Many times a week working as a school counselor, I help students manage their emotions. I work with pre-k students through 5th grade at an elementary school. When I see students individually, one item I like to use is Temper Tamers in a Jar. I think this jar works well with any grade level, I just sort the cards and may change the wording depending on the age of the student.

The cards in the jar help encourage group conversations about positive methods for managing anger and other emotions. Counselors and parents can also utilize the cards to discover calming techniques for handling stressful or other challenging moments.

There are several cards in the jar. There are Act it Out cards and What Would You Do, Share and Tips.

Act It Out – There are 10 cards, and the student is given a situation to act out, providing ways to deal with the scenario.

What Would You Do? – 30 cards with difficult scenarios that challenge the student to determine how he or she would act in a given situation.

Share – 30 cards that ask the student to share a story.

Tips – These 30 cards provide tips on how to handle and manage anger.