NAME THE FEELING + FIND THE MESSAGE
You were REALLY excited to go to the playground, but then it started raining and you could not go. What feeling might show up: disappointed, excited, or calm?
Disappointed! 😞 Disappointed can show up when something we really wanted does not happen.
Your heart is beating fast. Hmm…is “my heart is beating fast” something your brain is SAYING, or something you can FEEL happening inside your body? What kind of clue is it?
Answer: A body clue! ❤️ Body clues are things we can feel happening inside our bodies.
You are yawning, your eyes feel heavy, and your body has very little energy. Hmm…does your body seem ready and comfortable, worried and jumpy, or slow and tired? Which Zone sounds like the best match?
🔵 Blue! Blue is our low-energy Zone. You might feel tired, sad, bored, lonely, sick, or disappointed.
Your drawing rips and you get really frustrated. You crumple up all your other drawings and throw them on the floor. Helpful choice or unhelpful choice? Why?
Unhelpful choice! 💥 Your drawing is still ripped, and now there is a new problem too — your other drawings are crumpled and all over the floor. A helpful choice should help with the problem, not make an even bigger one.
TRUE OR FALSE: A snail can take a nap for THREE YEARS. 🐌💤
TRUE! 😂 Some snails can sleep for an incredibly long time. Imagine going to sleep in first grade and waking up in FOURTH GRADE!
Your teacher says, “You’re reading next!” Your tummy feels funny and your brain starts saying, “What if I mess up?” Does that sound more like nervous, bored, or tired?
Nervous! 😬 Nervous can show up when you are not sure how something will go.
Your brain says, “What if I get it wrong?” Hmm…can you feel those words happening in your tummy or hands, or are those words your brain is THINKING? What kind of clue is that?
A brain clue! 🧠 Brain clues are the thoughts or words that pop into our heads.
You are drawing at your desk. Your body feels comfortable, your hands are loose, and your brain is focused on what you are doing. Do you have to be SUPER excited to be Green, or can Green also feel quiet and comfortable? Which Zone are you probably in?
🟢 Green! Green means your brain and body feel pretty comfortable and ready. You do not have to be super happy or excited to be Green.
You are nervous about reading out loud. You tell your teacher, “I’m nervous. Can you help me with the first word?” Helpful or unhelpful choice? Why?
Helpful choice! ⭐ You noticed what was hard and asked for help. You can still feel nervous and make a helpful choice. Helpful does not mean the nervous feeling has to disappear.
Which animal can taste with its FEET? 👣 A) butterfly, B) shark, or C) chicken?
🦋 A — a butterfly! Butterflies have taste sensors on their feet. Imagine stepping on a cookie and going, “Mmmm…chocolate chip!” 🍪
You worked REALLY hard building a tower and then—CRASH!—it falls down. You think, “UGH! I worked so hard on that!” What feeling might be showing up? Hmm…why are you so bothered that it fell? Did you want it to fall down, or did you really want your tower to work? What might your feeling be giving you a clue that you cared about?
Frustrated! 😤 Your frustration can give you a clue that you cared about your tower and really wanted what you worked hard on to turn out the way you hoped.
You are about to try something new. Your brain says, “What if I can’t do it?”, your tummy feels funny, and you start looking down. Let’s sort the clues. Which one is the BRAIN clue? Which one is the BODY clue? Which one could someone SEE on the OUTSIDE?
“What if I can’t do it?” is the brain clue. ❤️ The funny tummy is the body clue. 👀 Looking down is the outside clue.
Your teacher says you are going to try something new. Your tummy feels funny, your heart beats faster, and your brain says, “What if I don’t know how?” Hmm…does that sound more like low energy, worry and nervousness, or frustration? Which Zone might fit?
🟡 Yellow! Yellow can show up when we feel worried, nervous, shy, embarrassed, unsure, or uncomfortable.
Someone cuts in front of you in line and you feel mad. Choice A: push them. Choice B: say, “Hey, I was waiting here.” Which choice is more helpful? Why?
Choice B! 🗣️ You are telling the person what is wrong without making a new problem. Pushing could hurt someone or make the other person mad too. You can be mad and still choose what you do next.
Which of these is a REAL animal? A) pink fairy armadillo, B) rainbow chicken hamster, or C) potato penguin?
😂 A — the pink fairy armadillo! That ridiculous name belongs to a real animal. Sadly, the potato penguin does not exist.
You walk over to join a game, but nobody notices you. You start feeling sad and think, “I wish someone would ask me to play.” Hmm…what did you WANT in that moment? Did you want to be left alone, or did you want to be part of the game? What might your sadness be giving you a clue that you care about?
Maybe being included, having friends, or feeling like you belong. 💛 Feelings can give us clues about what matters to us.
You notice someone looking down, talking less, and staying away from the group. Hmm…those are outside clues because we can SEE them. But do those clues tell us FOR SURE how that person feels? Could they be sad? Nervous? Tired? Shy? What do Feelings Detectives remember?
Outside clues help us make a guess, but they do not tell us for sure how someone feels. 🔎 People are not mind readers!
Your game keeps freezing and you think, “UGH! This is SO annoying!” Your face gets hot and your hands get tight. You are getting really frustrated, but you can still notice, “Whoa, I’m getting mad,” and put the game down. Hmm…is the frustration still pretty small, are you heating up, or has the feeling gotten so HUGE that it is really hard to pause? Which Zone fits best?
🟠 Orange! Orange is the “I’m heating up!” Zone. The frustration is getting bigger, but you can still notice your clues and catch the feeling before it gets even bigger.
You lose a game and feel REALLY frustrated. You can: A) flip the game over, B) yell, “That’s not fair!”, or C) say, “I need a minute,” and step away. Which choice would probably help the most? Why?
⭐ C would probably help the most! You are still allowed to feel REALLY frustrated about losing. Taking a minute gives you some space to help yourself with that big feeling before you decide what to do next. If you flip the game or yell at everyone, you might still feel frustrated AND now have another problem — the game is messed up, someone else might get upset, or you might say or do something you wish you hadn’t. A helpful choice does not mean making the feeling go away. It means choosing something that helps you with the feeling without making the problem bigger.
🚨 IMPORTANT QUESTION: Would you rather have spaghetti for hair 🍝 or waffles for feet 🧇? Pick one AND convince everyone why your choice is better.
🎤 There is no wrong answer! You get the points if you choose one and give us a reason. Bonus bragging rights for the funniest reason.
Someone grabs the toy you were using and you get REALLY mad. Your brain says, “HEY! I was using that!” and you really feel like grabbing it back. Hmm…why did that bother you so much? Did you want someone to just take your toy, or did you want them to wait for their turn? What might your anger be giving you a clue that you care about? And here’s the tricky part: if your anger makes you FEEL like grabbing, does that mean you HAVE to grab?
Your anger can give you a clue that you care about fairness, taking turns, or being treated with respect. 😠 You can listen to what the feeling is telling you and still choose what you do next.
Detective challenge! Your brain says, “UGH! Why isn’t this working?”, your face feels hot, your hands get tight, and you start talking louder. What clues can you find? What feeling might be growing? What helped you make your best guess?
You found lots of clues! 🧠 “Why isn’t this working?” is a brain clue, ❤️ the hot face and tight hands are body clues, and 👀 the louder voice is an outside clue. Frustration or anger might be growing.
Orange and Red can look a little alike, so let’s be Feelings Detectives! One kid is frustrated because their game is not working. They think, “UGH! This is so annoying!” Their face is getting hot and they are starting to get mad, but they can still notice what is happening and think about what to do next. Another kid is VERY angry. Their feeling feels HUGE, their whole body is worked up, and they are having a really hard time calming down. When the feeling gets THAT big, it can also be much harder to stop and think before doing something. Which kid sounds Orange, and which sounds Red? What clues helped you figure it out?
🟠 Orange is the first kid. They are frustrated and starting to get mad, but they can still notice their clues, pause, and think about their choices. 🔴 Red is the second kid. Their feeling has gotten HUGE, their body is really worked up, and it is much harder to calm down, pause, and think before doing something. That does not make Red a bad Zone — it means the feeling is really big and the person may need more help before they are ready to think about what to do next.
TRICKY ONE! 🧠 You feel sad because your friend is playing with someone else. You sit by yourself for a few minutes. Is sitting alone always an unhelpful choice? Or could it help sometimes? How would you figure it out?
🔎 It depends! Sitting by yourself could be a helpful choice if your feelings are really big and you need a little space before you are ready to play again. But what if you really WANT to play, and you stay by yourself because you are worried about asking to join? Then staying alone might not help you get what you want.
⭐ The same choice can be helpful at one time and not-so-helpful at another time. A Feelings Detective can ask: “What do I need right now? Is this choice helping me with that, or is it making things harder?”
🚨 DON’T LAUGH CHALLENGE! Pick one person on the other team. You have 20 seconds to make them laugh — BUT you cannot touch them, tickle them, or say any words! You can only use your face and body. 🤪 Ready…GO!
😂 If you make them laugh, you win the $500! If they keep a straight face for the whole 20 seconds, THEY steal the $500! 😱