Short programme: emotions

How it can be used

This resource is designed to be used as a block of sessions focussing on emotional health and wellbeing. These could be delivered over a six-week period, for example as part of the curriculum for a whole class over half a term, or as intervention work with selected groups, either intensively or over an extended period of time. The experiences and the skills taught in the sessions may be particularly relevant to specific children who are at a point of need but their value to the whole class should not be underestimated.

Adapt it to suit your needs

Teachers are best placed to adapt our ideas in a meaningful way to meet a school's needs in terms of the curriculum or the specific needs of certain children. To this end, the programme is non-prescriptive and contains a range of ideas to mix and match. We hope that it will inspire you whilst allowing you to maximise your own talents and skills in its delivery, and that you will enjoy using it.

Outline of the resource 

The first session introduces and discusses emotions using stories, activities, posters or cards to stimulate discussion. You can borrow support materials from us, contact us. 

In the second session you can devise a way, in collaboration with the children, to monitor emotions over the coming sessions. Activities and ideas are included.

The subsequent sessions use a variety of suggested activities (including physical exercise, relaxation techniques, yoga and mood music) and examine their impact on the emotions. At the end of the six sessions the children, having monitored and recorded their emotions, can reflect upon the feelings they experienced during each session. In this way, the programme gives them the skill and the ideas for using coping strategies for the rest of their lives.

Healthy Schools Plus

This programme forms an ideal basis for a Healthy Schools Plus project on emotional health and wellbeing and contains suitable assessment tools that give you the valuable evidence of the impact of your work that you need for your reporting, read more about Plan, Do, Review for Healthy Schools Plus.

What teachers have said

"The emotions box is absolutely fantastic! They loved the blobs posters and the rainbows have worked well. I also think the emotions art book is great! In fact, I want to buy most of the resources in that box! I'm so glad you gave it to me!"

Abbie Dennison, teacher and Healthy Schools Coordinator, Dobwalls CP School