Age Group: PreK – 5th

Number of Students: 4 students + 

Duration: 15 – 20 minutes + 

Overview

Students will practice communicating through body language and facial expressions by acting out emotions.

Materials

• Open space

Instructions

1. Gather students in an open space and form two teams.
   
   
2. Explain the game
   
   “We are going to practice communicating ONLY through our facial expressions and body language. We will play emotion charades. Players from each team will take turns pantomiming for their teammates.
   
   Choose a player to start the game from one team. The player thinks of an emotion. The player then pantomimes the word or phrase he/she’s chosen to the other players. The first team to guess the word or phrase gets a point. Keep track of the points earned by each player or team. The one with the most points at the end of the game wins.”
   
   
3. Show an example.
   
   
4. Questions?
   
   
5. Begin game.

Reflection Questions:

• Did the facial expression you used during this game reflect your true feelings?
• Was it easier to be the one guessing or the one acting out the emotion?
• How did it feel guessing the emotion being acted out?
• How did it feel acting out the emotion for others to guess?

Age Group: 3rd-5th

Number of Students: 4 students + 

Duration: 15 – 20 minutes + 

Overview

Students will practice describing and acting out emotions.

Materials

• Open space, 
• Cutouts of common emojis that show emotions (laminated, if possible to preserve) 
• Tape

Instructions

1. Gather students in an open space
2. (Instructor to prep the cut outs of emojis ahead of time)
3. Instructor will tape the emojis either to the students’ forehead or their back. (Watch out- the student that is getting their emoji cannot know what it is!)
4. Explain the game
   
    “Students will walk around the room and work partner to partner to try and figure out what their emoji is. Other students will act out or describe the emoji so their partner can guess! Make sure they don’t say what it is: only give emotion clues!”
   
   
5. Show an example
   
   
6. Questions?
   
   
7. Begin game
   
   
8. Once everyone has figured out their emoji, then emojis can be switched up for students to play again! In the second round, the instructor could consider eliminating talking, and only using body language and emotional faces.

Reflection Questions

1. What strategies did you use to help your partner figure out their emoji?
2. Did anyone’s emoji reflect their current mood?
3. Was it hard not being able to talk and give hints verbally?

Age Group: 3rd-5th

Number of Students: 6 students + 

Overview

Students will work to make each other smile as they try to keep their own giggles inside.

Materials

• Open space

Duration

10-15 minutes +

Instructions

1. Gather students in a standing circle.
2. Choose one player to be ‘It’ and stand in the center of the circle. This person’s goal is to get someone else in the circle to smile or laugh.
3. The “It” gets others to smile by approaching someone in the circle and saying, “Won’t you please, please smile.” The “It” can make funny faces, use silly voices, tell jokes, or use other means to get the person to smile, but physically touching the person is not allowed.
4. The student who has been approached must respond by saying, “I am sorry, but I just can’t smile,” without smiling before or during this statement.
5. If the person succeeds without smiling or laughing, the “It” must try to make someone else smile.
6. If the It succeeds, the one who smiled becomes the new “It.” The original “It” rejoins the circle.
7. Show an example.
8. Questions?
9. Begin game.

Reflection Questions:

1. How did it feel being “it” and making others laugh?
2. How did it feel being the one made to laugh, did it change your current mood?
3. For the one who was “it” how did you make other people laugh?

Age Group: PreK – 5th

Number of Students: 5 students + 

Duration: 15 – 20 minutes + 

Overview

Students will practice being as still and quiet as a statue, while the “It’s” try and make them break their trance and laugh.

Materials

• Open space

Instructions

1. Gather students in an open space and spread out around the room.
2. Choose one person to be It.
3. It can choose a theme for the museum: sports, Hollywood stars, animals, objects, etc)
4. Explain the game:
   
   Instructor: “Everyone will begin in the museum as a statue. The It will go around and try to make each statue “break character” and laugh *without talking to them,* using only body language and facial expressions. Once someone has broken character and laughed, then they will join It to make others laugh. More and more people will break and become ITs. The last person standing without breaking character wins, becomes the next It, and gets to choose the theme of the museum.”

1. *Students caught talking/speaking will be out of the game.*
2. Questions?
3. Begin game
   
   *Note to Instructors: The choice to make this a silent game was made after playing this game for the past two years with many schools and students. Although this can be a fun and likeable game, we have learned that when students are able to speak, they might say some hurtful or inappropriate things to others to make them laugh. We have seen this as a form of bullying.*

Reflection Questions

1. How did it feel to be it? What was the hardest part of being it?
2. What did you enjoy about being a statue? How did you feel when “It” was trying to make you laugh?
3. What was it that “It” did that finally made you laugh? Why?
4. How did it feel to be the last one?

TEKS: Health K.7(B); 1.7(B); 2.7(B); 3.7(A); 4.7(A); 5.7(A)

Overview

Students will practice strategies to help energize or calm them as they navigate the Mood Meter. Remember, all emotions and feelings are okay, so regardless of where students land on the Mood Meter, we want them to remain curious about the emotions that arise.

Materials

•       Large open space
•       Mood Meter handout
•       Mindful Coloring handout
•       Crayons or colored pencils
•       Music

Instructions (Energizing Activities)

1. Before the activity, lay out all supplies to allow the class to move quickly through the various activities.
2. Gather the students in a group and have them sit.
3. Review the Mood Meter handout and how to use it. Reminder: The mood meter is a grid that measures the emotions and energy one is feeling. If a person is feeling unpleasant and has low energy they would be blue. If they are feeling unpleasant and have high energy they would be red. If they are feeling pleasant but have low energy they would be green, and if they are feeling pleasant but have high energy they would be yellow.
4. Once you have reviewed the Mood Meter, have students identify and share where they fall on the chart, asking them to explain their choice.
5. Brainstorm with students times when it may be important to have high energy (allow the students to take the lead and come up with examples, but a few might include: preparing for a test, PE class, a day when you feel tired or bored, etc.).
6. Next, review the list of energizer activities* and complete as many as possible in the time left. Music will be needed for some of them.
7. When you have finished the energizer activities, reflect with the students.

Energizer Activities

• Breathing and Moving: Repeat the Sunrise/Sunset yoga activity from past weeks.
• Shake Up, Shake Down: Shake one arm eight times, then the other arm and each leg. Repeat eight times, then four, two and one. Repeat the activity in ascending order (one, then two, four and eight).
• V Toes and Hands: Make a “V” shape with your hands and feet. Then, jump and switch, making an “A” shape with your hands and your toes inverted. Switch back and forth. To make it more challenging switch from “V” shaped hands to “A” shaped feet to “A” shaped hands and “V” shaped feet!
• Quick Dance: Repeat Dance Feeling Check-in or do a quick game of Freeze Dance.
• Skipping: Skip to a favorite song or try hopping, jumping, twirling, galloping, etc.
• Listen to a Peppy Song: Move, sing or dance along to a fun song.

*Note: Allow students to come up with other strategies and try them out!

Reflection Questions

• What activity energized you the most?
• Which activity did you like the most?
• Which activity did you like the least?
• Do you feel like you moved on the Mood Meter? If so, where are you now?
• What other energizer activities would you like to try that we didn’t get to try today?

TEKS: Health K.7(B); 1.7(B); 2.7(B); 3.7(A); 4.7(A); 5.7(A)

Overview

Students will practice strategies to help energize or calm them as they navigate the Mood Meter. Remember, all emotions and feelings are okay, so regardless of where students land on the Mood Meter, we want them to remain curious about the emotions that arise.

Materials

•       Large open space
•       Mood Meter handout
•       Mindful Coloring handout
•       Crayons or colored pencils
•       Music

Instructions (Calm Down Activities)

1. Before the activity, lay out all supplies to allow the class to move quickly through the various activities.
2. Gather the students in a group and have them sit.
3. Review the Mood Meter handout and how to use it. Reminder: The mood meter is a grid that measures the emotions and energy one is feeling. If a person is feeling unpleasant and has low energy they would be blue. If they are feeling unpleasant and have high energy they would be red. If they are feeling pleasant but have low energy they would be green, and if they are feeling pleasant but have high energy they would be yellow.
4. Once you have reviewed the Mood Meter, have students identify and share where they fall on the chart, asking them to explain their choice.
5. Brainstorm with students times when it is important to calm down (allow the students to take the lead and come up with examples, but a few might include: coming back to class after recess or lunch, coming back to school from a holiday break, after your friend has upset you, after you received a low grade, etc.).
6. Next, review the list of calming activities* and complete as many as you can in the time left. You will need the “Breath Coloring” handout and crayons or colored pencils.
7. When you have finished the calm down activities, reflect with the students.

Energizer Activities

• Star Breathing: Breathe while tracing one hand with the other.
• Mindful Coloring: Print copies of the “Breathe Coloring” handout and cut apart. Supply students with crayons or colored pencils.
• Counting Senses: Sit quietly and breathe deeply. Softly, whisper five things that you see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell and one thing that you can taste.
• Listen to a Quiet Song: Sit quietly for a mindful moment and listen to a calming song.
• Happy Hum Breathing: Lie down on the floor. Practice taking deep breaths in and humming one note as you breathe out. Repeat and focus on the vibrations of your chest as you exhale your hum.
• Rocking Side-to-Side: Lie in a ball with your knees to your chest. Slowly rock side-to-side and practice gentle movements.

*Note: Allow students to come up with other strategies and try them out!

Reflection Questions

• What activity calmed you the most?

• What activity did you like the most

• What activity did you like the least?

• Did you move on the Mood Meter? If so, where are you now?

• What other activities would you like to try in the future to calm you?

• How does it feel to experience different emotions?

Age Group: 3rd-5th

Number of Students: 5 students + 

Duration: 10 – 15 minutes +

Overview

Students will move to a corner that represents how they would feel and empathize with a given situational prompt.

Materials

• Open space, 
• Mood meter signs to declare the 4 corners: Yellow (excited, happy); Green (ok, neutral, chill, relaxed, calm); Blue (depressed, sad, disgusted, low, tired); Red (mad, fuming, frustrated, nervous)

Instructions

1. Gather students in an open space with four corners marked by colored signs.
2. Review the mood meter and how each corner will represent a quadrant of the mood meter. 
3. Explain the game.
   
   Instructor: “We are going to play Empathy Category Call Out, also known to be similar to Four Corners. Everyone will start scattered around the room. I will call out a scenario/prompt. You will move to the corner of the emotion that you would feel if the scenario was real to you. Discuss with your group. I will then call out a new prompt and you will move again, OR stay where you are if that is how you would feel.”
4. Questions?
5. Begin game

Category Sample Questions: 

• A puppy needs surgery
• Someone is having trouble with their zipper
• She received an award for her drawing
• Shannon’s birthday party is this weekend
• Zach’s dad passed away
• Someone was held back a grade
• Their parents are getting divorced
• Your best friend is moving away
• Maria does not want to play
• Isaiah’s family gets to go on vacation over the holiday
• You’re not allowed to eat candy anymore
• Someone missed their school bus
• It’s raining all over your new shoes
• A teacher was moved to a different school
• Someone’s pet ran away
• Your friend got a really bad test grade
• You have to give a speech to the entire school
• Someone lost their favorite toy
• Sam fell and got hurt
• Stephanie found a $20 bill
• The kids at the park are laughing at a boy
• Rikki got sent to the principal’s office
• Someone forgot your name
• Giselle saw someone get hit
• The new kid is sitting alone at lunch
• You hear someone yelling

Reflection Questions:

1. Were there any scenarios that you felt could have fallen into more than one category? Why?
2. How did it feel if there weren’t a lot of people who agreed with you?
3. Why do you think people went to different corners for the same scenario