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lenny

Feelings Fiesta

Vanessa

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Emotion Detectives Lesson Plan

Students will identify and express three basic feelings—happy, sad, and angry—through interactive games and art, building self-awareness and empathy in a 15-minute session.

Helping Pre-K students recognize and label emotions fosters self-regulation, empathy, and social skills essential for their overall development and classroom readiness.

Audience

Pre-K

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Interactive cards, movement, and art.

Materials

  • Feeling Flashcards, and - Emotion Detective Coloring Sheets

Prep

Gather and Prepare Materials

5 minutes

  • Print and cut out the Feeling Flashcards.
  • Print enough Emotion Detective Coloring Sheets for each student.
  • Review both materials so you can model each emotion clearly.
  • Arrange seating in a circle to encourage group participation.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Emotion Flash

2 minutes

  • Sit children in a circle and hold up one Feeling Flashcard at a time.
  • Name the emotion on the card and ask students to repeat the word.
  • Invite the group to make the same facial expression together.

Step 2

Main Activity: Emotion Charades

8 minutes

  • Pass the deck of Feeling Flashcards around the circle.
  • Each child draws a card, shows it to the teacher, then silently acts out the emotion for the class.
  • Classmates guess the emotion and respond, “You look happy/sad/angry!”
  • Cheer and clap for each performance to build confidence.

Step 3

Cool-Down: Detective Art Chat

5 minutes

  • Give each student an Emotion Detective Coloring Sheet.
  • Ask children to choose one emotion to color and decorate.
  • As they color, walk around and ask, “When do you feel this way?”
  • Encourage sharing briefly with a partner before clean-up.
lenny

Slide Deck

Emotion Detectives

Let’s explore our feelings today!

Welcome everyone to our Emotion Detectives session! Introduce yourself and explain that today we’ll explore feelings like detectives. Use a cheerful tone.

Today We’ll Learn

• Name three feelings: happy, sad, angry
• Show each feeling with our faces
• Play games and do art

Explain that by learning to name and show our feelings, we become helpers and friends to each other. Point to children as you speak to keep them engaged.

Warm-Up: Emotion Flash

  1. We sit in a circle.
  2. I show a feeling card.
  3. We say the word and make the face together.

Introduce the flashcards activity. Hold up one card at a time and clearly name the emotion. Pause after naming for children to repeat and make the face.

Meet Our Feelings

Happy 😀
Sad 😢
Angry 😠

Show simple drawings or printed cards on the board/projector if available. Ask children to point to each face and say the word.

Main Activity: Emotion Charades

  1. Pass the flashcards around the circle.
  2. Child draws a card quietly.
  3. They act out the feeling without words.
  4. Class guesses and says, “You look happy/sad/angry!”

Explain the charades rules and model one round yourself. Pass the deck slowly to ensure turn-taking. Praise each child’s effort.

Cool-Down: Detective Art

• Pick one emotion to color and decorate.
• Tell a partner, “I feel this way when…”

Distribute coloring sheets. Encourage choice and creativity. While they color, walk around and ask open-ended questions to prompt sharing.

Great Job, Detectives!

You did amazing naming and showing your feelings. See you next time!

Wrap up by celebrating all the detectives. Give a big round of applause and remind children they can use these skills every day.

lenny

Activity

Feeling Flashcards

Printable flashcards featuring simple, bold emoji-style faces and word labels for three basic emotions: happy, sad, and angry.

Materials:

  • Printable flashcards (6 for each emotion)
  • Cardstock for durability
  • Crayons or markers (optional for coloring)

Card Designs:
• Happy 😀 — label: “happy”
• Sad 😢 — label: “sad”
• Angry 😠 — label: “angry”

Instructions:

  1. Print the flashcards on cardstock and color if desired.
  2. Cut along the outline to separate cards.
  3. Optionally laminate each card for repeated use.
  4. Use in group activities, games, or quick emotion check-ins.

These flashcards pair perfectly with both the Emotion Detectives Lesson Plan and the Feelings Fiesta Lesson Plan to help students recognize and practice naming their emotions.

lenny
lenny

Lesson Plan

Feelings Fiesta Lesson Plan

Students will recognize and express three basic emotions—happy, sad, and angry—through a playful dance activity and art, building emotional literacy and self-regulation.

Young children who can name and show their feelings develop empathy, self-awareness, and the tools to manage emotions, setting a foundation for positive social interactions.

Audience

Pre-K

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Interactive movement, music, and art exploration.

Materials

  • Feeling Flashcards, - Emotion Detective Coloring Sheets, and - Device for Playing Music

Prep

Gather and Prepare Materials

5 minutes

  • Print and cut out the Feeling Flashcards.
  • Print enough Emotion Detective Coloring Sheets for each child.
  • Queue up an upbeat, instrumental playlist on a music device.
  • Clear and mark an open area in the classroom for safe movement.
  • Review both materials so you can model each emotion clearly.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Emotion Peek

3 minutes

  • Gather students in a circle on the floor or a rug.
  • Show one Feeling Flashcard at a time.
  • Name the emotion and ask students to say the word aloud.
  • Invite the group to make the same facial expression together.

Step 2

Main Activity: Feeling Fiesta Dance

7 minutes

  • Have students spread out safely in an open space.
  • Play the upbeat music on your device.
  • Hold up a Feeling Flashcard and call out its emotion.
  • Students dance or move to show that feeling while the music plays.
  • Pause the music; children freeze in their emotion pose.
  • Classmates guess, “You look happy/sad/angry!” and cheer each attempt.
  • Repeat with different cards until time is up.

Step 3

Cool-Down: Fiesta Coloring & Share

5 minutes

  • Distribute one Emotion Detective Coloring Sheet per student.
  • Ask children to choose one emotion to color and decorate.
  • As they color, prompt each child: “When do you feel this way?”
  • Encourage sharing briefly with a partner or the group.
  • End with a group cheer celebrating everyone’s feelings.
lenny

Slide Deck

Feelings Fiesta

Let's explore our feelings through fun dance and art!

Welcome, friends! Introduce our Feelings Fiesta session with excitement. Explain that today we’ll move, dance, and create to learn about feelings.

Today's Agenda

• Warm-Up: Emotion Peek
• Main: Feeling Fiesta Dance
• Cool-Down: Fiesta Coloring & Share

Briefly walk through each part: we’ll warm up with faces, dance to show feelings, then color and share.

Meet Our Feelings

Happy 😀
Sad 😢
Angry 😠

Point to each emoji, ask students to name it, and have them make the matching facial expression.

Warm-Up: Emotion Peek

  1. Sit in a circle.
  2. Show a Feeling Flashcard.
  3. Name the emotion together.
  4. Make the matching face!

Hold up each flashcard clearly. Invite the group to say the emotion and make the face together.

Main: Feeling Fiesta Dance

  1. Spread out in open space.
  2. Play upbeat music.
  3. Hold up a Feeling Flashcard.
  4. Dance & move to show that feeling.
  5. Freeze when music pauses.
  6. Class guesses and cheers!

Ensure safe spacing. Model one round yourself. Play and pause music to guide the dance and freezing. Cheer for every effort.

Cool-Down: Fiesta Coloring & Share

  1. Color one Emotion Detective Coloring Sheet.
  2. Choose your emotion.
  3. Decorate and color.
  4. Share: “I feel this way when…”

Distribute coloring sheets and crayons. While children color, ask each: “When do you feel this way?” Encourage brief partner or group sharing.

Great Job, Fiesta Friends!

You danced, showed, and shared your feelings.
Keep celebrating your emotions every day!

Give a big round of applause! Remind students they can practice naming and showing feelings every day.

lenny

Worksheet

Emotion Detective Coloring Sheets

Student Instructions:

  • Color and decorate any of the three faces below to show how that feeling looks to you.
  • Then choose one face you’ve colored and complete the prompts at the bottom.

[Outline of Happy Face] [Outline of Sad Face] [Outline of Angry Face]

(Teacher: Print three large, simple face outlines labeled “Happy,” “Sad,” and “Angry.”)

  1. Which emotion did you color? Circle one: Happy Sad Angry



  2. When I feel this way, I feel:










lenny
lenny