Free social emotional learning activities that teach kids to work together
Download and print everything you need — no sign-up required
Help children understand what's really behind their anger. Free anger iceberg printable PDF — perfect for parents, teachers and therapists. Download instantly.
Free no hitting social story PDF for young children. A simple visual story that helps kids keep hands to themselves and handle big feelings safely.
Get the complete calm down corner printable bundle - 6 posters, 4 resources, free. Everything you need to set up a calming space for kids at home, school, or therapy.
Free calm down corner printables for kids. Create a visual self regulation space with simple printable tools for home, classroom, therapy and counseling settings.
A short illustrated parenting story that helps parents stop yelling, understand disrespectful behavior, and rebuild trust without fear. Printable PDF.
Free personal space social story PDF for kids with autism. Printable visual support that teaches children to recognize body language signs for when to be close and when to give space.
Free feelings chart for kids PDF. A visual keyboard that helps children name emotions, show how big the feeling is, and practice the Pause to Relax skill.
Free printable feelings wheel PDF for kids, parents, and therapists. Help children identify and express emotions with our emotion wheel — perfect for home, classroom, and therapy. Download instantly.
Download our free printable visual schedule for autism. This 5-step 'Good & Fun' routine planner helps children with ASD and ADHD manage transitions, reduce meltdowns, and build daily independence.
Free printable safe hands visual for kids - hang it on the wall, point to it when it matters. Designed for parents, teachers and therapists. Download instantly.
Free social story about anger and disappointment for kids. Shows what happens when a child doesn't get what they want, and how friends help. Teaches emotional regulation, calming down, and coping with big feelings.
A fun craft for kids: make a stick puppet of your favorite animal. Choose an animal, glue it on cardboard, cut it out, add a stick, and color it for your own puppet show.
A special card for a special someone. Create a personal greeting card for someone you love. It could be a parent, a grandparent, or a close friend.
A refreshing activity for kids: make sweet, delicious lemonade together with the whole family. Learn teamwork and enjoy the perfect summer drink.
Explore emotions by tapping feeling cards and watching Bear act them out
A short interactive social game about fairness, and what to do when everyone wants the same thing
An interactive social game about empathy and how to support a friend who's having a tough day
Interactive feelings chart app for kids
A digital feelings chart that helps children identify emotions, talk about feelings, and navigate conflicts through guided stories with visual emotion choices. Kids choose characters and emotions on screen, then add their own words — making it easier to talk when words are hard.
Bear and Cat are best friends who don't always agree — but they always figure it out together. Through their adventures, children see how to handle disagreements, share, take turns, and work as a team.
Bear and Cat are different — and that's perfect. Being a Cat is perfect. Being a Bear is perfect. Both can be exactly as they are. They don't need to change themselves. They just need to find ways to interact without harming each other — to compromise when needed, and to trust each other.
They're designed to create predictable moments where something deep in our nature surfaces. The adult's role isn't to prevent it, but to see it coming — maybe even set it up intentionally — and then guide through it.
Take the glue stick: one resource, many children, a moment of waiting. Suddenly you see something very human revealed. The same impulse that looks natural at 4 becomes harder to manage at 14, at 40.
We have an opportunity to learn how to work with this inner force when we're little. Later it's harder. Behavior is harder to change as we grow older.
This is the idea behind our activities. We help adults help their kids practice creating together — and practice resolving conflicts in a positive way.
We're trying to connect two things that aren't usually connected: a cat and a bear. To do that, we need to shift perspective — move away from defensiveness, toward understanding. Use a bright and calm tone. Playful, but not over-excited. Amend things, not break them.
We don't push people — we direct and point them. We don't use scare tactics or fear. We never make people feel bad or wrong. We simply help children see that different doesn't mean incompatible.
Every Catbears resource is developed with therapists, educators, and parents. We translate clinical knowledge into language children actually enjoy — and apply.
Our goal is simple: help children learn to work together, share, and be kind — through stories and activities they actually want to do.
The Catbears is a brand that creates gentle, playful resources to help children learn how to work together. We offer free printable social stories and craft activities, plus interactive apps like Felt and Guided Activities. Everything is designed with a simple idea: Bear and Cat are different — and that's perfect. They show children that different doesn't mean incompatible, and that we can find ways to interact without harming each other.
Yes! All our social stories and activities are completely free to download and print. No sign-up required. We believe these resources should be accessible to everyone. We also offer interactive apps (Felt and Guided Activities) with free trials, so you can explore them before deciding if they're right for your family.
Our resources work best for children ages 3-6, though many activities adapt well for slightly older or younger kids. The content focuses on early social-emotional development — those important moments when children are learning to share, take turns, and create together. We believe these skills are easier to practice when children are young, in focused situations where adults can guide gently.
Bear and Cat are friends who don't always agree — but they always figure it out together. Through their stories, children see that being different is perfect. They see how friends can disagree but still work together, share, take turns, and solve problems collaboratively. Bear and Cat don't change who they are — they learn to interact without harming each other, to compromise when needed, and to trust each other.
Free resources are printable PDFs you can download immediately — social stories and activity pages you can use right away. Our apps (Felt and Guided Activities) offer deeper, interactive experiences. They guide you through predictable moments where conflicts might arise, help you see them coming, and show you how to guide children through them positively. Think of free resources as tools you can use anytime, and the apps as guided experiences that help you practice together.
Guided Activities is an online craft course that helps children practice working together. It's called "Build a Cardboard Theatre" — a complete project with video tutorials, printable activity pages, and step-by-step guidance. What makes it different is that it's designed to create predictable moments where something natural surfaces. The course shows you what to expect, when conflicts might arise, and how to guide children through them positively. It's not about preventing conflicts — it's about seeing them coming and guiding through them with care.
Felt is an interactive feelings chart app that helps children talk about emotions when words are hard. Kids choose characters and emotions on screen, then add their own words — making it easier to express what they're feeling. It's designed to reduce pressure and create a safe space for communication. Parents, educators, and therapists use Felt to help children identify emotions, navigate conflicts, and express themselves through guided stories with visual emotion choices.
Our activities aren't just places where conflicts might happen — they're designed to create predictable moments where something deep in our nature surfaces. Take the glue stick example: one resource, many children, a moment of waiting. Suddenly you see something very human revealed. The same impulse that looks natural at 4 becomes harder to manage at 14, at 40. We have an opportunity to learn how to work with this inner force when we're little. Our activities help adults see these moments coming — maybe even set them up intentionally — and then guide children through them positively.
Absolutely! Many educators, therapists, and parents use our resources in schools, therapy sessions, and at home. The materials are designed to be flexible and work in various settings. Whether you're working with one child or a group, the activities adapt to your needs. We believe these resources should be accessible wherever children are learning to work together.
Most activities use common household materials like paper, cardboard, crayons, glue, and scissors. We always list what you'll need before starting an activity. The idea is to keep things simple — so you can focus on the experience of creating together, not on gathering supplies. Some activities, like the Creative Chain, are designed to be the most basic craft project anyone can do without any preparations, but with a strong concept that brings the group together.
Craft activities create focused, confined situations where we can guide children gently. Spontaneous conflicts arise naturally — and that's actually helpful. When children are creating together, sharing materials, taking turns, they're practicing real social skills in a controlled environment. The adult's role isn't to prevent conflicts, but to see them coming, guide through them, and help children practice resolving them in a positive way. These skills are easier to learn when children are young, in situations where adults can provide gentle guidance.
