Happy MindsSONGS
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For teachers, counselors and parents · ages 6–10
That thought has a name. It’s the Generalizing Giraffe. The Thinking Traps Kit gives kids 24 little trap animals to spot, and three moves to step out of any of them: Spot it. Step out. What else could be true?
€12.90tax included$12.90 in the US · Instant download · 34 pages, US Letter + A4
Get the kit, €12.90Secure checkout by Stripe. Prices include tax.
4.9 from 173 Etsy reviews of my printables
The spelling test comes back.
Nine ticks. One cross.
And the first thing she says isn’t “I got nine.” It’s this:
“I always mess up.”
You know what happens next. You say, “That’s not true! You got nine right!” And she looks at you like you just don’t get it.
Because to her, it feels true. It’s loud, it’s fast, and it sounds like a fact.
It isn’t a fact. It’s a thinking trap: a thought that sounds true but is only part of the story.
So in my cards, every trap is a little animal who whispers the thought. The animal is the trickster. The child is never the trap.
“I always mess up.”
“I got nine right!”
“I know what others are thinking.”
“Maybe it’s a joke. I can ask!”
“I messed up, so I’m no good.”
“One mistake. I’m still learning.”
Here’s the part I love. A child can’t argue with a feeling. But she can point at a giraffe.
That’s the whole tool. Three moves, the same in the song, on the cards and on the poster:
1. Spot it: point, and name the animal. “Giraffe!”
2. Step out: one big step to the side, out of the trap.
3. What else could be true? Palms up. Look for a fairer thought.
Notice what we don’t do. We don’t say “that’s not true.” We don’t ask for a happy thought. We look for a fairer one, a thought that fits more of what really happened. The feeling is always OK. The tool is about what we do next.
These thinking traps cards are my best-selling printable. For this kit I rebuilt all 24, gave every card a back with a fairer thought and one tiny action, and wrote a song so the moves stick.
I won’t promise the Giraffe never visits again. He will. They visit all of us. What I can give you is the same three moves, every time, at school and at home, until one day you hear it under her breath:
“Spot it, step out — what else could be true?”
Maggie, Happy Minds Songs
The song
Free on YouTube. Sing it once, do the moves together, and the kit has something to point back to.
The song comes out on Monday 23 November. Come back then to sing along!
Shout the animal names together: “Giraffe!” “Monkey!” “Lion!”
What’s inside
Every card has two sides:
The cards use simple, friendly animal drawings (above). The song video is painted.
One short, kind routine, the same at home and in class.
A little each day. After that, the cards do the work: pull one whenever a trap shows up.
Buyers say…
“The cards were a hit with the kiddos”
“I love the colors and the language is clear”
“Downloaded easily, printed perfectly. 10/10”
Real reviews of my printables, word for word. This kit is new.
Ages 6 to 10. Younger children can join in with the song, the moves and the poster; the sheets suit children who can draw or write a little.
A thought that sounds true but is only part of the story, like “I always mess up.” Every child has them, and so do we. In this kit each trap is a little animal who whispers the thought, so a child can point at it instead of arguing with a feeling. It is a kid-friendly way to notice a thought and look for a fairer one, written in simple words for ages 6 to 10.
No. We never ask a child to cheer up or to say “that’s not true.” We ask “What else could be true?” and look for a fairer thought, one that fits more of what really happened. The feeling is always OK.
No. It is a kind, everyday routine for home and class, not a treatment. If a child often says they are no good, talk to their teacher, school counselor or another trusted grown-up.
It helps. The ad-free video and the MP3 are in the kit, and the video is also free on YouTube. The send-home page has a QR code to it, so families can sing it at home too.
No. The poster comes in a low-ink version, and the guide has tips for saving ink.
Print two-sided and flip on the long edge. The backs line up with the fronts, and the cut lines are dotted.
Yes. You get the poster on US Letter and A4 for a desk or bulletin board, plus 11x17 and A3 files for a classroom wall or a copy shop.
The license is for one classroom or one home. If a colleague likes it, please send them this page.
Yes. Checkout shows $12.90 in the US and €12.90 in Europe, tax included.
Right after you pay, your download links appear on the screen. Nothing is mailed.
€12.90tax included$12.90 in the US · Instant download
Secure checkout by Stripe. Prices include tax.
30-day guarantee. If the kit isn't right for you, email me within 30 days and I'll refund you in full. No forms, no questions.