How to Make a Feelings Board
Feelings boards are displays of drawings, photographs or other visual representations of common emotions. They are used by teachers, parents and caregivers to help children understand and process their feelings. Educators and therapists use feelings boards to help autistic children interpret non-verbal cues, to encourage kids dealing with divorce and other challenges to express themselves, and to teach emotional intelligence to youngsters. Feelings boards can be basic or elaborate; the main criteria is that they give children the chance to identify and discuss their emotions.
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Instructions
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Draw a "smiley face" on a 3- by 5-inch card and print under the drawing of the face the word "happy." Continue drawing representations of feelings, such as sad, angry, scared and surprised, on individual cards until you have between five and 10 cards. Print the names of the feelings you have represented under each drawing.
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Pin the cards to a cork board or cardboard using the thumbtacks. Space the cards evenly, leaving blank spaces under each row of cards. Display the feelings board so children can easily see and reach it.
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Create a name tag for each child who will participate in the feelings board exercise by cutting blank index cards in half. Write a child's name on each card.
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Give each child the card with his name on it and ask the child to pin his name under the picture that represents how he is feeling.
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Tips & Warnings
For younger children, keep the drawings of feelings simple. Easy-to-identify feelings, such as "sad," "tired," and "surprised," work better than more complicated emotions. Older children may enjoy identifying and discussing more complex feelings. Use photographs from magazines to represent emotions instead of simple line drawings.
Make sure to discuss a child's choices after she identifies her feelings. Good questions for kids include, "Why do you feel happy today?" and "How do you behave when you feel sad?"
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