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My Feelings

3 Aa

Games Center For this partner game, color and cut apart two construction paper copies of the emotion cards on page 9. The players place the cards facedown. In turn, each child flips over two cards. If the cards match, he takes the cards. If the cards do not match, he flips them back over and play continues.

Gross-Motor Area Little ones will be all smiles at the end of this

activity. Draw happy and sad faces on a supply of

paper plates. Randomly scatter the faces on the floor

of your gross-motor area and set a supply of bean-

bags nearby. A student stands a short distance from

the faces and tosses a beanbag on each sad face.

When each sad face has a beanbag on it, he collects

the beanbags. Then he repeats the process, tossing

a beanbag on each happy face.

excited

sad

embarrassed

embarrassed

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My Feelings

Center Time3 Aa

My pretty hair makes me happy!

Play Dough Center Youngsters make faces that express a variety of emotions at this center! Set out flesh-colored play dough along with facial features from a Mr. Potato Head toy or other desired manipulatives. A student flattens a blob of play dough to make a face shape. Then she sticks facial features in the play dough. She repeats the process to make a variety of faces.

Dramatic Play Puppets are a great way for students to drama-tize a variety of emotions. Cut out copies of the puppet faces on page 11. Then place the cutouts at a center along with yarn, glue, tape, and craft sticks. A youngster tapes a craft stick to a cutout. Then she glues yarn hair to her cutout. She repeats the process with other cutouts. Then she uses the puppets to act out conversations that involve a variety of emotions.

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My Feelings

Small-Group Time

Worries AwayFollowing directions

Invite youngsters to discuss things that might cause people to worry. Direct each child to draw on a sheet of paper one or more things that cause her to worry. Then have her crumple the paper into a ball. Invite students to gather around a large empty container. Have them recite the poem below and then encourage them to toss their worries into the container.

Goodbye, worries.Don’t bother me.Go away now!One, two, three.

Take a SpinOral language

Play this game to find out how youngsters feel about certain events. Cut out a copy of the spinner on page 10. Attach a brad and jumbo paper clip to the spinner as shown. Then have a student spin the spinner and describe the picture or event. Invite each youngster to tell how that event makes him feel and why. Continue until each section of the spinner has been discussed.

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My Feelings

The Happy DanceGross-motor skills

Encourage little ones to express joyous feelings verbally

and through movement. Help each student make a smiley

face puppet like the one shown. Have students hold their

puppets. Then invite volunteers to share things or events that

make them happy. Encourage youngsters to stand and sing

the song below. As little ones sing, encourage them to dance

enthusiastically.

(sung to the tune of “The Muffin Man”)

It’s time to do the happy dance,

The happy dance, the happy dance.

It’s time to do the happy dance.

Just watch us jump and prance.

Nervous or NotNonverbal expression

Find out which normal occurrences are a little scary

for youngsters. Designate two silent signals, like the

ones shown, to indicate feeling nervous and feeling

relaxed. Name an event such as seeing a spider or flying

on a plane. Then invite little ones to signal whether the

event makes them nervous. After a couple rounds of

play, invite volunteers to suggest different events.

Colorful FeelingsWriting

On a designated day, invite each student to

wear clothing in his favorite color. Then read

aloud My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss. Give

each student a sheet of paper. Direct him to

draw himself wearing his favorite color and then

have him dictate a sentence about how the color

makes him feel. Bind the pages together to make

a class book.

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3My Feelings

Making FacesVisual memory

On each of five paper circles draw a face

that is one of the following: happy, sad, angry,

surprised, and worried. Have students sit in a

circle, and place the faces in the center of the

circle. Hold up a face and invite youngsters to

name and imitate the emotion. While students

cover their eyes, remove one of the faces.

Invite youngsters to open their eyes and study

the faces to determine which one is missing.

Then have them imitate the expression of the

missing face.

Emotional CharadesNonverbal expression

Little ones really get into the act with this

idea. Cut apart a copy of the emotion cards on

page 9. Show students each card and discuss

the emotion represented on the card. Place

the cards in a small gift bag and then invite a

volunteer to draw a card. Instruct him to act out

the emotion on the card. Then ask students to

name the emotion he is expressing. Continue

with the remaining cards.

Group Time

angry

worried

sad

excited

happy

embarrassed

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My Feelings

Songs and More

Very happy,

thank you.

When I’m Sad

(sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

When I’m feeling sad and don’t know what to do,

When I’m feeling down and quite unhappy too,

I just wipe away my frown

And turn it upside down.

Then I have a happy smile that’s brand new!

How Are You?

Prior to singing the song, help students brain-

storm a list of feelings. Have a child choose a

feeling. Then lead youngsters in singing the

song, inserting the student’s name and the

chosen emotion.

(sung to the tune of “Where Is Thumbkin?”)

Where is [Jenna]?

Where is [Jenna]?

There [she] is.

There [she] is.

How are you today, friend?

Very [happy], thank you.

What a day!

What a day!

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Spinner PatternUse with “Today’s Feelings” on page 8.

TE

C61

235

tired angry

silly

excitedhappy

sad

12

©The Mailbox®Note to the teacher: Use with “Today’s Feelings” on page 8.

Cut here.

______________________________’s FeelingsI am today.

Cut here.

11

Puppet Face PatternsUse with “Dramatic Play” on page 6.

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10

Spinner PatternUse with “Take a Spin” on page 5 .

©Th

e M

ailb

ox®

9

Emotion Cards

Use with “Emotional Charades” on page 2 and “Games Center” on page 7.

happy©The Mailbox®

sad©The Mailbox®

embarrassed©The Mailbox®

excited©The Mailbox®

angry©The Mailbox®

worried©The Mailbox®

©The Mailbox®

8My Feelings

Arts and Crafts

High Five for Me

Materials for one project:

sheet of construction paper

glitter

various decorative craft materials

scissors

glue

Steps:

1. Trace your hand and then cut out the tracing with help as

needed.

2. Write your name in the center of the hand cutout.

3. Trace over your name with glue and sprinkle glitter on the

glue. Shake off the excess glitter.

4. Use the other craft materials to finish decorating the hand.

5. Hold up your high-five project and name something about

yourself that makes you happy.

MariaToday’s Feelings

Materials for one project:

copy of pages 12–13

bradscissors

crayons

Steps:

1. Write your name on the blank on a copy of page 12.

2. Color the person.

3. Cut along the dotted lines.

4. Cut out the wheel and use the brad to attach it to

the back of page 12 with help as needed.

5. Rotate the wheel to display your feelings.

______________________________’s Feelings

I am today.happyJerry