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Facial Expressions and Emotions: Understanding How We Feel

Prep Time:

30 minutes

Cook Time:

  • Ensure that the discussion remains positive and supportive, especially when children share personal feelings or experiences.

  • Monitor the group to make sure all participants feel comfortable and included.

Serves:

5-8 years old

Level:

This experiment helps children understand their own emotions and develop empathy by recognizing those emotions in others through facial expressions.

About the Recipe

  • Recognize and name basic emotions.

  • Understand that emotions can be communicated through facial expressions.

  • Develop empathy by relating to others' feelings.

Ingredients

  • Printed photographs or a digital slideshow of various facial expressions

  • Large paper or a whiteboard

  • Markers or crayons

  • Worksheets for children to draw or write about their feelings

Preparation

  • Introduction: Start by explaining what emotions are and how everyone feels different emotions at different times.

  • Viewing Faces: Show the children the images of different facial expressions one at a time. For each face, ask the group to guess what emotion is being displayed.

  • Discussion: After identifying each emotion, encourage a discussion by asking if anyone remembers feeling that way. What caused it? Allow a few children to share their experiences.

  • Drawing Activity: Give out worksheets and ask children to draw a face showing how they feel right now or how they felt during a significant event.

  • Group Sharing: Invite volunteers to show their drawing and explain the emotion behind it.

  • Wrap-Up: Discuss how understanding others' facial expressions can help us be better friends and understand people better.

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