The workshop
An approximately two-hour workshop for Year 3–6 students covering emotional identification, regulation, communication and conflict resolution — taught through doing, not long explanations.
What it covers
The workshop combines guided learning with interactive activities, games, worksheets and realistic scenarios. Students move through the same sequence they can use in real situations: recognise what's happening, regulate the reaction, communicate clearly, and work towards a resolution.
Rather than delivering theory, the session is structured so that students spend most of their time practising — trying strategies out, talking them through, and applying them to situations they recognise from their own school day.
The content follows what the research identifies as the building blocks of emotional resilience: understanding your own emotional patterns, empathising with others, controlling emotions, and managing stress.
Understanding what you're feeling, and why.
Strategies to calm the body and mind first.
Saying how you feel, and hearing others.
Finding a solution that respects everyone.
The six stages
Each stage is taught briefly, then practised — so students experience the sequence rather than just hearing it described.
Students explore different emotions and learn how emotions can influence behaviour and reactions. The focus is on understanding rather than judging: there are no “bad” emotions, but there are reactions that help and reactions that make a situation harder.
Students learn to recognise signs that their emotions are becoming stronger or escalating — the physical and mental cues that come before a reaction. Catching that moment early is what makes every following step possible.
Students are introduced to practical strategies that can help them calm down and create space before reacting. These are strategies students practise during the session so they feel familiar rather than theoretical.
Students practise expressing emotions respectfully and listening to other perspectives. Communication is treated as a two-way skill: being understood, and making sure the other person feels heard too.
Students apply communication, empathy, active listening and problem-solving skills to conflict situations. Realistic scenarios give them a chance to try this out in a supported setting before they need it in the playground.
Students learn that seeking support from a trusted adult is an important part of managing difficult situations — not a last resort, and not a sign that they've failed to handle something themselves.
Why this order
One of the clearest themes from our conversations with teachers was that students often try to solve a conflict while they're still in the middle of a strong emotional reaction — and it rarely works.
That's why the sequence matters. Students learn to steady themselves first, then communicate, then problem-solve. It gives them a realistic order of operations for moments that otherwise feel overwhelming.
Understand what you're feeling.
Calm your body and mind.
Express feelings and listen.
Reach a respectful solution.
How the session is structured
The workshop alternates between short, guided explanations and hands-on activity, so students are never sitting and listening for long.
Short presentation-based segments introduce each concept in plain, age-appropriate language — enough to frame the skill, then straight into using it.
Structured worksheets and practical activities let students work through the strategies themselves, individually and in groups.
Interactive games and realistic conflict scenarios give students a safe place to try out responses before they need them in the playground.
A note on detail: specific activities, games and worksheets are shared with schools during the booking conversation. Examples on this site illustrate the approach, not a fixed running sheet — sessions adapt to year level, group size and time available.
Delivery options
Mind Matters is designed to work in both settings. The core content is the same; the activities are adapted so that students are still participating rather than watching.
Book a workshop
Tell us about your school and we'll work out what fits.
