ANTS Automatic Negative Thoughts Game – Item 602

ANTS Automatic Negative Thoughts game. ANTs are the spontaneous, habitual, and often irrational thoughts that creep into our minds in response to various situations and triggers. These thoughts can significantly impact our emotional well-being and overall mental health.

Our ANTs were drawn by us and you can find more information here on our ANTS pack

This game will help pupils to recognise those ANTs and will help them to reframe their thinking so they are more positive.

Included in the ANTS automatic negative thoughts game:

• Game board (print A3)
• Change it cards – 8 of each type of ANT – 64 in total
• ANTs cards – 2 sets of 8 – one with their names and one without
• Positive affirmation cards – 16 cards
• Editable ‘Change it and Positive affirmation cards’) for you to  add your own if needed. This is especially relevant for secondary pupils. This is editable in POWERPOINT so please ensure you have that installed if you want to edit the cards.

ANTS covered in this pack:

• Emotional Edna – thinks with her feelings. eg. I FEEL hopeless, I FEEL like a failure.
• Fortune Teller Felicity – predicts the worst outcome e.g. I can’t win the race!, I will come last!
• Guilty Gertrude – Uses the word should and then feels guilty – eg. I should have done my homework, I should have done some exercise.
• All or nothing Audrey – uses words like always, never, every. Eg. I always lose, I never have anyone to play with.
• Blaming Barry – blames everyone else – eg. It’s your fault I slept in, It’s your fault I feel angry!
• Mind Reader Mavis – thinks he can read other people’s minds – eg. He must be laughing at me, I know she hates me!
• Labelling Lawrence – calls himself and others names – eg I am such a loser, She is such an idiot!
• Negative Nancy – ignores the positives and only sees the negative – I only came second in the race, I only got one sticker today.