Students will be able to identify and name the feelings of happy, sad, and mad, and practice a calming breathing technique.
This lesson helps Kindergarten students identify and name basic emotions (happy, sad, mad) and introduces a simple calming technique. Understanding and expressing feelings is crucial for social-emotional development.
Audience
Kindergarten Students
Time
15 minutes
Approach
Interactive story, discussion, game, and practice.
Review the Feelings Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content. - Print or prepare digital 'Feelings Picture Cards' showing happy, sad, and mad faces. - Review the Feelings Matching Game instructions and prepare any necessary game pieces.
Step 1
Welcome Circle (2 minutes)
2 minutes
Gather students in a circle. - Greet each student and ask them to share one thing that makes them happy.
Step 2
Story & Discussion (5 minutes)
5 minutes
Use the Feelings Slide Deck to show images and discuss happy, sad, and mad. - Read a short story (or describe scenarios) where characters experience these emotions. - Ask questions like: 'How do you think [character] is feeling? How can you tell?'
Step 3
Feelings Matching Game (5 minutes)
5 minutes
Introduce the Feelings Matching Game. - Guide students through the game, encouraging them to identify and name the emotions. - Observe students' ability to recognize and verbalize the feelings.
Step 4
Regulation Strategy Practice (2 minutes)
2 minutes
Introduce a simple calming breathing technique (e.g., 'Take 3 slow breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth'). - Practice the technique together as a class. - Explain that this can help when they feel big emotions.
Step 5
Closing (1 minute)
1 minute
Ask students to share one feeling word they learned or reviewed today. - Thank them for participating.
Slide Deck
So Many Feelings!
What are they?
Welcome students and introduce the topic of feelings. Ask them what they think feelings are.
What Are Feelings?
Feelings are what we feel inside. Everyone has feelings! They can change all the time.
Explain that feelings are emotions we feel inside. Everyone has feelings!
Happy!
When something good happens or you feel joyful. A smile, bright eyes, a light heart.
Show a picture of a happy face. Ask students: "When do you feel happy? What does happy look like?"
Sad...
When you miss someone or something doesn't go your way. Tears, a frown, a heavy heart.
Show a picture of a sad face. Ask students: "When do you feel sad? What does sad look like?"
Mad!
When something is unfair or you feel frustrated. A scowl, tight muscles, wanting to yell.
Show a picture of a mad face. Ask students: "When do you feel mad? What does mad look like?"
Calming Breath
When feelings get too big, we can take a calming breath. Smell the flower... Blow out the candle.
Explain that it's okay to feel all feelings. Introduce a simple calming breath: "Smell the flower (breathe in through your nose), blow out the candle (breathe out through your mouth)."
Feelings Review!
We learned about Happy, Sad, and Mad! And a calming breath for big feelings.
Quickly review the three feelings and the calming breath. Ask students to show a happy face, a sad face, and a mad face.
Game
Feelings Matching Game
Objective: To correctly match feeling words to pictures of faces showing those emotions.
Materials:
Printed cards with pictures of happy, sad, and mad faces (3-5 different pictures for each emotion).
Printed cards with the words: "Happy", "Sad", "Mad".
Instructions:
Preparation: Before the game, shuffle all the picture cards and word cards separately. Place the picture cards face up in rows on a table or on the floor. Keep the word cards in a pile face down.
Introduction: Explain to the students that they will play a game to help them learn about feelings. "We are going to match words to pictures of faces showing how people feel!"
How to Play:
The teacher will pick a word card from the face-down pile and read it aloud (e.g., "Happy").
Students will look at the face picture cards and find all the faces that show someone feeling "Happy".
As students identify the correct pictures, ask them, "How can you tell that person is happy?" Encourage them to describe facial expressions.
Repeat for "Sad" and "Mad" until all cards are matched.
Variations (if time allows):
Memory Match: Place both picture and word cards face down. Students take turns flipping two cards to find a match (a word and a corresponding picture). If they match, they keep the pair. If not, they flip them back over.
Act it Out: After matching, have students act out the feeling without using words.
Discussion Prompts:
"Was it easy or tricky to find the right faces? Why?"
"What clues did you use to know if a face was happy, sad, or mad?"
"Can you think of a time you felt [Happy/Sad/Mad]?" (Only if students are comfortable sharing and with appropriate guidance).
