Blob Tree Printable Free Download | Legal US Guide – If you searched for a blob tree printable free download, you are probably a teacher, school counselor, therapist, coach, or parent looking for a simple feelings check-in. The Blob Tree is a well-known visual tool. The original artwork, though, is copyrighted. This page explains what the tool is, what you can legally download for free, and where to buy the official version.
What Is a Blob Tree?
A Blob Tree is a drawing of a tree with simple, faceless figures called “blobs.” The blobs sit, climb, hide, help each other, or stand alone. Because they have no age, gender, or culture, many people can point to one and say, “That one feels like me today.”
Youth worker Pip Wilson and illustrator Ian Long created the first Blob Tree in the early 1980s so young people who struggled with reading could still talk about feelings. The tool is now used in schools, counseling rooms, hospitals, youth programs, and workplaces in many countries. Wikipedia’s overview of the Blob Tree is a clear, current summary of its history and purpose.
There is no single “correct” blob. The tree is a prompt, not a test.
Why Official Blob Trees Are Usually Not Free?
The original Blob Tree images are copyrighted communication tools. Official high-resolution, printable files are sold through the creators’ shop at blobtree.com. Individual scenes often cost about £5. Themed collections cost more. After purchase, buyers typically receive an email with a download link and a personal-use license.
That matters for a U.S. classroom or counseling office. A random “free Blob Tree PDF” on a file-sharing site is often an unlicensed copy. Using it in a school, clinic, or training can infringe copyright, even if you did not charge students.
Official products are digital, so U.S. buyers can order from the shop and print at home or at a local copy center.
Where to Get a Legitimate Free Printable?
You can still get a useful free printable if you use original templates rather than pirated official art.
Facilitator Jon McNestrie published a free pack for team and classroom check-ins. It includes a blank tree PDF, separate blob figures, post-it templates, and written instructions. Download the files from this shared Google Drive folder. The same pack is explained in his Interactive Blob Trees guide.
Those files are a blank canvas plus simple figures, not a copy of the Wilson/Long original. The author asks users who like the method to support the official books and shop.
For classroom planning, imaginED hosts a Grade 1 feelings unit that uses a watermarked official example with the artist’s permission. The post includes a free suggested-activities PDF and points readers to the official catalog: The Blob Tree (The Emotions Tree).
If you need the classic official image for ongoing professional use, buy it from blobtree.com rather than searching for an unofficial PDF.
How to Use a Blob Tree Printable?
Keep the prompt short and optional.
- Show the tree. Say: “Which blob feels closest to how you are right now?”
- Let the person point, circle, or place a sticker. They do not have to explain.
- If they want to talk, follow with open questions: “What about that blob fits?” “Where would you like to be on the tree?”
- Do not assign feelings to blobs for them. Do not score or diagnose from a choice.
- For groups, you can ask softer questions first: “Which blob looks most supported?” “Which one looks left out?”
U.S. school counselors often use this during morning meetings, small groups, or brief check-ins. Parents can use the same page after a hard day. It works with children, teens, and adults because the figures stay simple.
How to Print It Well?
- Use letter-size (8.5 x 11 in) paper for individual worksheets.
- Use legal or tabloid paper, or tile a large tree across four pages, for a wall check-in.
- Print the tree on card stock if students will place moveable blobs or sticky notes.
- Black-and-white prints photocopy cheaply. Color helps younger students stay engaged.
- Laminate a master copy and use dry-erase markers if you reuse the same sheet.
Blob Tree Printable Free Download | Legal US Guide
What to Avoid When You Search “Free Download”?
Skip sites that offer the official Wilson/Long tree as a free PDF, “emotions tree” scan, or watermark-free poster with no license. Many of those files are unauthorized copies.
Also skip pages that mix the Blob Tree with unrelated crafts, such as Christmas tree templates or generic tree outlines. Those can be useful crafts, but they are not this tool.
If a page claims the official Blob Tree is free, treat that claim as a red flag.
FAQ
Is there an official free Blob Tree PDF?
Not as a standalone public download of the original artwork. Official files are sold on blobtree.com. The shop sometimes includes a free tools guide with a paid order. Occasional social posts from the official account may be marked free to share; those are specific images, not a license for the whole catalog.
Can I use a free blank-tree version in a U.S. school?
Yes, if the file is an original template you have permission to use, such as the blank tree pack linked above. Do not photocopy an official Blob Tree you did not buy.
Is a Blob Tree a mental health assessment?
No. It is a conversation prompt. It does not diagnose anxiety, depression, or any other condition. If a child or adult describes distress that needs more support, refer them to a licensed counselor or clinician.
What related printables work if I only need a feelings check-in?
Any simple feelings chart, emoji check-in, or blank tree students decorate themselves can serve a similar classroom purpose. The value of a Blob Tree is the shared picture and the body-language cues, not the brand name on the page.
Where should I buy the official tool?
Start at blobtree.com. That is the creators’ download shop. Books such as The Big Book of Blob Trees are also sold through major book retailers.
Quick Recap
A blob tree printable is useful when you want a low-pressure way to talk about feelings. The official original is a paid, licensed product. For a blob tree printable free download, use an original blank-tree pack or a creator-approved classroom guide, and buy the official artwork if you need the classic image for professional work.
That approach keeps the activity helpful, legal, and fair to the people who made the tool.