Fear detective work, brave step planning and balanced thinking are the main skills running through this children’s anxiety workbook. It is designed for kids who feel worried, nervous or scared and need a gentle, structured way to explore what is happening, rather than simply being told not to worry.
The printable pages include a fear detective activity where children draw or write about a fear, tick what happens when they avoid it, rate the worry on a 1 to 10 fear thermometer, and think about what they would like to do if the fear disappeared. The language is child-friendly and the prompts are clear enough for use with younger children who may need adult support.
A separate worry thoughts worksheet helps children look at common “what if” thoughts, ask whether the thought is helping, gather evidence for and against the worry, and create a more balanced thought. Parents, carers, school counsellors, ELSAs, primary teachers and child therapists could use it as a CBT-informed anxiety worksheet for worries about school, separation, social situations, mistakes, new activities or trying something difficult.
The brave steps ladder introduces graded exposure in a simple way, with space for one goal, five steps from easiest to biggest, and a reward plan for completing a step. It may be especially useful for children who avoid feared situations, as it breaks a large goal into manageable actions and gives adults a visual way to plan and review progress.
The workbook is most suited to primary-age children, though some younger teenagers who like visual, low-pressure activities may also find it approachable. The pages could be printed for one-to-one support, therapy homework, school wellbeing work, family conversations about anxiety, or calm practice before tackling a feared task. Author credit is shown as Edita Stiborova.
