Emotions, such as sensitive topic, but a crucial one to teach children at a young age. They must learn to not only identify but manage their feeling and emotions in a positive way. Especially when they become overwhelming and out of control. They must also learn to communicate how they are feeling and have many options offered to them on ways to open up. Below are some great activities which many families can do at home to support this emotional growth and wellbeing!
Action Songs
Singing is a great and fun way to learn! A great song choice is... If your happy and you know it!
A version of the song we have been using for years goes like this!
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands. Clap, Clap.
If you’re angry and you know it stomp your feet. Stomp, Stomp.
If you’re sad and you know cry out loud. Boo hoo.
If you’re scared and you know it give a shiver. Brrr.
If you're silly and you know it laugh out loud. Ha Ha Ha!
If your friendly and you know it wave hello. Hello!
If you’re surprised and you know it say Oh my!”
If you’re sleepy and you know it close your eyes. zzz
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands. Clap, Clap. (Always great to end with happy again!)
Recognising how our facial expressions affect emotions
There are some great worksheets and flash cards which correspond with emotions and faces, a great option can be found on the website Natural Beach Living Reading facial expressions not only helps children recognise their own emotions but also the emotions of their peers. While looking at these faces ask your child what emotion each face is feeling and why? It's a great conversation starter and the many different facial expressions can be used as discussion points to further the conversation.
Playdough and Emotions
To help develop emotion recognition 'emotions playdough mats' are a great tool, not only because playdough is a great tool to help children calm down when they become overwhelmed but also to help them develop their fine motor and coordination skills!
Emotions Tree
Allow children to communicate how they are feeling and display this in a fun and decorative way at home! We chose to hang ours from a tree! You could also place them on their bedroom walls, hanging from door frames, place them as reminders in their lunch boxes and so much more! Allow the children to communicate in their own words:
"I feel happy when..." or "... makes me happy"
"I feel excited when..." or "... gets me excited"
Of course your welcome to explore other emotions such as sadness, anger, etc. But we like to keep things positive and not dwell on the negative. We acknowledge what makes the children sad or angry but choose to write strategies for coping and what helps them feel better instead.
Fidgets!
Fidget toys have proven to be a great tool for emotional regulation and consistent use of these toys has shown effective reduction in stress and anxiety for many children. The trick if finding the right one for your child!
Storytime!
A wonderful story option for exploring emotions with children is "In My Heart" by Jo Witek (Author) & Christine Roussey (Illustrator). In my Heart explored happiness, bravery, anger, shyness and so much more! It doesn't oversimplify instead explaining what emotions feel like physically as well as mentally. Exposing children to themed early literacy is a great way to increase their vocabulary but also explore ways to articulate and identify how they are feeling in a fun manner.
Best of luck on your venture to teach your young children about emotions, it is a topic which should be taught in a positive and fun way! Remember to always acknowledge how they are feeling when they are hurt or upset, be patient and offer them an opportunity to come up with some solutions to help them feel better! They may surprise you with their responses!
Kids Oasis Educators