Children’s emotions are taken into account more today than in the past. Of course, in other historical moments, all dimensions of childhood have been taken into account, including the emotional. However, it is in recent decades that greater prominence has been given to this issue.
Children’s emotions are taken into account more today than in the past. Of course, in other historical moments, all dimensions of childhood have been taken into account, including the emotional. However, it is in recent decades that greater importance has been given to this issue.
Thus, in the educational, pedagogical and psychological fields, the appropriate management of emotions is considered very important for the good development of the child-adolescent. Indeed, good emotional regulation in childhood has a positive impact on conflict resolution at this age and in adulthood.
Now, can the little ones really learn to manage their own emotions? Starting at what age ? In the following space, we resolve these questions and let’s detail some activities that help your work.
How to work on children’s emotions?
It is said that children are like “sponges” since they have an extraordinary capacity for learning. However, it is necessary to find the right way to bring the knowledge to your level.
That said, if we want to work on the emotions at this stage, we will not be able to do it with very abstract concepts from the start. If we do that, they probably won’t understand anything we want them to learn.
On the contrary, if we simplify the ideas, use their own language and their preferred means of learning, they will easily become familiar with the new concepts and integrate them into their knowledge.
Read also: 8 tips to improve emotional intelligence
10 activities to work on children’s emotions
As an article published in National Association for the Education of Young Children , THE emotions impact attention, memory and learning. In addition, they are decisive for the construction of social relations and for general well-being.
That said, fostering the development of emotional intelligence from childhood has repercussions in many areas of adult life. For this reason, we share 10 activities that help work on children’s emotions. Put them into practice!
1. Dictionary of emotions
To familiarize children with their emotions, a good exercise is for them to understand exactly what each of them means. It can be done from the age of two and can be adapted to any age.
The activity consists of selecting photographs of people expressing a certain emotion. Once we have them, we will cut them out and paste them in a notebook. Next to them we will write the name of the emotion.
Depending on the age of the child, we can reflect on the emotion or have it write. If it is very young children, we will only use basic emotions such as joy, sadness or anger. If, on the other hand, they are older, we can select more complex emotions.
2. Notebook of emotions
Many times, children don’t know how to channel their emotions when they are feeling them, especially if they are unpleasant. A good way to channel them is drawing.
The child will have a notebook in which he can draw his emotions when he needs it. Thereby, you can do doodles or more detailed drawings depending on the moment and the emotion.
It would be interesting to be able to accompany him in the process and reflect on his drawing. If the child is upset and does not want to talk, it is better to postpone it until he is calmer.
3. Emotions diary
When children master writing, a good habit is that they write down the emotions that have touched them the most on a daily basis. To facilitate adherence to the activity, the first days we can do it with them in the form of reflection.
Once they understand the dynamic, they can do it on their own in whatever way is most appealing to them; like a diary, also adding a few drawings, selecting the most striking emotions of the day or listing the reasons for which they feel grateful that day.
4. Corner of calm
Another good resource for children to better manage their emotions is that at home we have a space they associate with tranquility. When for some reason they feel overwhelmed by their emotions, they can go there and relax.
To make it more effective, we can decorate the space with them and decide together which elements and colors help them to be more relaxed. If, as adults, we also use this space to calm ourselves, children will more easily associate this corner with managing their emotions.
5. Read stories
Today there are a large number of children’s stories intended to work on children’s emotions. Their arguments facilitate introspection and help them get to know each other better.
Even so, any story we have at home can be a good tool for working on emotions. It only remains to reflect on the characters.
We can ask questions such as:
- How do you think the protagonist feels?
- Why do you think he feels this way?
- What would you do instead?
- What might you do to feel better?
6. Combine music and artistic expression
A good activity for children to learn to channel their emotions is to do so through music. To do this, we will select different pieces of music; some calmer, others more energetic, others happy, funny or melancholic.
We are going to reproduce them and make it easier for the child to express what he feels through dance, painting, drawing or mime. The important thing is that you connect to the emotions that the music generates in you and that you find a way to channel them.
7. Jar of Good News
For this activity we can use a glass container or a decorated box. We will also need to have small sheets, a pencil and colors nearby.
What we are going to encourage is that the child can draw or write on paper all the good things that happen to him. We will keep them in the jar and from time to time we will read the good news. This will be very useful if the child is having a bad day.
8. Mimicry of emotions
This simple activity to do in a group consists of writing different emotions on different papers or cards. Then, one of the children must select one without the others seeing it and, by mime, represent what it means.
Others children will have to guess what emotion he describes through the gestures. The child who guesses it will be the next to have to mime.
9. Theater of emotions
This is a good activity for group work. Each child will choose a character – either themselves, through puppets or other toys – and portray a specific emotion from the story they want to portray.
10. Emotion Thermometer
Together with the child, we will draw two thermometers on a piece of cardboard. Next door we will also paint faces that express emotions. Next to the first thermometer, the most uncomfortable emotions. From apathy and sadness at the lowest temperature, to nerves, anger and rage at the highest temperature.
Next to the second thermometer we will draw the most positive emotions. In the lowest temperatures, the most relaxed, such as tranquility, serenity or happiness, to the most active in high temperatures, such as happiness, enthusiasm or joy.
General benefits of working with children’s emotions
The benefits that a deeper understanding of their emotions brings to children span a variety of areas. Thereby, it helps them not only on an individual level, but also in the relationship with their classmates, with their friends or with their family. To be more specific, some advantages are:
- Deepen your self-knowledge.
- Have greater self-control.
- Better accept his emotions, comfortable or uncomfortable.
- Feel more confident in yourself.
- Increase his self-esteem.
- Increase your adaptability.
- Be more proactive and responsible for what happens to them.
- Improve your social skills.
- Develop your empathic capacity.
- Build healthier relationships with others.
- Deal more adequately with conflicts with other children.
- Work better as a team.
- Have a better life at home.
- Improve academic performance.
Read also: How to develop emotional intelligence in children
Final Recommendations for Working on Children’s Emotions
We can deduce that the development of emotional intelligence through recreational activities provides good psychological tools in the short and long term. However, as adults, we must respect the learning pace of children. In other words, we cannot force learning, however valuable it may be.
Flexibility in education is essential, and the little ones are not always willing to learn what we want to show them. Therefore, the best way to teach how to manage emotions is by example.
If we develop good emotional intelligence ourselves, we will naturally learn them on a daily basis. Through our non-verbal language, our conversations, our actions but also our mistakes, they will be able to learn as much or even more than with any game.
Therefore, the acquisition of emotional resources is not just a matter of children. The more we rely on our own emotional intelligence, the more resources and strategies we can pass on to our little ones.