Activity Ideas

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This page will grow with time, as we build resources for you to try out to address challenges and difficulties that impact your mental health as a kid, child, youth living with epilepsy. Tell us how they went here: info@edmonotnepilepsy.org

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Access and duplicate /use the links below to take emotional and feelings temperature checks, before, after or even just thinking about seizures. Repeat after trying out one of the activities listed on this page. Let us know any comments or observations – email us at info@edmontonepilepsy.org

FOR YOUNGER KIDS LIVING WITH EPILEPSY

FOR OLDER KIDS LIVING WITH EPILEPSY

My Body-Mind Check Up

NATURE ACTIVITIES

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

Step Outside:
Give Your Brain a Break

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Sometimes your brain can get stuck in a loop.

You might be thinking:

“What if I have another seizure?”
“What if it happens at school?”
“What if people notice?”
“Is that feeling a sign that a seizure is coming?”

After a seizure, or when you are worried about having one, these thoughts can feel difficult to stop. Medication side effects can also make you feel strange, tired, worried, or not quite like yourself.

When this happens, try giving your brain something outside of your thoughts to focus on.

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Go outside and use your surroundings.

You could step into your backyard, go to a park, sit outside your school, walk along a nature path, or simply find a safe outdoor space.

You don’t have to solve anything. You don’t have to make the worries disappear.

Just notice what is around you.

Try the 5–4–3–2–1 Challenge:

👀 5 things you can SEE
Look around. Find five things you can see. Maybe a tree, a bike, a cloud, someone’s shoes, or a bird.

✋ 4 things you can TOUCH
Notice four things you can safely touch. Maybe the grass, a tree, your jacket, or a bench.

👂 3 things you can HEAR
Listen carefully. Maybe you hear birds, cars, people talking, wind, or your own footsteps.

👃 2 things you can SMELL
What smells can you notice? Fresh grass? Flowers? Rain? Your lunch?

💜 1 thing you REALLY LIKE
This one is completely up to you. It could be your favourite song, your dog, a person you care about, your favourite food, a place you love, or simply being outside.

You make the rules.

You can think of your answers, write them down, say them out loud, or record them on your phone.

There is no right or wrong answer.

The goal isn’t to pretend that your worries aren’t there. The goal is to give your brain something else to notice for a few minutes.

Sometimes changing your surroundings can help interrupt the “what if?” loop and bring your attention back to what is happening right now.

And remember: you don’t have to do this alone. You can try it with a friend, sibling, parent, teacher, or another person you trust.

Your thoughts can be loud. That doesn’t mean you have to listen to all of them.
Step outside. Look around. Breathe. Notice. Give your brain a break.

Safety first: If you think you may be about to have a seizure, or you are feeling physically unwell or unsafe, don’t go outside alone. Stay somewhere safe and let a trusted adult know what you’re experiencing.

Step Outside:
Take a Listening Walk

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In this activity, you will practice sensory observations by completing a mindful listening walk in nature to identify and record sounds in your environment. After you noticed these sounds, pay attention on how completing the activity makes you feel and reflect on what positive emotions and feelings you might experience. The PDF can be printed out as an activity in a classroom or on your own.

CALM BODY

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Physical activity can help children release built-up energy, reconnect with their bodies, shift attention, and create a sense of calm.

GENTLE MOVEMENT BREAKS

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Sometimes our brain can get stuck in negative loops. A simple five-ten minute break, with some nice movements you can do anywhere indoor or outside, may help you feel better in minutes. Try these movements alone or with a friend. Remember to check in how you feel before and after the activities, and notice is changes happen for the better.