Lesson Plan
Feelings Explorer Quest Lesson Plan
Students will identify and articulate different emotions, practice matching emotions with coping strategies, and create personalized grounding stones to reinforce anxiety-management skills.
Helping a child recognize feelings and link them to coping tools boosts emotional awareness and self-regulation, reducing anxiety episodes and building confidence.
Audience
1st Grade Student
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Creative emotion mapping, matching games, and hands-on coping crafts.
Materials
- Emotions Identification Wheel Worksheet, - Emotion Matching Cards Deck, - Grounding Stones Craft Template, - Crayons or Colored Pencils, - Scissors and Glue, and - Small Smooth Stones or Pebbles (optional)
Prep
Prepare Materials
5 minutes
- Print Emotions Identification Wheel Worksheet and Grounding Stones Craft Template.
- Print and cut cards from the Emotion Matching Cards Deck into individual pairs (emotion + coping strategy).
- Gather crayons, colored pencils, scissors, glue, and optional small stones or pebbles.
- Review the student’s current deep breathing and affirmation scripts for a quick refresher.
Step 1
Warm-Up & Check-In
5 minutes
- Welcome the student and briefly review the deep breathing technique.
- Practice two deep breaths together.
- Remind her of a positive affirmation she already knows.
- Ask her to locate and point to a feeling she’s experiencing on the Emotions Identification Wheel Worksheet.
Step 2
Emotions Identification Activity
8 minutes
- Provide the Emotions Identification Wheel Worksheet.
- Prompt her to name and color at least three emotions she feels or has felt.
- Discuss each selected emotion: what triggers it and how it feels in her body.
Step 3
Emotion Matching Game
7 minutes
- Spread the shuffled cards from the Emotion Matching Cards Deck face down.
- On each turn, she flips two cards trying to match an emotion with its coping strategy.
- When a match is made, discuss how and when to use that strategy.
- Celebrate each correct match with a cheer or high-five.
Step 4
Grounding Stones Craft
7 minutes
- Hand over the Grounding Stones Craft Template (or actual stones if available).
- Ask her to choose her favorite coping strategies and draw or write them on each stone/template.
- Encourage decorating with bright colors to make a personal reminder tool.
Step 5
Closure & Reflection
3 minutes
- Invite her to share which coping strategy she likes best and describe when she’ll use it.
- Practice one final deep breath and repeat her affirmation.
- Remind her to keep her grounding stone nearby as a comfort tool.
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Activity
Emotions Wheel Activity
Directions
- Title your page “My Emotions Wheel.”
- Draw a large circle in the center of your page. Divide it into 8 equal slices.
- Label each slice with one of these emotions:
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Scared
- Calm
- Excited
- Nervous
- Surprised
- Color each slice using crayons or colored pencils.
- In each slice, draw a simple face or icon that shows how that emotion looks to you.
- Think of a time you’ve felt each emotion as you work.
Reflection Questions
Choose three of the emotions you colored. For each one, write down when you felt it and what happened.
-
Emotion: _____________
When did I feel this?
-
Emotion: _____________
When did I feel this?
-
Emotion: _____________
When did I feel this?
Game
Emotion Matching Game
Objective
Help the student practice linking specific emotions with healthy coping strategies in a fun, interactive way.
Materials
- Emotion Matching Cards Deck (cut into individual cards: one set of emotions, one set of coping strategies)
Setup (1 minute)
- Shuffle all cards and lay them face down in a grid on the table.
- Explain that each emotion card has a matching coping‐strategy card.
How to Play (7 minutes)
- The student turns over two cards at a time.
- If the cards match (e.g., “Scared” + “5 Deep Breaths”), she keeps the pair and practices the strategy immediately.
- If they don’t match, she turns them back over and tries again.
- Continue until all pairs are found.
- Celebrate each match with a high‐five or cheer to reinforce success.
Conversation Prompts
- When you find a match, ask: “What does this emotion feel like in your body?”
“When might you use this strategy?” - Encourage her to describe a real‐life situation where she felt that emotion and could try the strategy.
Reflection (3 minutes)
Question: Which emotion + coping strategy pair did you like best, and why?
Follow-Up: Remind her that she can use her favorite match anytime she notices that feeling.
Worksheet
Emotion Matching Cards Deck
Instructions
Print this page on sturdy paper or cardstock. Cut along the dashed lines to create individual cards. You should have one set of Emotion cards and one set of Coping Strategy cards. Shuffle and use them for the Emotion Matching Game.
Emotion Cards
---------- cut here ----------
Happy
---------- cut here ----------
Sad
---------- cut here ----------
Angry
---------- cut here ----------
Scared
---------- cut here ----------
Calm
---------- cut here ----------
Excited
---------- cut here ----------
Nervous
---------- cut here ----------
Surprised
---------- cut here ----------
Coping Strategy Cards
---------- cut here ----------
Take 5 slow, deep breaths
---------- cut here ----------
Repeat a positive affirmation (e.g., “I am safe and strong.”)
---------- cut here ----------
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise (name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste)
---------- cut here ----------
Draw or color a calming picture
---------- cut here ----------
Hug a favorite stuffed animal
---------- cut here ----------
Talk to a trusted adult
---------- cut here ----------
Listen to calming music
---------- cut here ----------
Hold your grounding stone and describe it
---------- cut here ----------
Worksheet
Grounding Stones Craft Template
Directions
- If you have small smooth stones, you can use them. If not, use the stone outlines below to draw your own.
- Choose up to four coping strategies that help you feel calm when you’re anxious. You can pick from the Emotion Matching Cards Deck or think of your own.
- For each stone below:
- Draw or color the stone to make it special and bright.
- Write or draw your chosen coping strategy on or beside the stone.
Stone 1: Draw Your Stone
My coping strategy: _________________________________
Stone 2: Draw Your Stone
My coping strategy: _________________________________
Stone 3: Draw Your Stone
My coping strategy: _________________________________
Stone 4: Draw Your Stone
My coping strategy: _________________________________