How I Feel: 40 wellbeing activities for kids

How Feel

40 wellbeing activities for kids

Introduction

Some feelings are brilliant.

If you feel excited, it might be because it’s your birthday or because Gran is coming to stay.

Some feelings are difficult.

If you feel sad, it might be because your pet is poorly, or you didn’t get asked to play.

It is useful to think about your feelings. They give you lots of important information and can help you decide what to do.

It also helps to let your feelings out. If they get stuck inside, they can make you feel worse.

This book will show you how to talk about your feelings more easily and ways to feel happier, kinder, calmer and braver.

For grown-ups

It is hugely beneficial for children to learn to talk about their feelings and find positive ways to manage and express them. Sometimes though, it can make them feel emotional and they may need your support, so just let them know you are there if they need you and that it’s always okay for them to talk to you about how they feel.

Meet the characters

Talking about feelings

Sometimes it can be hard to know exactly how you feel. You might be grumpy or feel worried but don’t know why, and that can be confusing.

Talking about feelings makes them easier to understand.

Scientists have found that when you say how you feel and talk over why you feel that way, it helps you to feel calmer. It also makes it much easier for other people to help you.

Let’s practise talking about feelings.

The feelings game

Let’s play the feelings game and have a go at talking about lots of different feelings.

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Write feeling words on little pieces of paper, fold them up and pop them into a jar.

One person takes a piece of paper from the jar and reads it out loud.

happy scared sad angry

Starting with the picker, everyone takes a turn saying what makes them feel like the word on the paper. If someone finds it difficult, they can skip their go or ask for help.

I feel happy when I’m playing in the park!

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Then it’s the next person’s turn to choose from the jar. Keep going until everyone has picked a piece of paper.

The winner is – everyone who has a go!

With practice, talking about feelings gets easier and more comfortable.

For grown-ups

Children need to feel safe when being open about their feelings, so this game is best played in a small group or one-on-one with a trusted adult.

Musical moods

Listening to music can change how you feel. Lively music might make you want to smile and dance. Relaxing music might help you feel calm and sleepy.

Have a listen to all these different types of music one at a time.

Jazz Rock Hip Hop

Pop Classical

Say how you feel after listening to each one.

Did everyone who listened feel the same?

For grown-ups

Help your child create a calm-down or cheer-up playlist so they can change how they feel whenever they want.

Animal charades

Your body gives you lots of clues about how you feel. When your heart beats fast it may show you are excited, and when your face gets hot you might feel shy. When you tremble, it could be because you feel scared.

Listening to your body is useful because it helps you to understand how you feel.

Let’s see how feelings show up in our bodies by playing this guessing game.