FEELINGS ARE O.K.

Recognizing and accepting the way children feel is an essential part of making them feel comfortable. It's important to help children learn to identify their feelings and how to deal with them in appropriate ways.

If You’re Happy and You Know It (Traditional Song and Tune)
If you’re happy and you know it, that's O.K.…(Clap twice.)
If you’re happy and you know it, that's O.K.…(Clap twice.)
If you’re happy and you know it, that's O.K.…(Clap twice.)
Whatever you're feeling, that's O.K.  (Hug self.)

*Insert other feeling words and actions in the song. For example:
“If you’re sad and you know it cry your eyes…” (Rub eyes.)
“If you’re angry and you know it stomp your feet…” (Stomp feet.)
“If you’re scared and you know it say, ‘Oh, my!’”…

End with, “We all have feelings, that’s O.K. (Stick up thumb.)
We all have feelings, that’s O.K.
Happy, sad, mad, or glad, 

We all have feelings and that’s O.K.” (Thumbs up.)

*Go around the circle and encourage each child to tell how they are feeling.  Stick up your thumb as you respond and say, "That's O.K."

Puppets
Make puppets of Emoji feelings similar to the one shown. Discuss things that make you angry or sad or scared. What can you do when you feel (emotion)? Role play appropriate and inappropriate responses for different emotions.

*Place emotion faces on the floor. Let children choose one that expresses how they are feeling. Encourage them to explain why they feel that way.

Journals
Let children write their names and draw “feeling faces” as they enter the classroom each day.

    

*As you read books, invite children to relate when they’ve felt like the characters in the story.

*Extend vocabulary by brainstorming different ways to say “happy,” “sad,” “angry,” “surprised,” etc.