Emotion Matching Worksheet

Instructions:
Use the Emotion Expression Cards to match each word. Cut out the cards and glue the correct face under each word.

1. HAPPY
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. SAD
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. ANGRY
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. CALM
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Draw Your Feeling

Draw a face showing how you feel today and label it.

Emotion Charades

Objective:
Students will practice recognizing and expressing four basic emotions—happy, sad, angry, and calm—through movement and facial expressions, strengthening nonverbal communication and emotional awareness.

Materials:

• Emotion Expression Cards (happy, sad, angry, calm)
• Soft mat or open floor space
• (Optional) Feelings Wheel Visual for reference

Prep (5 minutes):

• Spread out the soft mat or clear an open area for children to move safely.
• Shuffle the Emotion Expression Cards and place them face down in a pile or basket.
• Remind assistants or paraprofessionals of roles: encouraging peers, gently guiding if a student seems uncertain.

Instructions (15 minutes)

1. Introduce the Game (2 minutes)

   • Gather students in a semicircle on the mat. Say: “Today we’re playing Emotion Charades! We will each take turns acting out a feeling, and our friends will guess which feeling we are showing.”
   • Show one Emotion Expression Card as an example (e.g., the happy face). Model a big smile, open arms, and calm breathing.

2. Demonstration (2 minutes)

   • Invite one volunteer to come forward. Whisper or quietly show them a card (e.g., “sad”).
   • Prompt the volunteer: “Show us how you look and move when you feel sad.”
   • After they act, ask the group: “Which emotion did we see?” Praise: “Yes––sad!”
   • Reinforce the name and point to the expression on your face: “Sad!”

3. Student Turns (8 minutes)

   • One at a time, invite a student to pick a card from the pile (face down).
   • In a low voice, help the student name the card if needed: “This card says ‘angry.’”
   • Encourage them to step into the center, show the emotion with their face and body.
   • After 5–7 seconds of acting, invite classmates to guess by naming the emotion out loud.
   • Celebrate correct guesses with claps and a positive statement: “Great job! You showed angry with a scrunched face.”
   • If classmates struggle, guide them by asking: “Did you see big eyes? Frown? What feeling has a frown?”
   • Continue until each child who wishes to participate has had a turn or until time is up.

4. Group Reflection (3 minutes)

   • Bring everyone back to the circle. Use the Feelings Wheel Visual or quick verbal prompts:
     • “Which emotion was your favorite to guess?”
     • “How did your face or body feel when you acted that feeling?”
   • Reinforce that all feelings are okay and naming them helps us understand ourselves and our friends.

Follow-Up & Extensions

• Pair Share: In pairs, have children whisper to each other one situation that makes them feel each emotion (e.g., “I feel happy when I play with blocks”). Encourage using one of our target words.

• Breathing Check-In: After a few rounds, pause to revisit the Calm Breathing Star Poster—take two slow breaths together. Invite students to notice how calm breathing changes how their bodies feel.

• Visual Supports: If a student needs extra support, place the matching Emotion Expression Card on the floor where they can glance at its face while acting.

• Celebrate Progress: Close by praising each child: “You all did a wonderful job showing and naming feelings! Remember, we can use our words or faces to tell others how we feel.”

Time Check: Total activity ~15 minutes; leave extra time for pairing or breathing if you reach 30 minutes.

This movement-based charades game reinforces emotional vocabulary, nonverbal cues, and self-regulation strategies for all learners, including those with Down syndrome and autism.

Feelings Friends Storybook

Page 1: Meet the Feelings Friends

In a cozy meadow, four animal friends gather under a big, bright tree.

• Happy Hippo with a wide grin
• Sad Seal with gentle teardrops
• Angry Alligator with scrunched eyes
• Calm Cat with soft, steady breaths

They are the Feelings Friends! Let’s learn about each one and how they feel.

Page 2: Happy Hippo

Happy Hippo sees a colorful rainbow in the sky. She bounces up and down and giggles.
“I feel happy when I see a rainbow and hear my friends laugh,” she says.
Her eyes sparkle and her smile shines bright.

Page 3: Sad Seal

Sad Seal finds his favorite shell has a tiny crack. He sits quietly by the pond and lets a tear roll down his cheek.
“I feel sad when something I love gets broken,” he whispers.
His flippers hug his body as he thinks of someone to help.

Page 4: Angry Alligator

Angry Alligator tries to open a jar of pickles but the lid is stuck tight. He stomps his foot and his face turns red.
“I feel angry when nothing goes my way,” he growls softly.
He takes a big breath, even though it’s hard.

Page 5: Calm Cat

Calm Cat sits on a soft cushion and closes her eyes. She breathes in slowly and breathes out with a gentle purr.
“I feel calm when I use my star-breathing,” she purrs, pointing to the Calm Breathing Star Poster.
Her whiskers wobble as she practices deep breaths.

Page 6: Your Turn!

Can you show me how each friend feels?

• Make a big smile like Happy Hippo.
• Show a little frown like Sad Seal.
• Scrunch your face like Angry Alligator.
• Take one slow, gentle breath like Calm Cat.

When you need help, you can look at the Emotion Expression Cards or take a breath with the star poster.

Remember, all feelings are okay—they help us understand ourselves and our friends!

Calm Breathing Star Practice

Objective:
Children will use the Calm Breathing Star Poster to practice deep breathing for self-regulation.

Materials:

• Calm Breathing Star Poster

Prep (5 minutes):

• Hang the Calm Breathing Star Poster at children’s eye level in a quiet, open space.
• Clear a small area where each child can stand or sit comfortably.

Instructions (10 minutes)

1. Gather & Introduce (2 minutes)

   • Invite children to form a circle around the poster.
   • Say: “Today we will use this star to help our bodies feel calm.”

2. Explain the Star (1 minute)

   • Point to one star point and say: “We will breathe in here.”
   • Trace your finger to the next point and say: “Then breathe out here.”

3. Model One Round (2 minutes)

   • Place your finger at the starting point.
   • Breathe in slowly as you trace to the next point.
   • Breathe out slowly as you trace to the next one.
   • Continue tracing around all five points with slow breaths.

4. Practice Together (3 minutes)

   • Invite children to place a finger on the poster.
   • Lead three full star-tracing breaths, counting quietly: 1–2–3–4–5 as they breathe.

5. Child-Led Round (2 minutes)

   • Choose one volunteer to lead the group by tracing the star and counting breaths.
   • Offer gentle support and praise: “Great job leading our calm breaths!”

Extensions & Follow-Up

• Belly Breaths: Place hands on your tummy and feel it rise and fall.
• Affirmation: After each round, say together: “I am calm.”
• Use on Demand: Invite children to use the star anytime they feel upset, excited, or tired.

Time Check: ~10 minutes within the 30-minute lesson.

This guided practice empowers all learners—including children with Down syndrome and autism—to use a consistent breathing strategy for emotional regulation.

Feelings Share

Objective:
Students reflect on and share one emotion they experienced during today’s lesson, practice self‐expression, and identify a calming strategy.

Instructions:

1. Think back to our activities and choose one feeling you had today.
2. Draw or write that feeling below.
3. Tell a friend or share with the class: “I felt _____ because _____.”
4. Choose a way to help you feel calm next time (you can use the Calm Breathing Star Poster).

My Feeling Today:

Why I felt this way:

How I will calm my body next time:

Great job sharing your feelings! Remember, all emotions are okay and you have tools to feel calm.

Emotion Expression Cards

Instructions: Print this page and cut out each card along the dashed lines. Use these cards to play matching games, charades, or to help students name and show feelings.

HAPPY
[Happy face illustration]

SAD
[Sad face illustration]

ANGRY
[Angry face illustration]

CALM
[Calm face illustration]

Feelings Wheel Visual

Description:
A colorful wheel divided into four equal sections—each with a simple face icon and color cue:

• Happy (yellow section with a big smiling face)
• Sad (blue section with a teardrop and frown)
• Angry (red section with scrunched eyes and furrowed brow)
• Calm (green section with relaxed eyes and a gentle smile)

You can print this wheel, laminate it, and attach a spinner or arrow in the center for interactive use.

How to Use in Class:

1. Place the wheel where all students can see it.
2. Spin or point to one section.
3. Ask: “Which feeling is this?” and have students name it.
4. Invite 1–2 children to share when they feel that way or to make the matching face.

This visual tool supports emotional vocabulary, helps students connect feelings to colors and expressions, and encourages group sharing.

Feelings Friends Teacher Script

Welcome & Breathing Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Good morning, friends! Please come sit in our cozy circle on the mat. I’m so happy to see each of you today.

Point to Calm Breathing Star Poster
Teacher: “This is our Calm Breathing Star. We’re going to use it to help our bodies feel calm. First, place one finger on a star point.

Let’s all breathe in slowly as we trace to the next point… [model with your finger] 1…2…
Then breathe out slowly as you trace to the next one… 3…4…
We’ll go all the way around the star three times. Ready?

1—breathe in… 2—breathe out…
3—breathe in… 4—breathe out…
5—breathe in… 6—breathe out…
(Repeat two more times with gentle prompts: “Great job!” “You’re doing wonderful breathing.”)

“Awesome calming breaths, friends!”

Interactive Read-Aloud (7 minutes)

Teacher: “Now we will read our story. Look at the cover of Feelings Friends Storybook.

Question: “How do you think our friends feel today? Show me your guess!”
(Invite 2–3 volunteers to point or share.)

Read Page 2:
“Happy Hippo sees a rainbow in the sky. She bounces up and down and giggles. She says, ‘I feel happy when I see a rainbow and hear my friends laugh.’”

Prompt: “Who can say the word ‘happy’? Show me your big smile like Happy Hippo!”
(Encourage everyone to grin.)

Read Page 3:
“Sad Seal finds his favorite shell has a tiny crack. He sits quietly and lets a tear roll down his cheek. He whispers, ‘I feel sad when something I love gets broken.’”

Prompt: “What word did Sad Seal say? That’s right—‘sad.’ Show me your sad face.”
(Allow 2–3 children to mimic.)

Read Page 4:
“Angry Alligator tries to open a jar of pickles but the lid is stuck. He stomps his foot and his face turns red. He growls, ‘I feel angry when nothing goes my way.’”

Prompt: “Can anyone say ‘angry’? Make your scrunched-up face like Angry Alligator!”
(Notice children who need extra help and model again.)

Read Page 5:
“Calm Cat sits on a soft cushion, closes her eyes, and breathes in slowly, then out with a gentle purr. She says, ‘I feel calm when I use my star-breathing.’”

Prompt: “Let’s all take one gentle star breath like Calm Cat. Breathe in… breathe out… purr.”

Read Page 6:
“Your Turn! Can you show me how each friend feels? Make a happy smile, a sad frown, a scrunched angry face, and one slow, gentle breath like Calm Cat.”

(Encourage children to perform each expression or breath.)

Emotion Card Matching Game (8 minutes)

Teacher: “Great job! Now let’s play with our Emotion Expression Cards. We’ll spread them on the floor, and I will hold up one card.”

1. Spread all four cards face up on the mat.
2. Teacher holds up one card and asks:
   Teacher: “Who can tell me which feeling this is?” (Pause for response.)
   Teacher: “That’s right—this is ‘happy’! Now, Friends, find the matching ‘happy’ card on the floor and show it to me.”
3. Invite each child to stand, pick the matching card, and hold it up.
4. Praise correct matches: “Wonderful! You found happy.” Gently guide any mix-ups: “Hmm—this one is calm. Can you look again for happy?”

(Repeat for SAD, ANGRY, and CALM cards.)

Extension Prompt: “What makes you feel angry? Sad? Calm? Let’s share one idea after we match all four.”
(Allow brief shares.)

Feelings Wheel Exploration (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Let’s use our Feelings Wheel Visual now. I will spin (or point) to one feeling.”

(Spin or point to a section.)

Teacher: “This feeling is…?”
(Children name the feeling.)

Teacher: “Nice work! Who can tell me a time you felt [that feeling]? You can say one word or show me with your face.”
(Invite 2–3 children to share briefly.)

(Repeat spinning or pointing two more times.)

Coping Strategy Review & Puppet Role-Play (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Let’s calm our bodies with two star breaths again.”

1. Place a finger on the star. “Breathe in… breathe out…” (Repeat twice.)

2. Introduce puppets: “Here are our puppet friends—the Happy and Sad Puppet Pair. I will use the puppet to show you.”

Model:

• Hold Sad Puppet and say: “Sad Puppet says, ‘I feel sad.’”
• Then take one slow star breath: “Breathe in… breathe out.”

Invite: “Who wants to try with the puppet? You can say, ‘I feel ____,’ then we’ll all take a breathe together.”
(Help volunteer pick a puppet, name the emotion, and lead a breath.)

Praise: “Wonderful job taking a calm breath!”

Wrap-Up & Goodbye (1 minute)

Teacher: “Friends, you did an amazing job learning our four feelings—happy, sad, angry, and calm—and practicing our star breathing. Remember, when you feel big feelings, you can name them and take slow breaths to help your body feel better.

Thank you for sharing and breathing with me today. I can’t wait to see you next time!”

(End with a cheerful song or clap circle if time allows.)