What is the way of perception and verbalization of emotions? We have collected some game ideas to foster becoming more conscious about feelings.

Our emotions are having a significant effect on our lives from the day we are born. Babies cry and laugh to express their current mood and needs. A 6-7 months old baby is already able to read and give reactions to emotions on the mother’s face. Seeing a smile, the baby starts smiling too. At age 2 they understand that if they hurt someone, they evoke bad feelings. The base of social relationships at preschool age is recognizing emotions and understanding their reason.

Art is a good way to experience feelings through sensation. The sight of a simple, painted bouquet can call for happiness, a painted face can evoke sadness or anger. Creators and recipients are both able to work on emotions through art, thus one of the basic forms of fostering consciousness about emotions is creating. Making faces out of sponges or potatoes expressing basic emotions is a good way to learn the recognition of feelings. When kids are making prints with the faces, we can talk about the reasons why they used the one they use when and why they feel that way.

At kindergarten age, kids are able to print on their own, we just have to provide the tools. When they are ready with their pictures, we can have a conversation about the how they felt, how it is to look at their picture. It is exciting to listen to different kinds of music when children are creating and let them be led by the rhythm. What did they feel when creating?Mood-cards, pictures and drawings can also help get conscious about emotions and express
them. For instance, make a “clock” which shows facial expressions instead of numbers. Ask
the children to set the “time” according to their current emotions at diverse points of the day.
Another idea is to create cards with drawings of known feelings. Kids can draw their own face
using a mirror. Talk about how and when they felt that way. These cards can be used to express their emotions during ongoing situations, or to try to find out how their siblings or friends felt in some situations. It can also be exciting to tell a story about social situations and find out what the characters felt (our children can be the protagonists to work on their own experiences). These situations can be played too, it can be especially funny for them to dress and act like someone else. Try to provide clothes that might evoke strong emotions, for example a dress with flowers, a doctor’s dress, a hat of a policeman, etc. Kids can play how these characters might behave and what the others think and expect looking at them.

It is important to give space and opportunity for the kids to express their emotions and let them know that all of their feelings are valid and there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Rita Kőszegi,
Meseerdő

This article is translated by Anita Nagy.
Click here for the Hungarian version.