Welcome to The Ministry Lab's curated list of resources to cultivate and nurture the spiritual and emotional well-being of young people. Here you'll find:
If you don't find a resource to fit your need, don't hesitate to consult with The Ministry Lab's director, Emily Meyer, who is happy to assist you.
All About Anxiety teaches that the evolutionary reasons for fear and anxiety; that anxiety isn't always a bad thing; and new strategies to manage anxiety.
offers journals for kids to help develop Social Emotional skills (creativity, dealing with mistakes, self-confidence, etc.) - plus a free podcast.
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings is relatable especially for children experiencing anxiety and extreme emotions, or who have been diagnosed with autism or as a Highly Sensitive Person.
Download a free parent guide for helpful tips.
In Catching Thoughts, children learn how to practice mindfulness and focus on thoughts that bring beauty, joy, and calm into their lives.
Offers prayers and activities to engage the whole family in developing spiritual practices.
series includes the original children’s book, with DVD and parent guide; 75 Mindfulness Activities for Kids; and Breathe through This: Mindfulness for Parents of Teenagers
A guided, illustrated meditation for kids to help children learn that they have the ability to feel at peace no matter what kinds of thoughts happen to be in their mind at any particular moment.
Encourages readers to seek out their own quiet place where they can "think their own thoughts" and "feel their own feelings".
Introduces readers to the magic of feeling better just by breathing!
Introduces a concrete activity parents or faith formation leaders can teach to children to utilize anywhere, anytime.
Three ancient Zen tales - told by a giant panda - about material goods, the boundaries of good and bad, and holding onto frustration.
It’s a Beautiful, Mindful World—A Peaceful Poetry Book for Kids of All Ages
Kids engage in and practice mindfulness through fun and easy exercises, quizzes, crafts, and activities, learning a deeper sense of peace, joy, and connection to the world, while improving emotional intelligence and self-esteem, and reducing anxiety.
When I Fly with Papa shares one girl's relationship with God, who she calls "Papa", in which she is free to express herself freely and know herself to to be fully loved.
Anxiety in kids is on the rise: 4.4 million children between the ages of 3 and 17 have diagnosed anxiety disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And even more kids experience some level of anxiety in their daily lives. In kid-friendly language, Name and Tame Your Anxiety explains what anxiety is, how it works, and how to manage it.
Body awareness is a key foundation of consent. We Listen to Our Bodies gives children a vocabulary to understand and communicate their feelings, develop personal boundaries, and build their social and emotional skills.
Grandma's got a plate of cookies and some wise words about how Willow can name her “worry birds” and give them to God. Authors Dr. Josh and Christi Straub know that today’s
With unique prompts for each day, the 1-Minute Gratitude Journal helps kids develop a habit of thankfulness, discover the amazing health and attitude benefits of practicing gratitude, and have a lot of fun along the way.
This important follow-up to the bestselling, groundbreaking, and inspiring Something Happened in Our Town, is a much-needed story to help communities in the aftermath of gun violence. When Miles’s cousin Keisha is injured in a shooting, he realizes people can work together to reduce the likelihood of violence in their community.
With help from friends and family, Miles learns to use his imagination and creativity to help him cope with his fears. This book can help provide parents with helpful messages of reassurance and empowerment.
Includes an extensive Note to Parents and Caregivers with guidelines for discussing community gun violence with children, and sample dialogues.
Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing happen. At first he tried to forget about it, but soon something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous for no reason. Sometimes his stomach hurt. He had bad dreams. And he started to feel angry and do mean things, which got him in trouble. Then he met Ms. Maple, who helped him talk about the terrible thing that he had tried to forget. Now Sherman is feeling much better. This gently told and tenderly illustrated story is for children who have witnessed any kind of violent or traumatic episode, including physical abuse, school or gang violence, accidents, homicide, suicide, and natural disasters such as floods or fire. An afterword by Sasha J. Mudlaff written for parents and other caregivers offers extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children, including a list of other sources that focus on specific events.
What Do You Say to a Dragon? is a whimsical book that empowers children to express their emotions and use their imaginations to change the power dynamic of anxiety while also giving parents a healthy approach to helping their kids face fears.
With The Worry Workbook, children ages 7 to 12 will learn about how worrying affects their bodies, are encouraged to listen to their thoughts, and are invited to try activities that will help them push through their worries and anxieties, coming out the other side ready to tackle the world. Activities include:
Parents: This book has been peer reviewed by a child psychologist, who has left notes throughout just in case your child has questions about the activities provided.
offers journals for kids to help develop Social Emotional skills (creativity, dealing with mistakes, self-confidence, etc.) - plus a free podcast.
Free Spirit Publishing’s post Mindful Movement with Children includes an introduction to what mindful movement is, how it “works”, and the importance of teaching it to children and includes a mindfulness moment and a list of children’s books about mindfulness.
shared a free downloadable poster of 5 Steps to Managing Big Emotions.
Mindfulness in a Jar: 101 Exercises to Help Children Focus and Calm Their Minds
Coloring Book and Reflections for Social Emotional Learning
Poetry Unbound: incorporate poetry into a personal or group contemplative practice, worship/liturgical element, or fodder for small group discussions among tweens, teens and/or adults.
Listen to the trailer and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you listen.
The Labyrinth Society has a page of resources specifically for children.
8-week study on health and well-being via meditation and spiritual practices; online-friendly.
Includes Student Guide, Leader Guide, and free guide for leading virtually.
offering free online Mindfulness Classes for Kids.
Michel Le Gribble-Dates’ offers free online Story and Stretch (and other) videos along with liturgical elements and curriculum and Mindfulness and Meditation options.
Praying with Mandalas: teaches what mandalas are; includes a free downloadable mandala; and comes as an ecourse; youth-adults.
EmpowerU is built to help teens deal with stress and anxiety, including weekly free toolkits and a semester-long curriculum.
MYCepaz is a teen guide to mental well-being and includes calming yoga videos and several links to Mindfulness and Meditation sites, along with resources and supports for emergency interventions; includes a downloadable app to take mindfulness practices for use anywhere and anytime.
Strengthening Resilience: Promoting Positive School Mental Health Among Indigenous Youth
Mountain Plains MHTTC
University of Rochester Medical Center's Behavioral Health Partners' Melissa Nunes-Harwitt, LMSW, shares a method called Hand on Heart, to help ease a racing mind/anxiety.
shared 23 CHILDREN’S BOOKS ABOUT EMOTIONS FOR KIDS WITH BIG FEELINGS which is broken down by age group - toddler through young adult - along with books for parents
offers several books for CHILDREN on noticing and coping with big feelings:
They also offer book bundles, such as their:
offers several books for helping YOUTH deal with a range of emotions.
