Wish Jar Technique for Children

Updated: April 2026.

Animago is an online team of highly qualified therapists who work with children and coach parents using evidence-based methods. For children ages 3–7, Animago therapists meet as animated characters over live video.
We help with common childhood challenges — fears, anxiety, low confidence, shyness, and more — and support healthier parent-child relationships. The Animago team has already helped more than 2,500 children build resilience!

Want to try it?

This technique not only brings the fulfillment of desires closer. It helps the child form his own self, recognize his needs and take care of himself.

When a child doesn’t want anything or wants everything, doesn’t know what he likes, when it’s difficult for him to talk about himself, to dream out loud – it’s time to plant a Garden of Wishes!

Talk to your child about what he likes, what he would like, what he dreams of. Choose a few short-term desires that can come true within a few weeks or a couple of months.
Let’s start planting! We draw the base of the garden with green grass, and begin to plant wishes, drawing each one in the form of a large special flower. We draw the sun in the sky, and a watering can next to the flowers.
We give each flower a name associated with a desire and sign it. In the sun we write “I want!” – let its rays warm desires and help them grow. And on the watering can we write: “My desires are important,” “I can talk about what I want,” “Taking care of your desires is good.”
And we begin to take care of the garden. To warm your desires with the sun, you need to regularly pronounce them: “I want…” To water, read the inscriptions on the watering can. And in order to take care of each individual flower, discuss with the child what kind of care the desire requires – and do what is needed.

For example, what needs to be done to make the wish flower “Bicycle” grow?

Learn the rules of the road.
Find places to ride.
Prepare protective equipment.
Find a place to store your bike.
If you are using a motivation system, then determine how many “stars” the child needs to collect.

When your wish comes true, you can write “Thank you” next to the flower.

We work with children and use a variety of creative visual techniques in our classes. The Garden of Wishes helps children create a safe space to explore their needs, develop confidence in their value, and develop the ability to express and care for their desires.