Age Group: 4 to 7 year olds
Duration: 45 minutes
Objective; To help children explore and understand emotions through imaginative play, movement, and storytelling, fostering empathy, expression, and creativity.
Workshop Plan
Warm-Up: Emotional Weather (10 minutes)
•Ask the children to imagine the room is full of “emotional weather.”
•Call out different emotions (e.g., happy, sad, angry, excited) and let them “become” that emotion through movement and sound.
•Example: Happy weather: Skipping, smiling, and humming.
•Angry storm: Stomping and growling softly.
•Sad rain: Drooping shoulders, slow walking, and “drip-drop” sounds. Introduces emotions in a fun, physical way and helps children connect feelings to body language.
Main Focus: Emotion Statues (15 minutes)
Introduce the idea of “emotion statues.”
•Call out emotions (e.g., joy, fear, surprise, anger) and ask children to freeze in a pose that shows that feeling.
•Encourage them to make matching facial expressions and explain why their statue feels that way.
•Extend by introducing scenarios (e.g., “You’ve lost your favourite toy” or “You just got a big hug”).
Encourages children to connect emotions to expressions and situations.
Storytelling Through Emotions (15 minutes)
•Tell a simple story with emotional moments (e.g., “The Lonely Bear Finds a Friend”).
•Pause at key moments (e.g., bear feels lonely, bear feels happy) and ask children to act out how the character feels.
•Add dialogue by prompting them to say what the character might say (e.g., “I feel so lonely”).
Encourages empathy and helps children practice recognising and expressing emotions.
Cool-Down: Emotion Ball Pass (5 minutes)
•Sit in a circle and pass an imaginary “emotion ball” around.
•The person holding the ball names and shows an emotion (e.g., “I feel excited!” with a big smile). The next child mimics it and then chooses a new emotion.
•Provides a calming, reflective conclusion and reinforces emotional vocabulary.
Materials Needed:
•Open space for movement.
•Optional: Props like scarves or puppets to help children express emotions.
Tips for Success:
•Keep the activities light and playful to ensure children feel safe and engaged.
•Offer lots of encouragement and model emotions if children seem hesitant.
•Use clear, simple language appropriate for their age group.
This workshop gently introduces emotional literacy while promoting creativity and fun, perfect for young children exploring the world of feelings.
The Lonely Bear Finds a Friend
Once upon a time, deep in a quiet forest, there lived a little bear named Bruno. Bruno was a fluffy, brown bear with a curious nose and big, shiny eyes. But Bruno was also very lonely. He had no friends to play with, and he spent his days wandering through the forest, hoping to find someone to talk to.
One sunny morning, Bruno sat under a big oak tree and sighed. “I wish I had a friend,” he said aloud, his voice echoing through the trees.
Just then, a small rustling sound came from the bushes nearby. Out popped a little squirrel with a bushy tail. “Why are you so sad, Bruno?” asked the squirrel.
“I’m lonely,” Bruno replied. “I don’t have anyone to play with.”
The squirrel tilted her head and said, “Well, maybe you haven’t looked in the right places. Have you tried asking the animals around you?”
Bruno thought for a moment. “I guess I could try!” he said, feeling a little braver.
So, the squirrel led Bruno to a meadow where a family of rabbits was hopping around. “Hello,” said Bruno shyly. “Would you like to play with me?”
The rabbits stopped hopping and looked at Bruno. “We’d love to!” said the smallest rabbit. “But we like to play hide-and-seek. Can you play that?”
Bruno’s eyes lit up. “I love hide-and-seek!” he said.
Bruno played with the rabbits until the sun was high in the sky. He laughed and ran and hid behind bushes, feeling happier than he had in a long time.
After a while, the squirrel said, “Come with me, Bruno. There’s someone else I want you to meet.”
The squirrel led Bruno to a sparkling stream where a beaver was busy building a dam. “Hello,” Bruno called. “Would you like to play with me?”
The beaver paused and smiled. “Sure! I love building things. Would you like to help me with my dam?”
Bruno nodded excitedly. Together, they gathered sticks and built a big, sturdy dam. Bruno learned how to stack the sticks just right, and he felt proud of what they made together.
By the end of the day, Bruno wasn’t lonely anymore. He had new friends in the forest—the playful rabbits, the clever beaver, and the helpful squirrel.
As the sun set and the stars began to twinkle, Bruno sat under the oak tree once more, but this time he smiled. “I guess I wasn’t really alone after all,” he said.
From that day on, Bruno was never lonely again. Whenever he felt sad, he remembered to reach out and ask, because friends can be found in the most unexpected places.
And the little bear lived happily ever after, surrounded by the laughter and warmth of his new friends.
The End.
