As educators, it’s important to help young students develop their social-emotional skills. One essential skill is understanding and responding to the feelings of others. In this blog, we will discuss a no-prep activity that educators can use to teach PreK students about recognizing and reacting to the feelings of their peers. We will also provide discussion questions and mention related skills to explore further.
No-Prep Activity: Feelings Charades
This activity requires no materials or preparation from the educator. To begin, gather your students in a circle. Explain that each student will take turns acting out a feeling without using words. The rest of the class will observe the student’s facial expressions and body language to guess the feeling being portrayed. Here’s how to play:
- Choose a student to start the activity. Whisper a feeling to them (e.g., happy, sad, angry, excited, scared).
- The student will then act out the feeling using their face and body, without speaking.
- Other students will raise their hands to guess the feeling being portrayed. Encourage them to explain the clues they observed (e.g., “I think you’re feeling happy because you’re smiling and jumping up and down”).
- Once the feeling has been guessed correctly, choose another student to take a turn.
- Continue the game until everyone has had a chance to participate.
This activity helps students practice observing and interpreting the feelings of others, which is essential for building empathy and strong social-emotional skills.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to understand other people’s feelings?
- How can we tell how someone is feeling by looking at their face and body?
- What are some ways we can respond when we notice someone is feeling sad or upset?
- How does it feel when someone understands and responds to your feelings?
- Can you think of a time when you were able to recognize someone’s feelings and respond in a helpful way?
Related Skills
Teaching students to recognize and respond to the feelings of others is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other related skills that educators can help PreK students develop include:
- Self-awareness: Understanding their own feelings and emotions.
- Communication: Expressing their feelings and needs clearly and respectfully.
- Problem-solving: Working together with others to resolve conflicts and find solutions.
- Empathy: Feeling and understanding the emotions of others.
- Friendship-building: Forming positive relationships with peers and adults.
Next Steps
To further support your students’ social-emotional learning, consider signing up for free samples of skill-building materials and resources. Visit Everyday Speech to access engaging videos, interactive games, and printable worksheets designed to help students develop essential social-emotional skills.
