Feelings and Emotions Preschool Circle Time

Explore the emotion of happiness by looking at photos of smiling children and reciting the mantra: “I am brave. I am smart. I know the feelings in my heart.” Sing along to “If You’re Happy and You Know It” to encourage expressive movement. Practice letter sound identification with the “Letter H” game. Enjoy The Way I Feel by Janan Cain during read-aloud time. For the home project, kids can start their own feelings book with a happy page.

Help children recognize and talk about grumpy feelings by exploring photos of kids who look angry or upset. Learn words like angry, worried, and mad. Practice calming strategies with the “If You’re Angry and You Know It” song and read Allie All Along by Sarah Lynne Reul. Kids will also work on reading facial expressions and add a new page to their feelings book at home.

Help children recognize and name sad feelings as they see photos of kids who look upset or lonely. Recite the “Lonely Duck” poem, swapping animals to practice new words. Play a matching concentration game to build focus and memory. Read In My Heart by Jo Whitek together. For the home project, children will add a page about feeling sad to their personal feelings book.

Celebrate the feeling of excitement with a pretend birthday party for Betsy and look at photos of kids full of joy. Sing the “Feelings Pokey” song while practicing expressive faces. Play the “Excited” carpet game to identify letters and sounds. Read Be Who You Are by Todd Parr, then add a special page about excitement to the feelings book at home.

Explore feelings beyond happy and sad by learning words like shy, confused, jealous, and frustrated. Recite the “Two Little Blackbirds” rhyme with laugh/cry and smile/frown verses to hear how emotions can mix. Play “Which picture is missing?” to strengthen memory skills. Read The Color Monster by Anna Llenas, then add a new page to the feelings book at home about these mixed emotions.