This fun worry monster activity helps children shrink overwhelming feelings and manage stress. Learn how to externalize anxiety for kids with this effective and engaging art activity.
Helping kids cope with anxiety is a daunting challenge. That’s because it’s so complicated!
Have you ever noticed how anxiety is rarely about just one feeling. It’s usually a whole jumble of emotions and muddled thoughts, not to mention churning physical reactions. Sometimes it gangs up with imagination to blow things right out of proportion. Then other times it behaves like an overactive smoke alarm—going off even when there’s no real danger!
And while we’d all love to switch it off, it wouldn’t be a wise move. That’s because anxiety has such an important job: keeping us safe.
No wonder it’s so tricky for kids (and grownups!) to get a handle on.
As a play therapist, I spend a lot of time helping children make sense of their anxiety. And one way I do this, is a technique called externalizing.
What Is Externalizing and How Does It Teach Kids To Manage Anxiety?
I love the externalizing technique because it allows children to take anxiety out of their head and look at it from a safe distance. Instead of feeling like anxiety is part of who they are, kids begin to see it as something separate—a problem they can examine, talk back to, and even shrink down to size.
It’s a simple but powerful idea. The Dulwich Centre explains it beautifully in their article on Externalizing: commonly-asked questions, which shows how separating the problem from the person can make all the difference.
For adults, externalizing might involve journaling or therapy exercises. But for children, I like to make it playful—with paint, creativity, and monsters – all brought to life through a blow painting activity.
So, in this post, I’ll walk you through the activity step-by-step. Here’s what we’ll cover.
Externalize Anxiety For Kids With A Blow Painting Worry Monster Activity
Here’s a quick guide to what we’ll cover—feel free to skip ahead or follow step by step.
First, let’s look at why externalizing is so effective.
Why Externalizing Works: Anxiety Coping Strategies for Kids
Here’s why this approach works so well:
- It makes anxiety smaller. Seeing worries as something outside themselves makes them less overwhelming.
- It brings clarity. Kids can describe when the worry shows up, what it says, and how it makes them feel.
- It reduces shame. Children learn they are not the problem—the worry is.
- It builds confidence. Kids discover they have the power to stand up to their worry and take charge.
The Worry Monster Blow Painting Art Activity for Anxiety
This playful art project gives anxiety a shape, a face, and even a name—making it something kids can see, talk to, and challenge. It’s a perfect way to externalize anxiety.
Equipment required
Here’s a few things you’ll need to do this activity.
- A protective cover – it can get messy!
- Card-stock or heavier paper – (lightweight paper tends to ripple)
- Acrylic paint thinned with water (ensure the paint is runny enough or children will have trouble getting it to spread out – try a 1:2 ratio)
- A pipette, small spoon, or paint brush – to drop the blobs of paint
- Straws
- Googly eyes (or if you’re artistic- draw some eyes and pointy teeth on paper to cut out and stick on)
- Paper towels
How To Blow Paint Your Worry Monster
- Drop blobs of watery paint onto the paper.
- Have your child use a straw to blow the paint around, creating wild shapes.
- Once dry, stick on the googly eyes, mouths and teeth. Then draw arms, legs or even antennae on with a pen. This really brings the “monster” to life.
- Help your child give the monster a name. Naming the monster makes it feel more real—and easier to talk to. If your child gets stuck, give them a few prompts to spark ideas:
-How does anxiety make your body feel? (e.g. Queasy, Shaky, Jitterbug)
-What are things people do that feel horrible? (e.g. Bossy, Pushy, Mean)
-What are things you just don’t like? (e.g. Cabbage, Sprouts, Slime)
These little clues often lead to creative (and sometimes very funny) names that your child will connect with. You might end up with ideas like ‘Mean Bean,’ ‘Pushy Pete,’ or ‘Broccoli Breath’.
Because the art is abstract, there’s no pressure to “draw it right.” That makes it a great activity for those little perfectionists or children who struggle with drawing. Kids love to watch how the shapes appear and spread in unpredictable ways—much like anxiety itself!
I love how when children are blowing the paint, they start to see things in their work. I often hear things like, ‘Oh look – there’s his big, long legs’ or ‘I can see his face’.
By now, your child’s worry monster will be taking shape and looking wonderfully unique. But this is where the real therapeutic work begins. The monster isn’t just a piece of art—it’s a tool to externalize anxiety. Next, you’ll guide your child to have a conversation with it, helping them understand their worries and discover how to shrink them down to size.
Talking to the Worry Monster: Teaching Kids to Externalize Anxiety
Now that your child’s monster has come to life on the page, it’s time to turn it into a tool for conversation. By talking to the monster (using its name), children learn that their anxiety is something separate from themselves—something they can question, challenge, and even shrink.
Here are some gentle prompts you can use to guide the chat:
- What is your monster like? (Is it little or large, scary or silly, ugly or glamorous?)
- When does your monster usually show up? (At bedtime, school, or somewhere else? Does it sneak up suddenly or can you tell it’s coming? When did you first notice it?)
- What kinds of things does your monster say? (Does it try to frighten you with “what ifs”? Does it tell lies or try to trick you? This is a good time to explain that anxiety often tells us lies—but we don’t have to listen to them.)
- How does your body feel when the monster is around? (Anxiety often shows up in the body before the mind even notices. It can cause a sore head or tummy, sweaty hands, a pounding heart, or even irritability. Help your child see these are normal signs of anxiety—and that recognising them is the first step to managing it.)
- Who should be in charge—you or the worry monster?
- What can you do or say to make your monster shrink? (This helps your child understand they have the power to calm their feelings and take charge.)
(Looking for more ways to support children’s emotional wellbeing? Here are 21 play therapy techniques parents can try at home.)
What This Might Sound Like
Here’s an example of how the conversation might go:
Parent/therapist: “Wow, your monster looks interesting! Can you tell me about it? Is it big or small? Friendly or scary?”
Child: “He’s big and kind of ugly.”
Parent/therapist: “When does he usually show up? Do you notice him at bedtime, or maybe when you’re at school?”
Child: “Mostly at night, when I’m trying to sleep.”
Parent/therapist: “Hmm, that makes sense. What sorts of things does he say to you?”
Child: “He tells me bad things will happen.”
Parent/therapist: “That sounds scary. But here’s the thing—worry monsters often tell lies to trick us. Do you think he might be lying sometimes?”
Child: “Maybe…”
Parent/therapist: “And when your monster comes around, how does your body feel? Do you notice your tummy or your heart?”
Child: “My tummy hurts.”
Parent/therapist: “Yes, lots of kids feel that way. It’s normal—but now that we know what it means, we can learn how to calm it down. So, tell me—who should be in charge, you or the worry monster?”
Child: “Me!”
Parent/therapist: “That’s right. So, what could you do or say to make him shrink down small again?”
Conversations like this help children see their worry for what it really is: something separate, something that tells lies, and something they can shrink.
Each time they practice talking back, they build confidence and learn that anxiety doesn’t have to be in charge. They start to learn that they are stronger than their worries and can decide how much power to give it.
Closing thoughts on how to externalize anxiety for kids
When we externalize anxiety with kids, it shrinks their worries down to size. By creating and naming a worry monster, kids can better understand their feelings and begin to see that worry isn’t in charge—they are.
Keep encouraging your child to engage with their worry monster. Each time they talk back to it, they take another step toward keeping anxiety in check—and toward building lasting confidence.
Want more simple, playful ways to help your child thrive emotionally? Sign up for my newsletter and get the free Crazy Beautiful Therapeutic Play Kit—packed with practical tools parents and professionals can start using right away.
You might want to explore other fun ways to help kids manage anxiety, right here on the blog:
- Interoception – uncover this hidden sense and help kids understand how anxiety shows up in their bodies.
- The Worry Box Technique – a neuroscience-backed tool that teaches kids to manage anxiety and build resilience, one worry at a time.
- 21 play therapy techniques parents can use – practical, fun activities that help kids express feelings, build coping skills, and strengthen your parent–child connection.
- 7 Best Breathing Strategies For Kids – playful, practical tools to help kids handle stress, boost focus, and feel more confident.
- The Magic of Guided Meditation for Kids – learn how gentle, imaginative journeys help children relax, manage stress, and build inner calm.
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