- Creating worry dolls is a fun and calming activity for kids. Start by explaining the tradition behind worry dolls and how they can help with feelings of anxiety.
- Provide simple materials like small sticks, yarn, beads, and fabric scraps for the students to craft their own dolls. Encourage students to share what makes them feel worried and remind them that their dolls are not only there to listen, but also their teachers, family and friends!
- This activity promotes creativity while giving students a tool to manage their emotions in a positive way!
5 of Spades
Worry Doll
Easy Level
If you’re struggling to sleep, try making a worry doll.
A worry doll is like a little friend you can tell all your worries to. If something is bothering you, you can talk to your doll, and it will “listen” to all your feelings. When you use a worry doll as part of your bedtime routine, it can help you relax, feel less stressed, and sleep better.
Worry dolls come from special traditions around the world like Guatemala. You can make your own little worry doll using sticks, yarn, and fabric. When you’re feeling scared or worried, just tell the doll, then place it under your pillow before sleeptime. The doll will “take away” your worries while you sleep, helping you feel better and ready for a new day! If you don’t have the resources, that’s okay you can use a stuffed teddy or your favourite toy.
Having anxious thoughts before bed can make it hard to fall asleep.
When we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies and brains can start to act differently, which might lead to accidents. Although we can get by for a few days without enough sleep, we’ll start to notice how tired our bodies feel.
How does your body feel when you haven’t had enough sleep?
Sleep is super important for helping our brains remember things!
When we have worries or anxious thoughts before bed, it can make it harder for our brains to do this. During a special sleep stage called REM (Rapid Eye Movement), our brains sort through everything we learned that day, which helps us solve problems and think creatively.
If we don’t get enough sleep our brain can feel tired, making it hard to focus and learn new things!1
Small changes CAN make a big difference – that’s what the 1% Kids’ Club is all about.
- Worry dolls can be a great way to help your child manage their worries.
- You can make the dolls together using simple materials like yarn, sticks, and fabric. Encourage your child to tell their doll what’s bothering them before bedtime and place it under their pillow to “take away” their worries while they sleep.
- This can become a comforting bedtime routine that helps your child feel more relaxed and secure.
- Rasch, B., & Born, J. (2013). About sleep’s role in memory. Physiological reviews, 93(2), 681–766.
https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00032.2012 - Pacheco, D. (2018, October 17). How Memory and Sleep Are Connected.
Retrieved August 30, 2024, from Sleep Foundation website: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/memory-and-sleep#references-78259