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There are many activities that you can do with young children to help them identify feelings within themselves and others. It is important that children have many opportunities to express emotions in a safe environment.
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MIRROR, MIRROR
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Sit with your child in front of a mirror. |
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Call out a specific kind of feeling; such as, “sad”. |
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Then both of you make a “sad” face” in the mirror. |
Variation: Play another game where only one of you makes up an emotion and makes a face in the mirror. The other player, then tries to guess what emotion was expressed. |
FEELING SONGS
Sing songs about feeling with your child. Feelings Songs can be found at the Music Station under Anytime Songs.
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MOVE WITH FEELINGS
Incorporate feelings into movement time.
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Tell your children to run around your room or yard feeling happy. |
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Then ask them to walk around feeling sad. |
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Or march around feeling angry. |
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Let your children help you decide the movement and the feeling to express. |
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FEELINGS AT STORY TIME
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Read stories to your children that have characters who express emotions. |
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When you get to that part in the story, stop and ask your child how the character is feeling. |
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When the story is over, go back over the story and have your child act out how the character felt during different parts of the story.
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PUPPET PLAY
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When your children are playing with puppets, encourage them to tell you stories about the puppet. |
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Be sure to ask how the puppet is feeling at different times during the story. |
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FEELINGS CONCENTRATION
Make up a “Feelings” Concentration game for your child.
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Take 12 index cards and make a large face circle on each card. |
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Then draw a happy face on two cards, a sad face on two cards, a mad face on two cards, a surprised face on two cards, an angry face on two cards and a bored face on two cards. |
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Turn the cards over and mix them up. |
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Play concentration, where each player turns over two cards and tries to find two that show the same emotion. |
Variation: An easier version of the game is to let your child turn over one cards, then to continue turning over cards until she finds a match to her feelings card. Take those two cards out of the mix and repeat the game.
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ROLE PLAY EMOTIONAL SITUATIONS
Play a roll playing game with your child to help him learn appropriate ways to handle certain situations where he or others are having strong feelings.
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Pretend that you are very sad because you broke your doll. What would an appropriate response be from your child if he came upon you crying. |
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Pretend your child got a present he didn’t really care for. What emotion should he express? |
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HAPPY/SAD PUPPET
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Help your child make a happy/sad puppet by drawing a “happy” face on one side of a paper plate and a “sad” face on the opposite side. |
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Then add a large craft stick handle. |
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Describe situations and have your child hold up the side of the puppet that shows how she feels. |
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Such as; You got a bike for your birthday. Or – you lost your big ball. |
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