⚖️ Sometimes children's thoughts can feel like facts.
“Everyone will laugh at me." “I'm going to get it wrong. ”“Nobody likes me.” “Something bad is definitely going to happen.”
Putting a Thought on Trial is a colourful, child-friendly CBT thought challenging resource designed to help children step back from unhelpful thoughts, examine the evidence and develop more balanced ways of thinking.
Using a playful courtroom theme, children become Judge Bertie and investigate a thought before reaching their own final ruling.
Rather than simply telling children to “think positively”, the mat gives them a structured way to question a thought and consider whether it is completely true, partly true or perhaps not as true as it feels.
⚖️ How does it work?
Children begin by writing their thought in the Defendant's Box.
They then examine the thought from two different perspectives:
🔎 The Prosecution
What evidence might support the thought?
🛡️ The Defence
What evidence might challenge or contradict the thought?
Considering both sides helps children slow down and investigate what they are thinking rather than automatically accepting a thought as fact.
Children can then give their Final Ruling.
🧠 A child-friendly CBT approach
Putting a Thought on Trial draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles, particularly thought challenging and cognitive restructuring.
The mat helps children begin to explore questions such as:
What am I thinking?
What makes me think this?
What evidence supports my thought?
What evidence doesn't support it?
Is there another way of looking at this?
Is my thought completely true?
Could it be partly true?
What might my final ruling be?
The courtroom theme creates some psychological distance from the thought, making it something the child can investigate rather than simply believe.
💭 From “fact” to possibility
When children are anxious or upset, thoughts can become very certain.
A thought such as “Everyone will laugh at me” can feel like something that is definitely going to happen.
The mat encourages children to pause and consider the difference between:
What I think might happen and What I actually know.
This can help children develop more flexible and balanced thinking without dismissing or minimising how the original thought feels.
🌱 What can it help with?
Putting a Thought on Trial can be particularly useful when supporting children experiencing:
Anxiety and worry
Negative thinking
Low confidence
Self-critical thoughts
Fear of making mistakes
Social worries
Unhelpful thinking patterns
Difficult or overwhelming thoughts
It can be used as a standalone activity or alongside wider therapeutic and emotional wellbeing work.
♻️ Wipe-clean and reusable
The mat is printed on durable 400gsm laminated card, making it:
Wipe-clean
Reusable
Durable
Suitable for repeated use
A dry-wipe pen is included, so the mat is ready to use straight away.
Write, investigate the thought, reach a ruling and simply wipe clean ready for another thought.
👩⚖️ Who is it for?
Putting a Thought on Trial can be used by:
Parents and carers
Child psychologists
Therapists and counsellors
Schools and pastoral teams
Children's wellbeing practitioners
Mental health professionals
Other professionals supporting children's emotional wellbeing
It can be used collaboratively with a trusted adult or independently by children who are able to engage with the activity.
It is particularly useful for one-to-one work, therapy sessions, emotional wellbeing activities and conversations about anxious or unhelpful thoughts.
📦 What's included?
1 × Putting a Thought on Trial Mat
400gsm laminated, wipe-clean card
1 × Dry-wipe pen
The mat is designed for repeated use at home, in schools, in therapy and in other professional settings.
Please note
Putting a Thought on Trial is a supportive, educational and CBT-informed resource. It is not a substitute for professional mental health assessment or treatment. Children should be supported by an appropriate trusted adult when using the resource, particularly when exploring thoughts that cause significant distress.