Emotions can sometimes be hard to identify and explain.  This book will help children do both and let them know that all emotions are ok to have.

Materials

            Emotion match cards-make 2 sets

            Camera

            Play dough supplies: flour, salt, vegetable oil

Vocabulary

            Emotions (The way you feel inside and out)

            Shy (to feel cautious or uncomfortable with another person)

            Frustrated (to feel discouraged or unsatisfied)

            Proud (to feel very pleased with yourself)

Disappointed (to feel sad because you thought something was going to be better than it was)

Before Reading the Story

            Talk about some of the things that you have seen children do in the last few days and the emotion it brought out.  (Yesterday I saw Kerry ask Roger if he wanted to play with her and I felt /happy/ that she was being a good friend.  Today Roger wrote his name all by himself. I know he was /proud/ because he showed me and had a great big smile.  I was /nervous/ this morning when I saw Kerry carrying the water to the water table but she did not even spill a drop).  Encourage the children to guess how you felt. 

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes.

Reading the Story

            Before reading the page, ask the children if they can guess how the character is feeling.  After reading the page, ask them if they have ever felt that way and let them discuss the emotion if they want to.  This is not a book to be hurried through but more to be talked about. 

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes.

After Reading the Story

            Play the game Show Me.  Tell the children different scenarios that evoke a variety of emotions and ask them to show you what it looks like.  (It’s your birthday and all your friends have come for a party.  You were running on the playground and you fell and scraped your knee.  You just learned how to ride the big bike all by yourself.  You are playing with a puzzle and someone knocked all your pieces on the floor.) 

Language Development/Listening & understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Discovery

            Make play dough with the children today.  As the children are kneading and pounding the dough explain how it helps you take frustration away.  When they are rolling it talk about how it makes you feel calm to roll the smooth play dough between your hands.

            1-cup flour

            1/3-cup salt

            1/3-cup water

            1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil-      Mix all ingredients together until smooth and pliable.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.

Music and Movement

             Teach the children this quote from the book that explains feelings.”Feelings come and feelings go. I never know what they’ll be. Silly or angry, happy or sad, they are all a part of me!” 

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; demonstrates abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next in a story.

Sing If You’re Happy and You Know It and then switch out to other emotions.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to atttend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and switch it up to include Shy Star, Frustrated Star, Very Proud Star, etc.  Make facial expressions or simple actions to go with each verse.

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

            Play Simon Says but change it to show emotion (Simon Says I’m scared, Simon says I’m excited)

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & CUriosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Teach the poem, I Look in the Mirror by Pam Schiller

I look in the mirror, and what do I see?

I see a happy face smiling back at me.

I look in the mirror, and what do I see?

I see a sad face frowning back at me.

I look in the mirror, and what do I see?

I see a proud face, twinkling back at me.

Blocks

            Invite extra children into the block center today.  This will set it up to be crowded.  Ask them to cooperatively build a structure.  This will be hard for some children but it will give children the opportunity to work together in a tight space and explore their feelings.  Make sure to stay near by to help them resolve any issues that might some up. 

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation;shows increasing abilities to use compromise and discussion in working, playing, and resolving conflicts with peers.

Art

            Tell the children that some emotions make us feel warm and fuzzy (love, happy, proud) while other emotions can make us feel cold and prickly.  Give the children cotton balls and bits of pipe cleaners to collage to represent warm fuzzies and cold prickles.  Talk with the children as they work and write down what each thinks of as a warm fuzzy or a cold prickly. 

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. AND Creative Arts/Art; begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences.

Library and Writing

            Use scenarios like those from ‘After Reading the Story’ and have individual children show you the emotion.  Take pictures of the children and make a poster labeled, ‘How Are You Feeling Today?’   Label the emotions.  Hang it near the entry so children can look at it and comment upon their arrival each morning. 

Sand and Water

            Water can be soothing to an angry or upset child.  Fill the table with warm water today and let the children choose what equipment to add.

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develops and express awareness in self in terms of specific characteristics and preferences.

Dramatic Play

            Put school supplies (pencils, paper, clip boards, dry erase) into the center and encourage the children to take turns being the teacher. 

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take interactions; to take turns in games and using materials; and to interact without being overly directive or submissive. AND Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Math and Manipulatives

            Have the children cut out faces from magazines and talk about the emotions the person is showing.   Talk to the children about what they think might have happened to make person in the picture feel this way? 

Physical Health & Development/Fine motor skills; develops growing strength, dexterity, and control needed to use tools such as scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer. AND Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions; and for other varied purposes.

            Make two sets of the emotional match cards and cut them out.  Use them to play memory by turning them over and then taking turns turning over cards to make sets/pairs. 

Social & Emotional Development/Cooperation; develops increasing abilities to give and take interactions; to take turns in games and using materials; and to interact without being overly directive or submissive

Outdoor Play

            Play Freeze.  Everyone runs around and when the teacher shouts out “Freeze!”, the children must stand perfectly still.  Call out an emotion and the children can act it out.  Begin again.  (Freeze!  Everyone act scared like there is a big storm with lightning and thunder.  Freeze!  Everyone act excited like your Mom is going to get you a new toy after school today). 

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Transitions

            As you dismiss the children off to the next activity, show an emotion and ask a child if they can recognize it.  Or ask, what makes you feel this way? 

Approaches to Learning/Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideras, and tasks.

Resources

Dear Parent-

            Today we talked about emotions and how they make us feel.  Spend a moment talking to your child about your day.  Tell your child what emotions you experienced and what caused them.  (Today when I went to work I felt sad because I wanted to stay home with you today.  Now I feel tired because I worked so hard today and I am hungry.  I am glad that we are home together now.)  After you have talked about your day, make sure to ask your child about his/hers.