10 Stress-Busting Activities For Kids That Actually Work

April 23, 2025

Kids get stressed too – whether it’s test nerves, friendship worries, a wobbly tooth that just won’t come out or just a bad day – but they don’t always have the words (or the tools) to deal with it. That’s where these stress-busting activities can help!

With children’s mental health in mind, each idea here offers a playful way to help children release tension, reset their emotions, and feel a little more in control. No special kit required – just a little time, a bit of imagination, and lots of fun!

And if you’re supporting your child through primary school tests, check out our blog on How to Help Your Child Manage Primary School Test Stress.

10 simple, fun stress-relief activities for primary school children:

Here are 10 calming, creative and confidence-boosting activities that are perfect for primary school-aged children.

The Silliest Dance-Off
Pop the Worry Balloons
Mindful Art Calm-Down
The Roaring Game
The Secret Hand Squeeze Code
Cloud Watching with a Twist
Paper Tear Therapy
The Bubble Breathing Game
DIY Calm Potion
The Five Sense Reset

1. The Silliest Dance-Off: Stress relief through movement

Movement is a brilliant mood-booster. Put on their favourite tunes and challenge them to a dance-off! It’s time to invent the wackiest dance moves they can – Chicken arms? Wobbly knees? Spaghetti robot?… the sillier, the better! A fun way for primary-aged children to shake off tension and lift their mood.

Try Busy Things’ Workout with Cat & Dog – A fun physical workout that encourages movement, fun and focus!

2. Pop the Worry Balloons

This creative stress-busting activity that helps children let go of worries in a visual, playful way.

Write down some worries on balloon skins, blow them up together – and then POP! Stomp, squeeze, or bop them away! Letting worries go with a big bang can help children visualise how they don’t have to hold on to their stress.

3. Mindful Art Calm-Down

If your child’s feeling overwhelmed, slow things down with mindful colouring activities. Focusing on colours, patterns and small details helps settle busy minds.

Try Busy Things’ Pixel Colouring or Mindful Colouring activities.

Also check out our blog: Mindful Activities for Kids Incl. FREE Mindful Colouring

4. The Roaring Game

Sometimes stress just needs a LOUD outlet! Take turns letting out your loudest dinosaur/lion/monster roars. Then try whisper roars, squeaky roars and backwards roars. It’s a funny, active way to vent frustration.

5. The Secret Hand Squeeze Code

Come up with a non-verbal code to help your child share how they’re feeling when words are tricky – a ‘stress signal’. It could be three squeezes for ‘I need a hug’ or one long squeeze for ‘I’m feeling worried.’ This gives them an easy, pressure-free way to tell you when they need support.

6. Cloud Watching with a Twist

A lovely mindful activity that encourages emotional expression and imagination – ideal for supporting mental health in kids.

Lie down and watch the clouds – but instead of just spotting shapes, give them feelings and personalities. ‘That one looks like a grumpy grandpa!’ ‘That one is definitely a sleepy sheep!’ This playful approach helps children talk about emotions without pressure.

Check out our Finding Feelings Poster on Busy Things for more ways to name and notice emotions.

7. Paper Tear Therapy: A simple stress relief technique for children

This one’s as simple as it sounds! Give your child a sheet of paper and let them rip it up into tiny pieces. It sounds simple, but it’s strangely satisfying – and a good physical release for pent-up stress and tension. Bonus: turn the pieces into a collage afterwards.

8. The Bubble Breathing Game

A breathing exercise disguised as a game – helping children calm down without even realising it.

Blow bubbles… but slowly! See whose bubble floats the longest. This game sneakily teaches steady breathing and helps to calm racing thoughts without calling it a ‘technique.’

9. DIY ‘Calm Down Potion’

Who doesn’t love a bit of potions play? This is a magical way for primary children to understand and visualise emotions – and reset after a wobble.

Mix water, glitter, and a little washing-up liquid in a clear jar. Let your child shake it up and watch the glitter swirl, then settle – just like big feelings, they swirl at first but always calm down.

Why not follow up with Busy Bounce on Busy Things? Create chaos with bouncy balls (you can even use your voice if you want to combine it with your roaring from stress-busting idea 4!) and see them settle. It’s a fun way to let off steam, re-focus and reset.

10. The Five-Sense Reset

This quick, grounding activity helps anxious children reconnect with the here and now. Ask them to name:

5 things they can see
4 things they can touch
3 things they can hear
2 things they can smell
1 thing they can taste (even if it’s just a sip of water!)

This helps shift focus away from what’s going on in their head and back into present moment.

Coming Soon: The Stress-Buster Challenge (Free Download!)

We’re working on a printable your child can use to tick off each activity as they try it. Keep an eye out—it’ll be here soon! Make sure to sign up to our newsletter so you don’t miss it!

Want More Support?

You might also be interested in our other blogs around supporting children’s mental health, each packed with easy, practical strategies for parents…

Stress isn’t always something we can avoid – but with the right support, children can learn ways to manage it and feel more in control, even when things feel overwhelming. Tell us your stress-busting ideas in the comments…