I have collected over the years several sources to use with the Feelings Theme. I also recently have started incorporating
Conscious Discipline into my prekindergarten classroom. This upcoming school year I have designed several games and visuals for the children to use along with Conscious Discipline. The information below is a few of my ideas and ideas friends, and colleagues have shared with me over the years.
Several of my printables are FREE and can be downloaded from
TeachersPayTeachers.com. I try to keep all of my teaching resources in one area to make it easy for myself and others.
I hope you find the information useful. If you have any questions or comments do not hesitate to email me or post a comment. Suggestions and comments are always encouraged and helpful.
Objectives
1. To correctly identify feelings
2. To understand ways to safely express feelings
3. To practice discussing feelings
Art Activities
Happy Face, Sad Face
Materials: small paper plate or circle shape per child, crayons, large craft stick per child, hand mirror
Directions: The children look in the mirror and make a happy face. They draw themselves on one side of the plate or circle including eyes, nose, and hair then and smiling mouth. On the opposite side they draw themselves with a sad face. Glue craft stick on the bottom.
Extension: Use these at circle time or a large/small group time later in the day asking questions about feelings. They turn their "faces" to show the side that corresponds to the question or statement.
Examples: You need to go to clean up the centers. Are you happy or sad? You find your favorite toy that you thought was lost. Are you happy or sad?
Paint a Feeling
Materials: Paint, brushes and paper
Free art expression. When they are done, ask them to name their picture with a feeling. Hang paintings with their descriptions.
Feeling Activity Mats
The packet contains four blank faces for young children to use playdoh to build how they feel faces. The mats can also be used with a dry erase marker and have the students draw how they feel. I am using the mats in my Safe Place area based on Conscious Discipline to encourage children to identify how they feel. I am also introducing the activity mats as part of my Feelings Theme to use at the beginning of the school year.
Directions: It is suggested to print on card stock and laminate for durability. Then cut out each face and place in your center. You could also print on card stock, glue in a file folder, and laminate the entire set.
SUBSCRIBE to DOWNLOAD>> How Do I Feel Today?
Cooking Activities
Comfort Cookies
Ingredients:3 cups margarine
3 cups brown sugar
3 cups flour
6 cups oats
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate drops (or butterscotch or peanut butter drops)
Directions: Mash, knead, squeeze, pound, pinch, etc. all ingredients in a large bowl until completely blended. Form into small balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in size and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Butter the bottom of a small juice glass and then dip it into white sugar, then pound the cookies flat with it. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for approx. 10-12 mins.
Science Activities
Apple Experiment
Materials: (1) apple
Directions: Sit the class in a circle and show them the ordinary apple. Then pass the apple around in the circle and instruct the students to lightly hit the apple on the carpet. Once all of the children have had a turn, show the apple to the children. Ask the children does the apple look any different? What do you think happened to the inside of the apple? Explain to the children that the apple looks normal on the outside, but on the inside it is bruised. Cut the apple open and pass the apple halves around the circle letting the children examine the bruised inside. (Remind the children the apple is for looking and not eating.) Explain to the children that sometimes we cannot see how our words or actions hurt our friends on the inside, but like the apple our friends can be bruised on the inside by what we say and do.
Extension: Have the children draw a picture of how they can make a friend feel better when someone says something mean or hurtful.
Feelings CD
Materials: CD player, recorder, pictures of children showing various emotions.
Directions: Record the children making different sounds such as laughing, giggling, growling, crying, yelling, etc. Place the CD in the Science area along with pictures of the different emotions. The children then listen to the sound and match the emotion.
Bottled Up Emotions
Experiment to show what happens when we bottle up anger and emotions inside....we EXPLODE!
Materials: vinegar, baking soda, paper towel, gallon size ziploc bag.
Experiment can be found at
All Things Beautiful.
Literacy Activities
Class Feeling Book
Materials: Digital camera, computer, and printer.
Directions: Ask your children (one at a time) to give their best happy, sad, mad, silly, and scared faces. Then take a picture of them. Print pictures and glue them on an 8.5”x 11” paper. Either type the words that describe the emotion or write the words directly on the paper. Combine all of the children’s faces into a class book. You can either secure using comb-binding if accessible OR punch three holes and secure using book rings. You can use the class book to lead a discussion about different feelings.
How do you feel today?
Objective: Children will guess how a character in the story feels. Some may say happy, sad, mad or scared
Materials:
Today I feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis, sets of faces made with paper plates showing different feelings, and a puppet.
Instructions: Read the book. Give each child in your small group a set of plates. Using a puppet, retell few situations that happened in the story. Have the children choose a paper plate to show how they think the character feels.
Feelings Vocabulary Cards: The packet contains 12 feelings vocabulary cards perfect to use in circle time, small groups, and word walls. I am using the Feelings Vocabulary Cards in my Safe Place area based on Conscious Discipline to encourage children to identify how they feel. I am also introducing the Feelings Vocabulary Cards as part of my Feelings Theme to use at the beginning of the school year.
Directions: It is suggested to print on card stock and laminate for durability. Then cut out each vocabulary card along the solid black line.
SUBSCRIBE to DOWNLOAD>> Feelings Vocabulary Cards
Writing Activities
My Feelings Book
Materials: Pencils, crayons, several sheets of white construction paper fold hamburger style forming a book. Printed on the cover page the following sentence: My Feelings Book
On each page write an emotional word: angry, happy, sad, scared, silly, and excited. Encourage the children to draw a picture of something that made them feel angry, happy, sad, scared, silly, and excited. Write down their story when they are done and display.
Math Activities
Feelings Sorting Cards
The packet contains 9 feelings sorting cards perfect to use in circle time, small groups,
and math centers. I am using the Feelings Sorting Cards in my Safe Place area based on Conscious Discipline to encourage children to recognize facial expressions. I am also introducing the Feelings Sorting Cards as part of my Feelings Theme to use at the beginning of the school year.
Directions: It is suggested to print on card stock and laminate for durability. Then cut out each feelings sorting card along the solid black line. For a sorting game I suggest printing at least (5) sets. For a matching game like memory I suggest printing at least (4) sets. These cards can also be used like “Go Fish” cards.
SUBSCRIBE to DOWNLOAD>> Feelings Sorting Cards
Dramatic Play Activities
1. Flower Shop – Plastic flowers, non-breakable vases, play money, cash register or something to store money in, notepad for taking orders, wrapping paper, and gift bags can be placed in the dramatic play area. Make a sign that says “Flower Shop.” Also, make a sign that has prices for different types of flowers. You can use a digital camera and take pictures of the plastic flowers. Print them out, glue onto a poster board and write the amount. For small children I would also include a picture of the money for the children to match up. The children may want to arrange, sell, deliver, and receive flowers.
2. Card Shop – Include blank cards, thank you notes, paper, pencils, crayons, markers, construction paper, glue, scissors, stickers, envelopes, and self-inking stamps. Make a sign that says, “Card Shop.” You can also include pre-printed strips for children to copy on their cards such as: I hope you get well soon, Thinking of you, Miss you, Sorry that you do not feel good, Good Job, etc. Also include sentence strips with both each child’s name and picture. This way the children can find a child’s name and write it on the card.
3. Post Office – Include a bag to be used as the “mail bag,” a blue shirt for the mail carrier uniform. Use the cards created from the card shop. Make a sign that says, “Post Office.” The children can use stickers to stamp their cards and deliver them to their friends via their cubbies.
Songs
IF YOU’RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT
Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, your face will surely show it.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
~Traditional
(Make up additional verses with other feelings; such as; If you’re angry and you know it, stomp your feet, or If you’re scared and you know it, hide your eyes.)
FEELINGS
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
I have feelings
You do too.
Let’s all sing about a few.
I am happy (smile)
I am sad (frown)
I get scared (wrap arms around self)
I get mad (make a fist and shake it)
I am proud of being me (hands on hips)
That’s a feeling too, you see.
I have feelings (point to self)
You do too. (point to a friend)
We just sang about a few.
THE MORE WE GET TOGETHER
The more we get together,
Together, together,
The more we get together,
The happier we'll be.
Because your friends are my friends,
And my friends are your friends.
The more we get together,
The happier we'll be!
Books
Below is a list of books to go with the Feelings Theme. I have a majority of the books in my collection or I check them out from my local library.
Feelings Links
Images provided by:
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss is a wonderful way for parents and teachers to talk with children about their feelings. Each day is described in terms of a particular color, which in turn is associated with specific emotions. Using a spectrum of vibrant colors and a variety of animals, this unique book covers a range of moods and emotions. (Ages 3-8)
