Emotion card activities

How are you feeling? Share some, or all of the cards with the child, and ask them to choose a card that they are drawn to, or they feel represents how they are feeling. Spend time talking about the sensations they feel. Explore where in their body they feel the sensations and notice the language they use. Perhaps do this with the image only side of the cards first then turn them over and see if they can think of different words to describe their own sensation. Did they match our suggestions? Be curious and ‘wonder’ with the child and use sentence stems such as… “I am wondering if…” “I’m thinking it might feel…”

Play facial expressions. Turn over one card at a time, asking the child to make the facial expression. Ask the child “What does it feel like, what do you notice?” This could be done as a game, taking turns in a small group with the other participants guessing the expressed emotion.

My mixed emotions. Ask the child to choose three cards showing how they feel e.g. they might feel excited, nervous and hopeful at the same time. Compare and discuss their mixed emotions, helping them to understand that we often have more than one feeling at a time, even feelings that can contradict each other.

Create an emotions story. Ask the child to choose three or four emotions and use them to create a story. Encourage the child to think about the setting, one or two characters, a plot or event that happens as well as an ending. Help the child to place the emotion cards in order of what happens. They might like to tell the story or they can write it down.

Play ‘Think of a time when…’ Take turns to choose a card then talk about a time when you felt like the emotion shown. Remember it’s OK to pass or choose a different card.

Drawing my feelings. Ask the child to draw or paint what a particular feeling might look like to them based on the card they choose. This may be a symbol, a scene, a colour or something more abstract than a face but encourage them to express and share their ideas freely.

My hidden feelings. Ask the child to choose a card that they feel drawn to today, or perhaps in relation to a particular situation or past event. Ask the child to think about the sensations and feelings and if there are any other feelings ‘hidden’ underneath. Encourage the child to lay the cards out with the core feeling at the top and then other feelings underneath to show the layers of emotions that we can feel. Encourage conversation using sentences stems such as… “I wonder…” “Can you tell me more about that…” and “I think I heard…”

My friend’s emotions. Ask the child to choose an emotion card that is sometimes uncomfortable and difficult. What might they say to support their friend who may be feeling this emotion. Practise saying the words in role play. Saying it aloud helps them to think it through, and help themselves too.

Play charades. Ask the children to take turns to pick up a card and then act out a scene using the emotion or make the facial expression or body language of the emotion for the others to guess.

Play opposites. Help the child to choose opposing feelings e.g. happy and sad. What makes them ‘opposite’? Draw out the language around the different emotions and notice how sensations may be similar or different too. Encourage the child to find other opposite emotion card pairs.

Similar emotions. Ask the child to choose two similar emotion cards then talk about the similarities they see. Ask the child to compare the sensations, facial features or aspects of these feelings. Which card best represents their experience?

Continuum of feelings. Choose cards that are of a similar emotion e.g. angry, frustrated, furious, rage and ask the child to order them from least to most intense helping them to recognise how there is a range within a core feeling. Then ask the child to think about which of the emotions cards is the most intense from their experience. Is there a tipping point for them when an emotion becomes overwhelming? What happens? Can they think of a time when this has happened for them?

Name the sensations. Take turns to pick up a card and name the emotion looking at the image only side. Without looking at the reverse side ask the child to describe what sensations they might feel or experience. Then turn the card over, did their ideas match the suggestions on the card?

Self-expression. Using a blank card ask the child to draw or write their own emotion and sensations. Encourage the child to talk about and demonstrate where they feel the sensations in their body and encourage them to notice and reflect what the impact of this feeling is on them.

My image of emotions. Encourage the child to make a collage or ‘word cloud’ of the emotions they feel the most or that represent them as a way of self-expression.

Emotions diary. Encourage the child to start a diary or write in a journal each day three feelings they notice themselves experiencing, and over time see what patterns appear. Writing a diary is a lovely way to help express and release our emotions.

My trigger. Ask the child to choose an emotion card that is an uncomfortable or difficult feeling for them and ask them to picture a time when they felt like that. Then ask “What triggers this emotion in you?” “What sensations do you notice?” and “What, and who, helps you with this feeling?”

Emotion comic strip. Encourage the child to make an emotion comic strip. Think about the different emotions that they or a character might feel in a situation or an event. Plan the setting, plot, characters and add spoken words the characters might say in thought bubbles throughout the comic story.

Thought bubbles. Ask the child to choose an emotion card. Then using a blank emotion card write in thought bubbles what they might be thinking when they are experiencing that emotion. Alternatively use speech bubbles and write what they might say.

Colour-coded emotions. Invite the child to choose a few different cards and ask them to think about what colour best represents each emotion. Encourage them to share their ideas about why they chose those colours.