Counselor Detective Badge Templates

Description:
Printable badge templates that students can color, cut out, and wear, reinforcing their new role as “Counselor Detectives.”

Materials:

• Badge template sheet (2 badges per page)
• Crayons or markers
• Scissors
• Yarn, string, or paperclips for wearing badges

Instructions:

1. Distribute one Counselor Detective Badge Templates sheet to each student.
2. Invite students to color the magnifying-glass-shaped badge and the text “Counselor Detective.”
3. Have students write their name on the blank line within the badge.
4. Guide students to carefully cut out their badge along the dotted circle.
5. Punch or clip a hole at the top and attach a loop of yarn/string or a paperclip so they can wear their detective badge proudly.

Teacher Tip:
Pre-punch holes or pre-tie loops for younger kindergarteners to support fine-motor skills and keep the activity within the 15-minute time frame.

Emotion Investigation Poster Set

Description:
A colorful set of visual posters that help students investigate emotions by spotting three types of clues: facial expressions, words they might say, and actions they might do.

Includes Posters For:

• Happy
• Sad
• Angry
• Scared
• Surprised

Each Poster Shows:

• A large, clear face illustration (e.g., big smile, frown, tears)
• A sample “I feel…” phrase (e.g., “I feel happy when I play.”)
• Common actions or body language (e.g., jumping for joy, slumped shoulders, clenched fists)

Materials:

• Pre-printed Emotion Investigation Posters (one of each emotion)
• Binder rings or clips for easy hanging
• Painter’s tape or sticky tack for wall display

Instructions:

1. Before the session, display all emotion posters in the meeting or circle area at children’s eye level.
2. Introduce each emotion poster one at a time:
   • Point to the face and ask: “What do you see on this face?”
   • Read the “I feel…” phrase aloud.
   • Describe the actions and ask: “What would we do if we felt this way?”
3. Encourage students to name the emotion and identify at least one clue type (face, words, or action) for each poster.
4. During the Emotion Mystery Team Challenge, invite students to reference the posters if they need help matching scenarios to feelings.
5. After the activity, leave posters up for ongoing use when talking about feelings or solving new feeling mysteries.

Teacher Tip:
Change poster placement after a few lessons to keep students’ attention and reinforce that emotional clues can appear anywhere in the classroom.

Feeling Faces Card Deck

Description:
A set of small, sturdy cards featuring clear illustrations of children’s faces expressing different emotions. Students use these cards to match emotion scenarios to facial expressions during the Emotion Mystery Team Challenge.

Includes:

• 5 emotion cards (Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Surprised)
• 2–4 extra blank cards for teacher customization

Materials:

• Pre-printed Feeling Faces cards (one deck per team)
• Cardstock or heavy paper for durability
• Scissors or paper cutter
• (Optional) Laminator and laminating sheets

Instructions:

1. Print the Feeling Faces Card Deck on cardstock.
2. Cut apart the cards along the solid lines.
3. (Optional) Laminate cards for repeated use and easy cleaning.
4. Before the activity, shuffle each deck and place face-up for teams to access.
5. During the Emotion Mystery Team Challenge, teams read their scenario, then browse the Feeling Faces cards to pick the one that best matches the feeling described.
6. After matching, teams discuss with the counselor detective how they would help in that situation.

Teacher Tip:

• Color-code the back of each card by emotion for quicker sorting.
• Use the extra blank cards to add school-specific emotions or scenario prompts.
• Store decks in small envelopes labeled by emotion for easy cleanup and redistribution.

Mystery Clue Envelopes

Description:
Sealed envelopes containing simple emotion scenario cards. Teams open an envelope, read the “mystery,” then use the Feeling Faces Card Deck to match the emotion and discuss how the counselor detective could help.

Includes:

• 5–6 pre-written scenario cards placed in individual envelopes, labeled Mystery 1, Mystery 2, etc.

Materials:

• Printed Emotion Scenario Cards
• Envelopes (one per scenario)
• Stickers or stamps (to seal)

Instructions:

1. Before the session, prepare scenario cards (see Sample Scenarios below), place one card into each envelope, and seal.
2. Label envelopes “Mystery 1,” “Mystery 2,” etc., so you can rotate them among teams.
3. During the Emotion Mystery Team Challenge, give each team one Mystery Clue Envelope.
4. Teams open their envelope, take turns reading the scenario aloud, and choose the matching card from the Feeling Faces Card Deck.
5. Teams discuss: “What clues helped you pick this feeling? How could our counselor detective help in this situation?”
6. After 3–4 minutes, collect envelopes and redistribute so each team solves a second mystery.

Sample Scenarios:

1. “Jordan sits alone on a bench with a sad face and whispers, ‘I don’t have anyone to play with.’”
2. “Mia stomps her feet and yells, ‘That’s not fair!’ with an angry look.”
3. “Leo hides behind a chair and says, ‘I’m scared of the big, loud dog outside.’”
4. “Ava jumps up and down, claps her hands, and shouts, ‘Yay! I finished my drawing!’”
5. “Eli wipes his eyes and whispers, ‘I miss my mommy at home.’”

Teacher Tip:
Add 1–2 blank cards in extra envelopes so you can quickly write custom scenarios based on your class’s needs.

Counselor Detective Puppet Script

Teacher: (Hold up the puppet) “Class, meet our special helper, Detective Counsel-o!”

Puppet (in a friendly, excited voice): “Hello, junior detectives! I’m Detective Counsel-o, your feeling investigator!”

Teacher: “Detective Counsel-o is here to help us solve feeling mysteries. Counsel-o, what does a school counselor do?”

Puppet: “I look for clues about how friends feel—like their faces, the words they say, and what they do. Then I help them feel better or make new friends!”

Teacher: “That sounds amazing! Class, what clues do you think help us notice how someone feels?”

Puppet: “Yes! I’ll listen for whispers like ‘I feel…,’ watch for smiles or frowns, and notice if someone plays or sits alone.”

Teacher: “Great ideas! Today, we’ll become counselor detectives too. We’ll work in teams to solve emotion mysteries and learn how our counselor can help.”

Puppet: “Get ready to collect clues, match feelings, and share solutions. Let’s grab our detective badges and start investigating!”