Emotions Unbottled: Self-Care Superpowers for Kids Activity

Overview

This activity, titled Self-Care Activity Brainstorm, is designed for an engaging and interactive 30-minute session with upper elementary students (3rd-5th grade) in an after-school program. The activity focuses on teaching self-care strategies to help students manage and release bottled-up emotions in fun ways.

Objectives

• Empower students to recognize and express their emotions.
• Teach self-care strategies that can serve as healthy outlets when emotions become overwhelming.
• Engage everyone in group discussions to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Materials Needed

• Printed Emotion Cards
• Markers and Paper
• A Timer or Stopwatch
• A Whiteboard and Markers

Session Structure

1. Warm-Up: Emotion Charades (5 Minutes)

• Instructions: Begin with a lively game of charades. One student picks a card with an emotion and acts it out, while the rest of the group guesses which emotion is being portrayed.
• Purpose: This introduces the idea of identifying emotions in a fun, interactive way and sets the stage for deeper discussion.

2. Main Activity: Self-Care Activity Brainstorm (15 Minutes)

• Instructions:

  1. Gather the students for a whole-group discussion on the concept of self-care. Ask: "What does self-care mean to you?"
  2. On a whiteboard, draw two columns titled Bottled Emotions and Self-Care Actions.
  3. Invite students to share feelings or scenarios when emotions might feel bottled up and ask them for ideas on what they can do to feel better. Suggestions might include deep breathing, drawing, stretching, listening to music, or talking with a friend.
  4. Write down students’ ideas in the respective columns, ensuring that self-care actions are clearly linked to how they can release those pent-up emotions.
  5. Ask students to pick their favorite self-care tip and use markers and paper to either write a short note or draw a pictorial representation of that tip.
     
     
     
     
     
     

• Group Engagement: Encourage every student to contribute. Stay accessible to those who might be shy by inviting voluntary sharing and affirm participation with positive reinforcement.

3. Cool Down: Group Reflection (10 Minutes)

• Instructions:
  1. Bring the group back together in a circle for reflection.
  2. Invite each student to share one self-care strategy they learned today, and explain how it could help them when they are feeling overwhelmed.
  3. Guide a brief discussion highlighting the importance of trying different strategies and finding personal favorites.
  4. Summarize the session by reinforcing that self-care is essential, and remind the students to practice these strategies regularly.

Follow-Up Points

• Expansion: For future sessions, consider making a “Self-Care Toolbox” where students add their favorite strategies with drawings and words, which can be reviewed periodically.
• Personal Reflection: Encourage students to keep a simple journal of their emotions and the self-care methods they tried; a follow-up discussion can help assess which techniques worked best for them.

Notes for the Teacher

• Ensure the activity is engaging for the entire group without breaking them into smaller groups, as this plan is tailored for a whole-group setting of 15-20 kids.
• The activities are designed without the need for technology, making use of simple, readily available materials.
• As you facilitate the discussion, be attentive to the varied comfort levels among students and offer gentle prompts to encourage quieter students.

By the end of this session, students should feel empowered to manage their emotions with a variety of self-care strategies, and they will leave with a personalized understanding of their own emotional toolkit.

Emotions Unbottled Lesson Plan provides an overall guide for the full session structure.

Emotion Charades Warm-Up

This warm-up activity is designed to serve as an icebreaker that gets everyone moving and thinking about feelings in a fun, playful way. It helps students become more comfortable with expressing and identifying various emotions, setting a positive tone for the session.

How to Play

1. Preparation:

   • Before the lesson, prepare printed emotion cards with different feelings written on them (e.g., happy, sad, surprised, frustrated, excited, nervous, etc.).
   • Spread the cards out in a container or on a table.

2. Instructions:

   • Have the students gather in a circle. Explain that they will be playing charades to help everyone understand different emotions better.
   • Invite one student at a time to pick a card and silently decide on an emotion to act out.
   • Once ready, the student will act out the emotion using only body language and facial expressions—no words allowed!
   • The rest of the group will shout out guesses until someone successfully names the emotion.

3. Encouragement:

   • Praise all attempts, and encourage students to be as expressive as possible. Explain that there's no right or wrong way to show an emotion!
   • Use this opportunity to briefly discuss, after a correct guess, what the emotion might feel like and why someone might experience it.

Tips for Success

• Inclusivity: Ensure every student gets an opportunity to both act and guess, promoting a sense of community.
• Energy: Keep the atmosphere upbeat and fun to maintain high engagement from the start.
• Reflection: After a few rounds, invite students to share if they recognized any similar expressions or if they have experienced that emotion before.

By the end of this warm-up, students should feel more relaxed and open to exploring their emotions, setting a supportive foundation for the rest of the session.

Emotions Unbottled Lesson Plan

Group Reflection Cool Down

This cool-down segment is designed to help students consolidate their learning by reflecting on the self-care strategies they've explored during the session. It gives every student an opportunity to share their personal takeaways and how they plan to use these techniques in real life.

How to Facilitate

1. Circle Time: Gather all students in a circle to create an open and inclusive atmosphere.

2. Sharing Round: Invite each student to share one self-care strategy they learned today. Encourage them to mention why they believe it will help them when feeling overwhelmed or bottling up emotions.

3. Prompt Questions: If needed, ask guiding questions such as:

   • "What self-care strategy did you like the most and why?"
   • "Can anyone share a time when they could have used a self-care tip like this?"
   • "How do you feel after practicing today’s activities?"

4. Teacher Summary: After everyone has shared, briefly summarize the key strategies mentioned. Emphasize that self-care is a personal journey, and it's important to try different approaches to see which works best.

5. Encouragement: Conclude by motivating students to practice these strategies regularly. Remind them that it's okay if they need to adjust or change their approaches over time.

Tips for Success

• Inclusivity: Ensure every student feels heard, even if they are shy. Consider using a talking object to give everyone a chance to speak.
• Positive Feedback: Reinforce each student’s contribution with encouraging comments.
• Calm Environment: Maintain a quiet and calm tone during the reflection to help students settle their thoughts.

By the end of the Group Reflection, students should feel more confident in their ability to manage their emotions using the self-care strategies they discovered today.

Emotions Unbottled Lesson Plan