Positive thinking activities for kids: The Best Bad Day Ever

We have an awesome book for you in our book club today, The Best Day Day Ever which is a lovely exploration of how both positive thoughts and negative thoughts can have an impact on our day. This book is a great way to introduce kids to the idea of how a negative attitude may permeate through out day if we don’t keep an eye out for the positive emotions that we have throughout the day.

In order to get this eBook for free – just sign up to our Shelf Care Book Club – if its a different book as you are reading this a little time later – don’t worry, it’ll still be awesome!

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Check out the Amazon Store we have for more of the books in our club, and maybe check out the articles for even more fun for the kids to be involved with.

Before we explore the activity sheets – let’s take a look at the book. If you are a member of the book club now, you will get an eCopy of this for free, if not though, the good news is that you can pop over to Amazon and check the book out? You can still use these activity ideas at home and in lessons.

The Best Bad Day Ever

Together, they discover that sometimes, all you need to chase away the grumps is someone who understands. This is a wonderful way of helping to understand the concept of empathy, as well as the ideas around negative and positive thinking. Not to mention the importance of connection, whether that is with a parent, a friend, nature, or our favourite pet.

This book isn’t just about having fun; it’s a lovely wee tale about finding friendship in unexpected places. It can help to teach our kids that it’s okay to feel out of sorts and that sharing those feelings with a friend might just turn a gloomy day into a bright adventure. There is also a little lesson in there about how perspective on our day can make a big difference to how we feel, but it IS in our power to turn those feelings around. Sometimes with a little help, or even a few positive words from a trusted friend that just gets us.

Perfect for young readers and their parents, this story shines a light on the ups and downs of childhood moods and the magic of friendship. It is also a gentle reminder that everyone has their off days, and that’s perfectly alright.

What do the activity sheets look like?

We know that you like to see what fun activities we have for you within our sets for the book club and beyond, so we have a summary of the ideas and activities for you below, including some of the images of them too – we’ve got colouring sheets to start with of course:

One of the great ways to foster emotional intelligence in young minds is to encourage them to reframe their perspectives and see good things in difficult situations. The “Half Full or Half Empty” activity helps children understand how their mindset influences their experiences. This is a classic example of the power of positive thinking, illustrating how viewing a situation in a more positive light—seeing the glass half full—can transform their emotional response. it isn’t about just making positive statements though – if we are feeling down, its also about understanding that supporting family members, and friends just by listening can be really helpful. It is worth chatting about this with older children as you go through the activities too.

Our “Two Sides to Every Story” exercises shows children that events can be expressed in both negative and positive terms. This means that children can notice how the same events can be seen with very different lenses. This activity highlights that situations are neutral, and it’s our interpretations that can colour them with emotions. By focusing on positive aspects, children can cultivate a more positive attitude, helping them navigate stressful situations with a healthier outlook. It isn’t about ignoring the negative though; it is about reframing it.

Building gratitude practise

Teaching children to appreciate the small, everyday joys is vital for their emotional well-being. Small things can bring lots of pleasure too – it doesn’t have to be those big, all encompassing events. There is joy in lots of things if we are open to looking for it. For example, in the “It’s Cloudy…” and “…But That Means” activities, we are encouraging children to find silver linings. For instance, a rainy day might cancel a trip to the park, but it also offers an opportunity to enjoy indoor activities like reading or creative arts. These exercises help children develop a very simple gratitude practice. This can, over time, lead them to become more resilient to negative emotions and develop a positive outlook in daily life.

Positive affirmations and friendships

It is worth chatting to older kids about how they have experienced some of these ideas – for example, just adding one word to “I can’t do this” so it becomes “I can’t do this NOW” can make a big difference to our perspective on not being able to get something right first time, or even after a few times! Anything that supports the flip from a fixed mindset is a bonus!

Self-confidence is something that we all strive for, even as adults. It is important to try and help out children to strive for it too. Children can learn to act according to their values, pursue new skills, and recover from setbacks when they have self confidence and a more positive outlook on their abilities to succeed. We have included an “Affirmations” section within our activities, so that children can create positive mantras, which are helpful for nurturing positive self-talk skills. This simple way of rewiring thought patterns can have a positive impact on how we perceive ourselves and face challenges.

Beyond self-awareness, emotional intelligence involves understanding and empathising with others. Our final activity – focuses on this. The “Helping a Friend” activity gives children an opportunity to think about supportive things to say to a friend experiencing a bad day. This helps develop empathy and social skills, enabling them to think about the importance importance of positive interactions in maintaining their relationships and even supporting other people’s positive mental health.

Building confidence

By learning to reframe their thoughts, accept that our lives can involve both ups and down, appreciate the present, boost their self-confidence, and support others, children are better equipped to handle difficult times and enjoy more positive experiences. Through such positivity activities, they can achieve a more fulfilling and emotionally resilient life.

Download your activity sheets now

To download this activity pack – just click on the button or the image below and the pdf is yours:

We hope that you like this idea for our Shelf care book club. Don’t forget to check out all the other books that we have had in the club over the last 12 months. All books are available from Quarto Group, and the activities can also be done anytime with these books, regardless.

All our book club books to date – 2024

• April 2024: The Cat Who Couldn’t Be Bothered – This heart-touching read brings to light how sadness can manifest in the most unexpected ways, all through the story of a cat with a big heart and a little bit of laziness.
• March 2024: I Love Books – A celebration of the joy of reading, this gem encourages little ones to tackle challenges head-on and grow their resilience along the way.
• February 2024: Thing at 52 – A tender narrative that gently navigates the themes of grief, loneliness, and the warmth of friendship, perfect for helping young minds grasp these complex emotions.
• January 2024: Lunar New Year – Immerse yourself in the vibrant celebrations of the Chinese New Year with this colorful and educational story.

Our 2023 book list for the club

• December 2023: Monsters at Christmas – Join a quirky cast of monsters as they take you on a whimsical ride through the festive season!
• November 2023: Lost – A touching tale providing guidance and comfort to children feeling lost, both in the physical world and within their emotions.
• October 2023: Once Upon a Witch’s Broom – Discover the valuable lessons in mistakes and failures, all while flying high on a witch’s broom.
• September 2023: One Little Word – A powerful story emphasizing the strength and impact of saying ‘sorry’, teaching kids the importance of apology and reconciliation.
• August 2023: The Hare-Shaped Hole – Navigate the challenging waters of grief with this sensitive and understanding story, perfect for young readers dealing with loss.
• July 2023: We’ve Got This – An uplifting book all about the power of empathy and understanding, showing kids that when we support each other, anything is possible.
• June 2023: What a Day – End the day on a peaceful note with this book, offering a mindful moment for bedtime that both kids and parents will cherish.
• May 2023: Courage Out Loud – Shout-out to bravery with this inspiring story, encouraging kids to face their fears and speak up with courage.
• April 2023: Hot Cross Bunny – A delightful Easter tale blending friendship and springtime adventures with a lovable bunny at its heart.
• March 2023: Our Tower – Celebrate the strength and beauty of community with this beautifully illustrated story, showing how together, we can achieve wonders.
• And our kickoff story, February 2023: Beware of the Blue Bagoo – A whimsical reminder of the importance of looking beyond the surface, proving that things are not always what they seem.

Sign up to our Shelf Care book club now

Each of these books has been carefully crafted to not only entertain but also to enlighten, comfort, and inspire our little readers and their families. Our book club remains one of the most popular activities on the site. Members love to come back and re-read our books, and do the activities again.

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Join the Shelf Care Children’s Book Club now

Why not pop over to the Amazon store to buy some of the books that we have covered. We pick all the books with the view that they will help and support kids in their journeys to developing strong emotional intelligence as they grow. Emotional intelligence is a skill that is under-rated in a child’s life. Help your child to develop it from an early age in fun ways that are engagement so that they feel more confidence navigating different situations in their lives. From younger children to older kids, we hope there are books that will enable you to share valuable lessons with your kids.

Share the book club too, where you can, as after all – it is FREE to you all – and so are the activities as well.

More fun activities to try out

If you are looking for other activities on the site that are supportive and helpful for your kids, check out some other ideas. We have some great emoji based activities, which are loads of fun for kids. Don’t forget to check out the other printables too. Alongside our charts, anything from the personalised certificate maker, or the bingo card generator. 

Our resources are free to you at the point of use. We do have over 150 others ideas on our premium site as well, which is also free to join. All we ask in return in your email address – and 90% of the premium site is free. Bargain right?

We do realise that you don’t want to just chill on our site, and you like to explore more of what we have too. Why not take a look at some of the other resources out there that are relevant to supporting positive thinking in our children, and the classroom? These are just some more ideas for you from other awesome kid sites that we know and love:

Keep in touch if you can

Keep track of what we are doing by signing up to our weekly newsletter. We try and release new resources regularly, and have ideas for more tools for you to use coming up too. Why not share in the comments, or contact us. We’d love to hear more ideas from you on what you might like to help and support you and your children/classroom with?

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Thanks, as always, for your support around our site, and we’d love to see you back again soon. It means a lot to us all here that you come back and see us regularly. We really hope to see you exploring our free resources again soon. We love giving our resources to you for free, so keep coming back to share the love.

Take care,

Helen

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