Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
Step right up and encourage your students to become a brave circus performer - a tightrope walker! This activity boosts coordination, balance, and concentration while allowing your students to enjoy movement and fun during the day. Find your tightrope and step into a courageous activity to stimulate the brain and body. This pose was inspired by my teacher, Hanna Riley.
TIP: Set your two eyes on one focal point in front of you. Avoid distractions and keep moving forward until you reach your goal. Keep your knees soft instead of rigid.
Materials needed:
A long piece of rope (jump rope, tape, or yarn) that will make a line on the floor for the tightrope. You can also use a tile line or an imaginary string.
Steps:
MOUNTAIN POSE Place your feet hip width distance apart with your toes pointed forward. Bring your attention to your knees and keep them soft with a spongy bend. Stand tall and practice 3-5 deep focused breaths before beginning. Set your eyes on the finish while enjoying the journey.
AIRPLANE POSE: Slowly, sail your right leg back for airplane pose.
Bring your engaged arms to the side and balance here for 3-5 breaths. Keep your heart lifted. Practice balance. Switch sides.SINGLE KNEE RAISE POSE: Lift your right knee while keeping both hands raised above you. Stay here and balance for 3-5 breaths. Switch sides.
COMBINE AND STEP FORWARD: Starting in airplane pose, move slowly to single knee raise. After single knee raise, place the heel of one foot in front of the toes of the other. Transition slowly to airplane pose on the other side and continue this sequence. Being stable, steady, and strong move forward on your tight rope. Keep your two eyes on one spot while breathing.
REVERSE THIS SEQUENCE AND STEP BACKWARDS: Begin in single knee raise pose, transition to airplane pose, and place the toe of one foot behind the heel of the other. Move backwards while keeping your two eyes focused on one spot in front of you.
Modifications:
Place an object along the line. Can you hop or jump over it?
Lift your knees and legs higher to increase the intensity.
A pool noodle makes an excellent stick to hold to improve balance while crossing the tightrope.
Notice what happens when you take your eyes of the prize. Look down or look to the sides. See how distractions take you away from your goal.
Enjoy circus music to introduce your lesson.
Breathe and Stretch on the Beach is an interactive listening and movement game that helps children build focus, confidence, calmness, and self-awareness through playful stretching and positive self-talk. Designed for ages 3 and up, this engaging resource can be used in the classroom, counseling groups, therapy settings, or at home by teachers, counselors, parents, and caregivers.
After learning the beach-themed poses, a leader calls out poses in any order, encouraging participants to listen carefully, move mindfully, and practice deep breathing, stretching, and relaxation. Children stay engaged while developing important social-emotional and self-regulation skills in a fun, active way.
Participants will:
Understand and practice controlled breathing
Respect personal space by moving safely without touching others
Strengthen self-control using nonverbal communication
Improve focus and attention
Increase self-awareness
Replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk
Build joy, strength, gratitude, and confidence
Each pose is paired with empowering affirmations so children can embody positive mindsets as they move. Examples include:
Coconut Tree, Eagle, Airplane – I am focused
Sports Boat, Charge Your Battery, Flying Fish – I am full of energy
Hurricane – I step aside for others
Crab – I let my light shine
Paddleboard – I am responsible for what I say, think, and do
Breathe and Stretch on the Beach is a joyful way to help children move their bodies, calm their minds, and grow strong from the inside out.
The Powerful You Elementary Counselor Kit was created to keep your favorite Powerful You tools together in one easy-to-carry bag so you are always ready to support students.
Perfect for School counselors, educators, interventionists, and student support teams.
What’s Included
Intermediate Bundle (Grades 2+)
Powerful You Book
26 8.5×11 Laminated Role-Playing Cards
26 Classroom Skill Signs
Primary Bundle (Grades K–1)
26 8.5×11 Laminated Role-Playing Cards
26 Classroom Skill Signs
Digital Resources
26 Primary Brag Tags
26 Social & Emotional Thinking Maps for writing
Free online Breathe & Stretch videos
26 Primary videos
26 Intermediate videos
Mindfulness & Regulation Tools
Breathe and Stretch on the Beach Yoga activities (Grades K+)
Laminated Breathe and Stretch Sign
Tennessee Transition Chime
Feelings Chart
Powerful You Feelings Bag
Counseling & Life Change Support
Self-Talk Power When You’re in a Pickle
5-Step problem-solving guide for individual counseling (Grades 3+)Powerful You In the Middle Cookie Game
Supports changing family groups/divorce transitions (Grades K+)
Bonus Items
50 “I Am” stickers
Why Counselors Love It
Grab-and-go support kit
Ready for classroom lessons or counseling groups
Helps students regulate emotions
Builds confidence and self-talk
Supports divorce, transitions, and problem solving
Saves prep time for busy counselors
Perfect For
Elementary school counselors
MTSS / SEL support teams
Teachers
Small groups
Individual counseling
Calm corners
One Kit. Many Needs. Real Impact.
The Powerful You Elementary Counselor Kit helps children build coping skills, confidence, emotional vocabulary, and resilience in fun, meaningful ways.
Self-Talk Power – When You’re in a Pickle is an empowering story that helps children understand how thoughts influence feelings, choices, and outcomes. Perfect for ages 8 and up, this relatable book introduces readers to Polly Pickle, a character who feels stuck in a frustrating cycle of the same negative thoughts, the same unpleasant emotions, and the same repeated actions.
When Polly realizes she is trapped in a “pickle,” she learns how to recognize unhelpful thinking patterns and retrain her brain through positive self-talk. As she changes her thoughts, she begins to make stronger choices, build confidence, and create better results.
This engaging story gives children practical tools for emotional growth while teaching the power of mindset, resilience, and personal responsibility. It is a valuable resource for parents, counselors, educators, and anyone supporting children through challenges.
Included in the book:
A relatable story that teaches the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behavior
A 5-Step Problem-Solving Guide to help children work through challenges
Two printable charts to identify habitual thought patterns
A sequential planning tool to help children move forward with confidence
Strategies for building resilience and positive thinking habits
Self-Talk Power – When You’re in a Pickle helps children discover that when they change their inner voice, they can change their life.