Use this free printable emotional regulation activity to help kids identify and label their own emotions and others’ emotions.
So many of the kids we see in our therapy practices and classrooms have difficulty with self-regulation and emotional regulation. This free printable is a great place to start when working with kids on identifying their own emotions and identifying situations that can cause different feelings.
What you’ll need:
-Laminator
-Yarn or string
-Beads
-Free printable (fill out the form below)
What to do:
1 – Laminate the free printable page.
2 – Punch holes on the two gray circles.
3 – String two beads onto a piece of yarn or string.
4 – Put the ends of the yarn through the holes and tie large knots on the back so the yarn doesn’t pull back through the holes.
5 – Slide the beads up and down the chart to show how you’re feeling or to describe how the person in the stories might be feeling.
*Note: There are two beads on the slider because often, we feel more than one emotion at a time!
How to change it up:
-Read the printable passages and have kids slide the beads to the corresponding emotions to work on identifying and labeling feelings.
-Have kids tell their own stories about when they felt different emotions, sliding the beads to the emotions they were feeling.
-Look at photographs of people demonstrating different emotions. Have kids slide the beads to the matching feelings.
-Describe different behaviors that might be associated with the emotions and see if kids can slide the beads to the emotions that go with the different behaviors.
-Have kids do “check-ins” throughout the day to identify how they’re feeling.
-Use the slider as a way to check in after an emotional experience, reviewing the story of what happened and sliding the bead to the different emotions. For example: “Your brother knocked down your block tower. You felt mad and sad. You cried and yelled at your brother because you were feeling mad and sad. When you feel this way, you can talk about it with a grown-up who can help you work it out.
How will you use the free printable emotions bead slider in your therapy practice, classroom, or home? Leave a comment below!
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I love this idea of the slider! Great!
I think another emotion suggestion could be frustrated, my son is often frustrated at having to stop his game, or at his sister bossing him, or when something doesn’t seem to work. Perhaps in future editions, although we could never include all the emotions in just one slider! Keep up the great work and thanks for helping us out.
Printable is ok but it would be great if you could add some diversity to your products. Also, as this tool is originally suggested by the Alert program, using a bead slider for self-regulation it would be ethical to acknowledge the source.
Thank you for the interesting idea! Definitely try it.
Thanks for sharing this! Children need to be helped from a young age to understand their emotions and learn to cope with bad emotions. Emotional intelligence is extremely important, its complete absence leads to bad consequences, which is manifested in the terrible behavior of children and the inability to cope with difficulties on their own. Thanks for that, I’ll use it!
Great resource for connection in the virtual world.