Fun Ways to Teach Children About Asthma

Children with asthma may not always understand what’s going on when they have symptoms. But teaching your child about asthma from a young age can help them communicate better with you, teachers, and other caregivers when they do have symptoms. Plus, this will help prepare them for self-care as they get older.

Here are some resources specially created to teach children about asthma. These links include games, printable activity sheets, videos with fun characters, comics, and more. They might even see some PBS characters they know, like the Sesame Street gang.

1. Ally and Andy’s Activity Book

This coloring and activity book from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) gives children and families a basic understanding of asthma and food allergies in a story format. It is a fun way for children to learn common asthma triggers. It also helps them learn how to manage their asthma and food allergies. It has coloring pages, word finds, crossword puzzles, word scrambles, mazes, and other activities. It also has a list of asthma and allergy website resources for parents and kids.

This book is available as a free PDF download in English, Spanish, and Arabic. If you don’t have a printer, you can take screenshots of the pages and load them into a paint type app on a tablet or computer for your child to work on. This book also has a printed English version (single book or pack of 10) available for purchase.

2. Sesame Street: Managing Asthma

Get help teaching your child about asthma from some of their favorite Sesame Street characters. Find articles, printable activity sheets, and videos designed according to your child’s age.

3. Arthur Family Health: Asthma

Arthur, a popular PBS character, and his friends offer several resources to help your child understand asthma. You can find information for adults and kids, games, activities, and videos on the site. It also includes a link to an “Arthur” episode on asthma, “Buster's Breathless.”

4. The Adventures of Javan and the 3 A’s

Javan Allison, who has had asthma since he was 2 years old, wrote a children’s book with his mom Monique Cooper about his experiences with asthma. In the book, he goes on imaginary adventures and explains what it feels like to have asthma. “The Adventures of Javan and the 3 A’s” is available on Amazon in Kindle format or paperback.

5. The Breathe Easies

If your child loves music, they’ll love to learn about asthma with the Breathe Easies asthma rock band. The Breathe Easies puppets, designed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), teach your child how to control asthma triggers through fun videos.