From Activity Time instructions, to Classroom Ideas and more, find mental health focussed resources for your classroom during October and beyond, assisting students with communication, literacy and expression. Only available to active subscribers, Story Box Library’s Resources showcases the best in Story Box Library’s additional educational offerings. Linked to stories in our growing digital collection and with easy-to-use search filters, the Resources page helps educators, library staff, and professionals find and access the tools they need. 


Classroom Ideas

Explore downloadable Classroom Ideas for stories that encourage discussion and provide opportunities for students to explore and understand emotions and feelings.

What To Say When You Don’t Know What To Say by Davina Bell

  • Create a 'what to say' poster.

  • Discuss different situations at school that we can sometimes find challenging - times when we feel frustrated, sad, angry, nervous or shy - and make a list of these together as a class.

  • Which ideas from the book, or our own ideas for what to say, could be used to help in these situations?

  • Further prompts and templates for this story can be found here. 


My Shadow is Pink by Scott Stuart

  • Create a description of your own 'inner-most' self using ‘My Shadow’ template. 

  • Students might like to include a rhyming pattern like the author Scott Stuart used in his story, to create a rhyming verse.

  • Further prompts and templates can be found here. 


Don’t forget to use the advanced search filters under the ‘Social and Emotional Wellbeing’ category in the Classroom Ideas area of the Resources section to find suitable resources for different age groups, related to specific areas of this topic. 

Topics include: Anxiety and resilience, worries and fears, self esteem and confidence, inclusion and exclusion, acceptance and belonging, mindset, identity and values, change and transition and many more.


‘Emotions and Wellbeing’ Units of Work for Lower Primary and Middle Primary 


Each unit contains five lessons centred around different stories to explore themes of emotions and feelings.

Encouraging hands-on learning opportunities and collaboration between students, Story Box Library’s Units of Work are comprehensive thematic lessons linked to the Australian curriculum.


Including ready-made printable resources and story suggestions, Units of Work are ready for the classroom, to be used as a sequence or individually. Units of Work are only available to active Story Box Library subscribers via the Resources page here.


Mindfulness activities for early years and younger children  

Don’t Forget by Jane Godwin

Create a memory jar. 


I Saw Pete and Pete Saw Me by Maggie Hutchings

Create your own ‘sunshine feelings’ chalk painting.


Be Careful, Xiao Xin! by Alice Pung. Available in English and Mandarin.

Think of a time when you’ve felt brave.