File folders are one of those supplies that I buy in bulk. I started small… I bought a 100-pack at Target. But now I go for the Costco-sized box because I use file folders for everything. Aside from the obvious file sorting, I use them for hands-on student activities that make any counseling activity easy to assemble and inexpensive to make! Keep reading to find my 4 favorite ways to use file folders for school counseling activities:
School Counseling Activities & Games with File Folders
Folder Games
When I started in my first counseling position, I had no materials and no budget. Anyone relate? I found a catalog in my school mailbox with counseling board games, but they were anywhere from $30-75… way out of my price range. After scouring our local thrift shop and coming up empty, I decided to just make my own games. All I needed was some colored shapes to make the board and some discussion cards.
I assembled my games inside a file folder so that I could fold them up and easily store them with all of the materials clipped inside. It worked like a charm! Now I make new file folder games for just about any topic. These fit perfectly in your file cabinet or on a shelf because they take up basically no space and they’re easy to set up and pack up.
Lap Books
Lap books are the perfect reference tool for students on any topic. Inside and outside the file folder, students have psychoeducational material, self-checks, sorting activities, and more… all inside one file folder. If you’re not familiar with lap books yet, be sure to check out this post where I explained what they are and how to use them.
Lap books work great with individuals or small groups. I know many counselors who use them in classroom guidance. The lap books do take some time to assemble, so if you have a solid 45-minute block, this might work for you too. No matter how you’re using them, lap books make a great takeaway for students to reference after sessions and share with families.
Feelings Check-in
For students who need a personal regulation station or for a space-saving calm corner tool, a file folder check-in can be a great option. Inside the folder, students can choose the feeling they have right now. Then, they can choose a strategy they will try. Feelings and strategies are attached to the folder with Velcro dots, so it’s easy for students to quickly select and reset options as needed. They fit in desks without much hassle or can be kept on a table or clipboard wherever your calming area is.
Sorting Centers
Centers or stations are my go-to activity for classroom guidance lessons to promote engagement, and file folders make a lot of the activities so much easier to organize and manage! If students are sorting something, like healthy vs. unhealthy choices or types of bullying, the folder will contain pockets and cards. Students will just open the folder, sort the cards, and then reset for the next group. It’s a great way to keep the materials organized during busy centers!
School Counseling Center Activities
So if you aren’t already, start saving all those extra file folders! Folder games, lap books, check-in tools, and centers are all great hands-on tools to get your students engaged in your classroom guidance lessons, small groups, or individual counseling sessions! They take up hardly any space at all and are fairly inexpensive – so many possibilities! Let me know in the comments sections which of these you’ve tried and how you’re using file folders to solve your school counseling problems!
Where did you find the resources used in this blog?
I made them! All of the activities and printables are linked under the photos and videos in this post (they’re in navy blue boxes).