Penny McFarlane

A vital resource, this set comprising a storybook and adult resource guide is designed for working with children aged 4-9 to manage the big feelings they may have in relation to hidden fears and anxieties. In the quirky and accessible Who’s Afraid of the Monster? storybook, children are introduced to a monster who nobody has seen or heard and a King who pretends to be brave but is in fact very scared. The story shows how, often, the big feelings elicited by the unknown are scarier than the thing itself, and how to manage the feelings associated with these fears. The companion guidebook for use by adults working with children, is divided into three easy to follow parts. Part 1 presents the theory behind how and why big feelings in children arise and how creative art and drama can help. Part 2 contains activities and exercises with photocopiable instructions, as well as a list of resources for each activity and guidelines for safe working. Part 3 offers further activities and ways in which to exploit the story such as discussion points, plays and models. Underpinned by substantiated theory into the stages of children’s emotional development, it offers realistic solutions for parents, carers, teachers, and classroom assistants who simply do not have the time or resources to attend to their children’s very real but hard-to-verbalise fears. Together, the storybook and guidebook offer the following: • A quirky and amusing tale for adults to read to children• A relatable story about big feelings which makes the child stop and think• Easy to follow and implement, photocopiable creative arts activities • A way of addressing the anxiety and fear of the unknown within children’s mental health following the pandemic and other relevant issues• Hope and support for carers of overly anxious children. Taking a creative approach using universal characters, this is the ideal resource for educators, support staff, practitioners and parents looking to help children understand and manage the big feelings associated with their fear of the unknown.

To get the full Who’s Afraid of the Monster? experience, this book can be purchased alongside the storybook. Both books can be purchased together as a set: Who’s Afraid of the Monster: A Storybook and Guide for Managing Big Feelings and Hidden Fears, 9781032334318. A vital resource, this guide provides practical strategies to address children’s anxieties about real and hidden issues. Intended for use with the accompanying storybook, Who’s Afraid of the Monster?, which offers a child-friendly story in verse of a monster who nobody has seen or heard and a King who pretends to be brave but is very scared. This guide provides the theory behind and offers practical solutions to a variety of Big Feelings and Hidden Fears. A companion guide for use by primary educators, support staff and all those working with children, the book is divided into three easy to follow parts. Part One presents the theory behind how and why Big Feelings in children arise and how Creative Art and Drama can help. Part Two contains activities and exercises with photocopiable instructions, as well as a list of resources for each activity and guidelines for safe working. Part Three offers further activities and ways in which to exploit the story such as discussion points, plays and models. Underpinned by substantiated theory into the stages of children’s emotional development, it offers realistic solutions for parents, carers, teachers and classroom assistants who simply do not have the time or resources to attend to their children’s very real but hard-to-verbalise fears.

To get the full Who’s Afraid of the Monster? experience, this storybook can be purchased alongside the guidebook. Both books can be purchased together as a set: Who’s Afraid of the Monster: A Storybook and Guide for Managing Big Feelings and Hidden Fears, 9781032334318. In this quirky and beautifully illustrated storybook, we learn about a monster who nobody can see or hear, a King who pretends to be brave and strong but is in fact very scared, and a cheeky mouse and boy who have all the answers. Written in verse, the story shows how, often, the Big Feelings elicited by the unknown are scarier than the thing itself, and how to manage the feelings associated with these fears. Full of enchanting illustrations and relatable characters, Who’s Afraid of the Monster? offers:A quirky and amusing tale for adults to read to children together or aloneA relatable tale about Big Feelings which makes the child stop and thinkA way of addressing the anxiety and fear of the unknown within children’s mental health, andHope and support for overly anxious childrenThis is the ideal resource for educators, support staff, practitioners and parents looking to help children understand and manage the Big Feelings associated with their fear of the unknown.

Providing a new and proven way forward for practitioners who want to help children, but who do not have recourse to a qualified therapist, this book covers:tried and tested practical activities to use with childrensimple explanations of how and why dramatherapy worksinformative case studies that show activities being used in practicea useful list of further reading, centres for training and qualifications.

This is a programme to train young people how to be therapeutic mentors to younger children, with mentoring workshop outlines and creative, therapeutic activities to use. Peer mentoring is mutually beneficial: being a mentor can help young people in conflict situations who may not engage easily with adult intervention, and it also has therapeutic benefits for younger mentees. As well as training sessions for the mentors, the book provides outlines of mentoring workshops on issues such as bullying, conflict with parents, parental separation and change and transition. Creative ideas to use in the sessions, such as games, relaxation techniques, role play, and reframing activities, are provided, with photocopiable materials. Suitable for use with mentors aged 14-18 and mentees aged 9-13, this is an ideal resource to train peer mentors in therapeutic mentoring and for mentors to use in their sessions.

Using drama in the classroom is an effective way of supporting a child's social and emotional development. This book offers a wide variety of drama activities designed to provide children with a creative outlet to overcome emotional and behavioural problems. Exploring the various challenges children can face at home such as parental separation, divorce and bereavement, this book explains how they can manifest in a child's behaviour at school. It describes how drama can provide appropriate avenues for confronting and dealing with these issues and suggests a wealth of captivating and practical drama-based games and exercises that will support the child's needs and promote growth. This clear and accessible book will be an invaluable resource for teachers, teaching assistants, youth and social workers, counsellors, arts therapists and educational psychologists.

A collaborative therapeutic approach often proves the best way to assess and meet the needs of children experiencing barriers to learning. This book gives a concise overview of drama and family therapy and describes how both therapies can work together to provide essential pieces of the jigsaw of emotional support for troubled children within an educational setting. Drawing on their own extensive experience, the authors give explanations of the models and techniques of their own specialist therapy, before exploring their joint work and innovative inclusion in a cooperative team of multi-disciplinary professionals. The book discusses the principles and protocols of a Multi Agency Support Team and looks at how the pieces come together in practice. Case studies are provided to illustrate the successful outcomes of this way of working, as well as the challenges it can present. This book will be vital reading for all professionals working alongside children, families and schools, who are interested in addressing the needs of the child on a deeper and more sustainable level.

Providing a new and proven way forward for practitioners who want to help children, but who do not have recourse to a qualified therapist, this book covers:tried and tested practical activities to use with childrensimple explanations of how and why dramatherapy worksinformative case studies that show activities being used in practicea useful list of further reading, centres for training and qualifications.