Best CBT Worksheets for Kids: Why They Matter in Child Therapy

The best CBT worksheets for kids don’t just explain CBT ideas — they help children connect, engage, and grow. Whether you’re supporting a child with anxiety, low mood, or emotional regulation, the right CBT worksheet brings the work to life.

The CBT tools in this guide are:

Evidence-informed

Child-friendly

Printable and ready to use

When therapy with children feels abstract or stuck, a great CBT worksheet can change the tone of a session — and support learning that lasts.

Why Use CBT Worksheets with Kids?

A good CBT worksheet makes abstract ideas feel tangible. For children, visual and interactive tools support learning by:

Reinforcing key CBT skills through structured reflection
Boosting session engagement through drawing, writing or sorting
Encouraging emotional regulation in safe, concrete ways
Explaining links between thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and body sensations
Supporting between-session learning and parent involvement

CBT worksheets for children work best when they’re visual and brief —and every one in this list fits that standard.

Person holding a CBT worksheet titled 'Climbing a Fear Ladder' on a clipboard, next to a laptop. The worksheet visually breaks down a fear hierarchy to support gradual exposure in therapy.

Top 10 Best CBT Worksheets for Children and Young People

1. A Map of Your Experience – A CBT Formulation Tool for Kids

Why it’s one of the best CBT worksheets for kids:
Introduces the Five Areas model (thoughts, feelings, behaviour, physical symptoms, environment) in a visual, child-friendly format.

Diagram showing the Five Areas Formulation linking thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and physical symptoms

Try the A Map of Your Experience tool – a visual introduction to the CBT model

2. Safety Behaviours Worksheet – Helping Children Understand Avoidance

This worksheet helps children spot the things they do to feel safe — and gently begins conversations about how avoidance keeps anxiety going.

Worksheet titled 'Safety Behaviours' with sections to identify and analyse personal safety behaviours.

Explore the Safety Behaviours resource to break patterns of avoidance

3. Fear Ladder – CBT Exposure Worksheet for Kids

One of the best CBT worksheets for kids with anxiety, the Fear Ladder breaks a big fear into smaller steps, making exposure less scary and more doable.

Image of a 'Fear Ladder' worksheet guiding children through steps of exposure therapy.

Download the Fear Ladder tool to guide step-by-step exposure work

4. Thoughts on Trial – Challenging Negative Thoughts with Children

Using a courtroom metaphor, this CBT worksheet teaches children how to examine unhelpful thoughts and find more balanced alternatives.

CBT Thought Record Sheet with columns for situation, thoughts, emotions, and alternative perspectives.

Use the Thoughts on Trial worksheet to help young people reframe unhelpful thoughts

5. Coping with Intense Emotions – CBT Regulation Tool for Kids

This worksheet introduces children to the concept of emotional intensity using a “volume dial” metaphor — and helps them practise calming strategies.

CBT worksheet titled 'Coping with Intense Emotions,' featuring text and illustrations explaining how emotions can be like a dial or volume knob. The worksheet includes a speech bubble example and guidance on understanding and managing strong emotions.

Support emotional regulation with the Coping with Intense Emotions sheet

6. Problem-Solving Steps – A CBT Decision-Making Worksheet for Children

Helps children learn how to identify a problem, think through options, and choose an action. Simple, empowering, and great for boosting confidence.

Problem-Solving Worksheet guiding children through steps to identify problems, brainstorm solutions, and evaluate outcomes.

Download the structured Problem-Solving tool for independent thinking

7. The Poisonous Parrot – Self-Talk Reframe Tool for Kids

This creative worksheet helps children externalise and challenge their inner critic. It’s a standout among the best CBT worksheets for self-esteem in children.

The Poisonous Parrot worksheet featuring a cartoon parrot with speech bubbles, encouraging children to identify unhelpful thoughts and challenge negative self-talk.

Use the Poisonous Parrot activity to challenge self-criticism and build compassion

8. Emotions Uncovered – Psychoeducation Worksheet for Kids

Provides simple, science-backed facts about feelings. Helps children understand that emotions aren’t dangerous, and they don’t last forever.

CBT worksheet titled 'Emotions Uncovered: Facts You Need to Know,' featuring an illustration of a person surrounded by text boxes explaining key facts about emotions. Sections highlight that emotions are helpful, not dangerous, do not last forever, and can be intense, providing reassurance and psychoeducation.

Learn more with the Emotions Uncovered resource – normalising feelings in therapy

Supports reflection on social comparison and encourages a kinder, more realistic view of self and others. Great for boosting self-esteem.

CBT worksheet titled 'Comparing Yourself to Others,' featuring a stylized illustration of a person holding a mirror. The worksheet explores self-comparison, the impact on self-esteem, and includes a 'Behind the Scenes' section highlighting the difference between public perception and reality.

Build self-esteem with the Comparing Yourself to Others reflection sheet

10. Fight, Flight, Freeze – A CBT Psychoeducation Worksheet on Anxiety

Helps children understand the body’s automatic response to fear. Ideal for normalising symptoms and reducing anxiety around panic.

CBT worksheet titled 'Survival Mode: Understanding Fight, Flight, Freeze,' featuring an illustration of a person facing a tiger. The worksheet explains the body's automatic responses to perceived danger, with labeled sections describing fight, flight, and freeze reactions.

Explore the Fight, Flight, Freeze worksheet – helping children understand the stress response

Where to Find the Best CBT Worksheets for Kids

All of these worksheets are available from CBT Hub — created in consultation with young people and designed for real clinical use.

Each CBT worksheet for kids is:

✅ Printable and easy to use in therapy or at home
✅ Backed by clinical expertise
✅ Engaging and accessible for children
✅ Jargon-free and therapist-tested

These are the best CBT worksheets for kids because they’re not just theory — they’re practical tools for everyday work.

Download 6 Free CBT Worksheets for Kids Today

Want to try some of the best CBT worksheets for kids without paying a penny?

Create your free CBT Hub account
Download 6 child-friendly resources for anxiety, self-talk, panic, and mood
See what therapists across the UK are using every day in schools, clinics, and CAMHS

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