear directions in the quieter chair. He chooses to ask for that seat during noisy work.
Make it easier: Use child-chosen options; don’t create noise or frustration to test them. Judge usefulness by what the child reports, not how quiet they look.
5. Say stop and practise what to do if it doesn’t work
You need: Two figures and a ruler.
- Set it up. Use the figures to show one child borrowing the other’s ruler without asking. Say, “What could this character say or show to ask them to stop?”
- Give the child a turn. Model “Please ask before you take it.” The child can say the words, hold up a stop hand or direct your figure to do it.
- Practise the next step. Run the scene again with the other figure taking the ruler anyway. Ask, “Who could help now?” Act out asking that adult rather than grabbing the ruler back.
What it looks like: Tahlia’s figure says “Please ask first.” When it happens again, she moves her figure to the teacher and says what happened.
Make it easier: Keep the scene fictional. The child can direct both figures without having to confront anyone.
6. Show an adult what to say when you’re upset
You need: Two cards with adult replies; invite a caregiver if appropriate.
- Set it up. Say, “Imagine your paper tears after you’ve worked hard on it.” Read two replies: “What happened? Why are you upset?” and “That was frustrating. Want space or help?”
- Give the child a turn. Ask the child to point to the reply they’d prefer or make up a third. Ask, “Should the grown-up come closer, stay here or step back?”
- Practise the next step. The adult rehearses the chosen words and movement. The child can say or point to what they’d change. Agree on one thing the adult will try.
What it looks like: The child picks “Want space or help?” and asks the adult to say it once, then wait instead of moving closer.
Make it easier: If the adult isn’t there, model the replies yourself. The child shouldn’t have to coach an adult while upset.
7. Choose a way to put things right
You need: Toy blocks and two slips of paper.
- Set it up. Show a figure knocking over a shared block tower. On one slip write ‘What happened?’ and on the other write ‘What could help now?’
- Give the child a turn. Ask, “What was affected?” Let the child point to the tower, the other figure or both. Ask them to pick a practical repair.
- Practise the next step. Act out offering the repair. Play the other figure saying, “I need some space.” Help the child practise accepting that answer and choosing what they can still do.
What it looks like: The child offers to help rebuild. The other figure says no for now, so the child leaves the pieces nearby and gives them space.
Make it easier: Offer picture choices. Don’t require an apology or use a real incident before the child is ready.
8. Plan how to rejoin after a break
You need: Paper and a pencil.
- Set it up. Divide the paper in two. Label the sides ‘Try a small step back’ and ‘Change the activity’. Say, “Imagine you left a noisy game. What could you do after the break?”
- Give the child a turn. Help the child draw one option on each side. Ask what an adult could say to offer both choices privately.
- Practise the next step. Pretend the break is ending. Offer the two choices once and let the child point, decline or ask for more time. Practise following their choice.
What it looks like: Hana draws herself keeping score for one round on one side and playing a quieter version later on the other. She points to the quieter game.
Make it easier: Use a picture choice board or offer watching first. Check whether the activity itself needs changing.
Use these activities alongside other skills
For broader thought, feeling and behaviour work, see CBT activities for children. If the child wants to practise stopping and switching actions in neutral play, see impulse-control games for kids. For older clients, use the separate anger management activities for teens.
If prepared pages would save setup time, the Anger Management Worksheets for Kids PDF includes a body map, anger thermometer, trigger sorting and a cool-down toolbox for ages 6–12. It complements the exercises above; the eight activities here can be run with ordinary materials.
Common questions
What is a good first anger activity for a six-year-old?
Use figures to show one manageable situation and pause before the character acts. Ask the child to point to a clue or choose what an adult could do. One short turn is enough. Drawing or naming a body sensation is optional.
Can I use these in a school group?
Use fictional stories, let children pass and practise adult help signals without naming real peers or incidents. Arrange individual follow-up when something needs attention. Avoid making one child’s distress a demonstration for the group.
Should I offer a worksheet during a meltdown?
Practise later, when the child is ready. In the moment, focus on safety and support and avoid piling on questions. If a previously agreed visual cue helps the child communicate, offer it without requiring a response.
How can I tell whether an activity helped?
Choose one observable change together: the child could ask for space, the adult followed the plan, or a repair was offered without pressure. Ask the child whether the support felt useful. A quiet child may still be distressed; quietness is not the outcome by itself.
Source and scope
The NHS guidance on helping children with anger discusses noticing early signs, identifying triggers and involving supportive adults. The activities and fictional examples here are original practice ideas, not a validated treatment package or a substitute for individual assessment.