Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)
Sometimes, you might feel excited and joyful. Other times, you might feel angry, worried or sad.
All of these emotions are normal. They are important clues that help you understand what is happening in your heart. When you pay attention to your feelings, you get to know yourself better, and you can share your inner world with people you love.
Understanding and naming your emotions is like learning the language of your heart. You could say “I feel disappointed” or “I feel nervous” instead of just saying “I feel bad.” This helps others know how they can support you.
You can choose what you need, such as a hug, a break or some quiet time. The next step is learning to calm down when your emotions get too big.
Use our activities below to help you explore all the feelings in your heart.
Calm down bottle
Materials
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a clear bottle (reuse a plastic bottle instead of throwing it away)
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glitter
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chopstick
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food colouring
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water
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cooking oil
Instructions
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Fill half of the bottle with water. Add a few drops of food colouring to the water, then mix with a chopstick.
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Carefully add the glitter into the bottle and stir using the chopstick.
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Fill the rest of the bottle with oil and close the cap. Tighten it to make sure liquid does not come out. The oil and glitter water should be in separate layers.
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When you notice that you have big emotions (like anger, sadness, worry or excitement), shake your bottle and watch the glitter swirl.
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Take slow, deep breaths while you watch the glitter move. Keep watching until most of the glitter has settled at the bottom of the bottle. Imagine your feelings settling down inside you too.
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When you feel calmer, decide what you want to do: go back to your activity, take a break or share how you feel using your words.
Emotions dictionary
Instructions
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Use the template below to start your own emotions dictionary in a small notebook.
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Keep adding new pages as you discover more feelings. Use your dictionary to name what you feel and share it with others.
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