Help students feel safe, supported, and understood during uncertain or frightening times

“When Scary Things Are Happening Around Us” is a gentle, reassuring social story designed to help children process fear, worry, and confusion when they hear about or experience scary events in the world around them. This resource provides clear, child-friendly language to normalize feelings, explain that adults are working to keep kids safe, and introduce healthy coping strategies.

This social story is ideal for use after:

Scary or upsetting news events
Community emergencies or incidents
School safety drills or lockdown discussions
Changes in routine that increase anxiety
Heightened worry due to world events
What This Social Story Helps With:

Understanding big, scary events in an age-appropriate way
Naming feelings like fear, worry, confusion, and sadness
Reassurance around safety and trusted adults
Learning simple, calming coping strategies
Encouraging communication and emotional expression
Perfect For:

Elementary classrooms (Grades K–5)
School psychologists, counselors, and social workers
Special education and inclusion settings
Individual check-ins or whole-group SEL lessons
Home–school connection and parent support

Skills Addressed:

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Emotional regulation
Coping skills
Anxiety support
Self-awareness and reassurance
This social story is written in a neutral, supportive tone and avoids graphic or alarming details, making it safe for a wide range of learners. It can be read aloud, revisited as needed, or used as part of a calm-down routine.

What You Will Receive:
1 high-quality colour PDF file
8.5"x11" in size
15 pages

How to Use:

1. After uploading product, save file to your device
2. Print either at home, or via local print provider or online print service
3. Bind, laminate, or place in duotang to use with your students
4. Alternatively, display the lesson electronically/on-screen by opening the PDF and choosing full-screen/presentation mode.

Personal Note:
Should you require a different file format or size, let us know and we can do this for you.

We love what we do and so would appreciate your feedback and review so we can continue to provide practical resources to our fellow educators THANK YOU.