• lenny-learning-logoLenny Learning
  • Home
    Home
    • Lessons
    Lessons
  • Curriculum
    Curriculum
  • Surveys
    Surveys
  • Videos
    Videos
  • Support
    Support
  • Log In
lenny

Feeling Detectives

Menna

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Feelings Friends Lesson Plan

Students will learn to identify and name four basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared), recognize those feelings in themselves and peers, and practice a simple belly‐breathing strategy to calm down.

Building emotional vocabulary and self‐regulation skills supports preschoolers’ self-awareness and empathy, laying the foundation for positive social interactions and resilience.

Audience

Pre-K (preschool)

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Song, flashcards, story time, game, breathing.

Materials

Emotion Flashcards (set of happy, sad, angry, scared faces) — Emotion Flashcards, Feelings Friends Song Lyrics — Feelings Friends Song Lyrics, Feelings Friends Storybook — Feelings Friends Storybook, and Belly Breathing Star (visual prop) — Belly Breathing Star

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

  • Print and cut out Emotion Flashcards.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Feelings Friends Song Lyrics.
  • Arrange story pages for Feelings Friends Storybook in reading order.
  • Prepare the Belly Breathing Star prop and review how to demonstrate star breathing.
  • Place materials on a central table for easy access.

Step 1

Feelings Friends Song

5 minutes

  • Gather children in a circle on the rug.
  • Introduce the “Feelings Friends” song. Explain that each verse names an emotion (happy, sad, angry, scared).
  • Play or sing the song, encouraging kids to clap or gently sway to the beat.
  • Pause after each emotion and have children make the matching face.

Step 2

Flashcard Feelings Check

5 minutes

  • Show one Emotion Flashcards card at a time.
  • Ask: “What feeling do you see?”
  • Invite volunteers to share a time they felt that emotion.
  • Praise accurate answers and gently guide misidentifications.

Step 3

Story Time: Feelings Friends

10 minutes

  • Show the cover of the Feelings Friends Storybook.
  • Read aloud, pausing to ask: “How do you think the character feels here?”
  • Encourage children to point to pictures and name emotions.
  • Discuss how the character calmed down when upset.

Step 4

Belly Breathing Practice

5 minutes

  • Introduce the Belly Breathing Star.
  • Model placing hands on belly and breathing in for a count of 3 (trace star upward).
  • Breathe out for a count of 3 (trace star downward).
  • Lead children in 3 practice breaths together, emphasizing slow, gentle breathing.

Step 5

Feelings Match Game

5 minutes

  • Spread all Emotion Flashcards face up.
  • Call out an emotion and have children race to touch the matching card.
  • Once matched, ask the child to make the face and name it again.
  • Celebrate quick matches and encourage supportive cheers.
lenny

Slide Deck

Feelings Friends

Exploring emotions with songs, stories, and games.

Welcome, everyone! Gather children on the rug and introduce today’s lesson: exploring feelings with songs, stories, and games.

Objectives

  • Identify and name four feelings: happy, sad, angry, scared
  • Recognize emotions in themselves and friends
  • Practice belly breathing to calm down

Read through the objectives so children know what to expect.

Today's Activities

  • Feelings Friends Song (5 min)
  • Flashcard Feelings Check (5 min)
  • Story Time: Feelings Friends (10 min)
  • Belly Breathing Practice (5 min)
  • Feelings Match Game (5 min)

Show the sequence of activities to build excitement and transition smoothly.

Feelings Friends Song

  • Sing the “Feelings Friends” song
  • Clap or gently sway to the beat
  • After each emotion verse, pause and make the matching face

Lyrics: Feelings Friends Song Lyrics

Play or sing the “Feelings Friends” song. Encourage kids to clap or sway and make faces when you pause.

Flashcard Feelings Check

  • Show one Emotion Flashcards card
  • Ask: “What feeling do you see?”
  • Invite a volunteer to share when they felt it
  • Praise correct answers and guide gently

Hold up one flashcard at a time. Ask children to name the emotion and share a quick example.

Story Time: Feelings Friends

  • Read from Feelings Friends Storybook
  • Pause: “How do you think the character feels here?”
  • Encourage pointing to faces and naming the emotion
  • Discuss how the character calmed down

Introduce the storybook, read with expression, and pause to discuss feelings.

Belly Breathing Practice

  • Show the Belly Breathing Star
  • Place hands on belly, trace star upward (inhale 1-2-3)
  • Trace star downward (exhale 1-2-3)
  • Practice three slow breaths together

Model star breathing slowly and lead the class through three breaths.

Feelings Match Game

  • Spread Emotion Flashcards face up
  • Call out an emotion (e.g., “Find happy!”)
  • Kids race to touch the matching card
  • Have them name it and make the face
  • Celebrate quick matches

Spread cards out and call out emotions. Encourage friendly competition and cheering.

Review & Goodbye

  • Name the four feelings: happy, sad, angry, scared
  • Take one deep belly breath together
  • Great job, Feelings Friends!

Wrap up by reviewing the emotions and doing one last calming breath.

lenny

Activity

Belly Breathing Star

Description:
A large, printable star-shaped breathing guide with five numbered points. Children trace the star’s outline with their finger: inhaling as they move along the first half of each arm and exhaling along the second half. This visual, kinesthetic tool makes deep belly breathing fun and easy to follow.

Materials Needed:

  • Printed Belly Breathing Star template (5-pointed star, each tip numbered 1–5) on sturdy cardstock
  • Crayons or markers (optional: to color each point)
  • Laminator (optional, for durability)
  • Handle or pointer stick (optional)

Preparation (5 minutes):

  1. Print the Belly Breathing Star template at a large size (16" diameter).
  2. (Optional) Laminate and attach a handle so the teacher can hold it up for the whole class.
  3. Number each star point 1 through 5 in clockwise order.

How to Use:

  1. Introduce the Star: Show the star to children and explain, “We’re going to trace this star with our finger. We’ll breathe in and out slowly.”
  2. Model a Breath:
    • Place your finger on point 1.
    • Inhale (count 1–2–3) as you trace the line to point 2, then on to point 3.
    • Exhale (count 1–2–3) as you trace from point 3 back down through point 4 to point 5, returning to point 1.
  3. Group Practice:
    • Invite children to pretend they each have a star on their desk or in the air.
    • Lead three full breaths together, tracing with fingers and counting slowly.
  4. Use as Needed:
    • Anytime a child feels worried, upset, or just needs a moment, use the star to guide a calming breath.

Tip for Teachers: Encourage students to close their eyes or look at the star—whichever helps them focus on their breathing.




lenny
lenny

Worksheet

Feelings Friends Flashcards

Instructions:
Color each face to match its emotion, then cut along the dotted lines to make four separate cards. Use these during circle time or games to practice spotting feelings!

😊
Happy
------ Cut Here ------



😢
Sad
------ Cut Here ------



😡
Angry
------ Cut Here ------



😱
Scared
------ Cut Here ------



lenny
lenny

Reading

Feelings Friends Storybook

Page 1: Meet the Friends

This is Luna the Lion, Benny the Bear, Carla the Cat, and Sam the Squirrel. They are best friends who love to play together every day.



Page 2: Feeling Happy

Luna found a shiny yellow ball. She held it high and laughed, her mane bouncing in the sun.

"I feel so happy!" she purred.

Pause and ask: Can you make a happy face like Luna?



Page 3: Feeling Sad

Benny lost his teddy bear under a leafy bush. He sat down and sniffled softly.

"I’m sad," he whispered, tears in his eyes.

Pause and ask: What makes you feel sad sometimes?



Page 4: Feeling Angry

Carla was building a tall block tower. Sam bumped into it by mistake. The blocks tumbled down with a crash!

"Hey!" Carla stamped her paw. “I’m angry!”

Pause and ask: What do you do when you feel angry?



Page 5: Feeling Scared

A sudden rumble of thunder roared above the meadow. Sam’s tail puffed up and he trembled.

"That loud noise scares me!" he squeaked.

Pause and ask: Have you ever been scared of thunder?



Page 6: Helping Friends

Luna, Benny, and Carla saw Sam shaking. They gathered close and held his paws.

"We’re here for you," they said.

They all sat together and took deep, slow breaths.



The End

Friends can feel many things—happy, sad, angry, or scared. When we talk and breathe together, our hearts feel calm again.

Thank you for reading!

lenny
lenny

Lesson Plan

Feeling Detectives Lesson Plan

Students will become “Feeling Detectives” by identifying and naming four basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared), recognizing these feelings in themselves and peers, and practicing belly breathing to calm down.

Building emotional vocabulary and self-regulation supports preschoolers’ self-awareness, empathy, and communication skills, laying the foundation for positive social interactions and resilience.

Audience

Pre-K (Preschool)

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive songs, flashcards, storytelling, and breathing practice

Materials

Emotion Flashcards — Emotion Flashcards, Feelings Friends Song Lyrics — Feelings Friends Song Lyrics, Feelings Friends Storybook — Feelings Friends Storybook, and Belly Breathing Star — Belly Breathing Star

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

  • Print and cut out Emotion Flashcards.
  • Review the Feelings Friends Song Lyrics.
  • Arrange pages of the Feelings Friends Storybook in order.
  • Prepare the Belly Breathing Star and practice star tracing.

Step 1

Feelings Detectives Welcome Song

5 minutes

  • Gather children in a circle on the rug.
  • Introduce the “Feeling Detectives” mission: spotting and naming feelings.
  • Sing or play the Feelings Friends Song Lyrics, encouraging children to clap and make matching faces after each verse.

Step 2

Emotion Flashcard Detective

5 minutes

  • Show one Emotion Flashcards card at a time.
  • Ask: “What feeling do you see?” and point to the face.
  • Invite volunteers to share a time they felt that way.
  • Praise accurate answers and guide gently as needed.

Step 3

Story Sleuth: Feelings Friends

10 minutes

  • Introduce the Feelings Friends Storybook as a detective case.
  • Read aloud, pausing to ask: “How does this character feel here?”
  • Encourage children to point to pictures and name the emotion.
  • Discuss how characters helped each other and used breathing to calm down.

Step 4

Detective Breathing Practice

5 minutes

  • Present the Belly Breathing Star.
  • Model placing a finger on point 1 and inhaling while tracing up (count 1-2-3).
  • Exhale tracing down through points (count 1-2-3).
  • Lead children in three slow breaths together.

Step 5

Emotion Match Race

5 minutes

  • Spread all Emotion Flashcards face up on the floor.
  • Call out an emotion (e.g., “Find the angry face!”).
  • Children race to touch the matching card and make that face.
  • Have them name the emotion again and cheer for their peers.
lenny

Slide Deck

Feeling Detectives

Welcome, Feeling Detectives!
Today we’ll spot and name our feelings like happy, sad, angry, and scared.

Welcome children and explain that they are Feeling Detectives on a mission to find and name emotions.

Our Mission

  • Identify four basic emotions: happy, sad, angry, scared
  • Recognize feelings in ourselves and friends
  • Practice belly breathing to calm down

Read through the mission objectives so children know what they will learn.

Today's Agenda

  1. Welcome Song (5 min)
  2. Flashcard Detective (5 min)
  3. Story Sleuth (10 min)
  4. Detective Breathing Practice (5 min)
  5. Emotion Match Race (5 min)

Briefly review the sequence of activities with simple numbering.

Welcome Song

Let’s sing the Feeling Detectives song!
Lyrics: Feelings Friends Song Lyrics
Clap and make faces as you hear each feeling.

Play or sing the song. After each emotion verse, pause and invite children to clap and make the matching face.

Flashcard Detective

Detective, what feeling is this?
Emotion Flashcards
Show a card, ask “What is this feeling?” Then share a time you felt it.

Hold up one card at a time. Ask children to name the emotion and share an example.

Story Sleuth

Time to read our case file!
Feelings Friends Storybook
Pause to ask: “How does this character feel here?”

Read with expression. Pause on emotion scenes and ask children to point and name the feeling.

Detective Breathing Practice

Calm down like a true detective.
Use the Belly Breathing Star.
Inhale tracing up (count 1-2-3), exhale tracing down (count 1-2-3).
Repeat three times.

Demonstrate tracing the star and count. Lead students through three breaths slowly.

Emotion Match Race

Ready, set, go!
Spread Emotion Flashcards face up.
Call out an emotion. Race to touch the matching card and make that face.

Encourage friendly competition. Cheer each participant and review the emotion.

Mission Complete

Great work, Feeling Detectives!
We found happy, sad, angry, and scared.
Let’s take one slow belly breath together.
You earn your Detective Badge today!

Review the four emotions. Lead one last belly breath. Praise children and celebrate completion.

lenny