Making Summer Meaningful: An Inside Look at Practice SF’s Summer Skills Groups
As the school year winds down, many parents start looking for ways to help their children stay regulated, connected, and confident during the long break. At Practice San Francisco, we believe summer is the perfect season to level up the internal scaffolding kids need to navigate life with ease.
Our signature summer programs, Mighty Minds and Vibe & Thrive; Social Skills for Success, are designed to bridge the gap between grades by turning mental health into a set of practical skills.
Mighty Minds: Building Resilience for Grades K–2 and 3-5
Our flagship Mighty Minds program is a research-based intervention that teaches younger students how to manage stress, anxiety, and big emotions. Whether a child is proactively building coping skills or currently struggling with regulation, this program provides the foundations for success.
What your child will learn:
Mindful Choices: Understanding the difference between acting on automatic pilot and making a mindful choice.
Brain Science: We introduce the Lizard Brain (the emotional center) and the Wizard Brain(the thinking center) so kids understand what is happening inside their bodies when they feel overwhelmed.
The Thought Detective: Kids learn to look for facts and clues to decide if a thought is helpful or if their unkind mind is taking over due to stress.
Perspective Taking: Learning to distinguish between a "pebble," a "mountain," and a "meteor" to ensure their reaction matches the size of the problem.
The program concludes with a special closing ceremony, where parents are invited to see their children share the specific tools they’ve mastered—from breathing banks to homemade glitter jars that reinforce the power of pausing.
Vibe & Thrive: Social Skills for Success - Navigating the Social World
Social dynamics don't take a summer break. Our Social Skills groups are specifically designed to help students navigate the complexities of modern friendships and build healthy, supportive connections.
For Elementary Students (Grades 3–5)
Focused on those who identify as female or non-binary, this group helps kids move from just playing to building authentic bonds. We explore:
Value-Based Friendships: Understanding what makes a good friend and finding peers who share similar values.
Empathetic Repair: Learning strategies to fix friendships when feelings get hurt or disagreements happen.
The Science of Belonging: Building the confidence to handle in-groups and out-groups while staying true to oneself.
For Middle Schoolers
We empower participants to handle the increased social pressure of the teenage years with confidence. Key focus areas include:
Boundary Setting: Learning the mechanics of healthy vs. unhealthy relationships and how to uphold personal boundaries.
Managing Social Stress: Developing tools to stay emotionally balanced during challenging social interactions.
Personal Growth: Boosting self-esteem by cultivating a supportive and resilient social network.
View the full summer schedule below and register your kid(s) today!
Practice SF Summer Clinical Groups Schedule.
Join Us This Summer
Ready to help your child find their “Mighty Mind” or “Vibe & Thrive” in their social world? Or maybe you still have a few questions? Watch the recording of our informational webinar with our group leads Molly and Ella, below, or email your questions to groups@practicesanfrancisco.com .
