Body Signals Teaching Script Kindergarten SEL • Facilitation Script
Body Signals Teaching Script
30 Minutes Whole Group + Pairs
Learning Goal: Students notice and describe at least 2 physical sensations matching Happy, Mad, Scared, and Calm before emotions feel overwhelming.
1
Phase 1: Mindful Breathing Warm-Up (4 Mins)
Heart & Balloon Check
Teacher Script (Say & Model):
"Put one warm hand flat over your heart, and one hand right on your tummy. Close your eyes or look at the floor. Inhale slow like smelling a warm chocolate cookie... fill up your belly balloon! Now blow out soft like cooling down hot soup... Shhh."
Teacher Actions (Do)
Place hand on chest, tap light rhythm. Look for relaxed dropped shoulders in students.
Check-in Prompt
"Can you feel your quiet thump-thump? Your body is talking right now, telling us you are safe."
2
Phase 2: Heartbeats to Butterflies Slides (9 Mins)
Slides Deck
Guided Inquiry Script:
"Our bodies are like super detectives! Before we even use our words, our bodies send clues. When you feel Mad, do your hands stay loose, or do they bunch into tight balls? When you feel Scared, what do your tummy butterflies feel like?"
HAPPY Signals
• Warm chest glow
MAD Signals
• Clenched stone fists
SCARED Signals
• Flapping tummy butterflies
CALM Signals
• Soft noodle arms
Teacher Reminder: Validate that every child's body clue is real and okay. All feelings are welcome! Page 1 of 2
Active Learning & Reflection • Phases 3 to 5
Classroom Action Guide
3
Phase 3: Signal Freeze Dance Game (8 Mins)
Movement Play
Teacher Calling Cues:
"When the music rolls, dance like silly jelly! When the music STOPS, freeze and show the body cue I call out!"
Callout 1: "HOT CHEEKS MAD!"
Freeze with clenched fists and tight stomping feet. Ask: "Where do you feel the fire?"
Callout 2: "BUTTERFLY TUMMY!"
Flutter fingers over stomach, shoulders lifted. Ask: "Are they fluttering fast?"
Callout 3: "SUNSHINE BOUNCE!"
Chests up, giant bright smiles, light springy toes. Ask: "Does your chest feel warm?"
Callout 4: "SLOTHY NOODLE CALM!"
Drop shoulders, melt to the floor like warm honey. Deep collective exhalation.
4
Phase 4: Journal Drawing - Inside Out Booklet (6 Mins)
Individual Work
"Open your booklet to your body detective page. Pick one feeling you had today. Grab your crayons and draw where your body felt it. Did your chest have a warm yellow star? Did your tummy have fluttery purple wings?"
Circulation Cue: Kneel at eye level. Prompt non-verbal kids: "Can you point to where that feeling lived?"
5
Phase 5: Partner Share & Closing Chant (3 Mins)
Co-Regulation
Partner Whisper Routine:
Turn knee-to-knee with your shoulder partner. Whisper: "My body told me I was feeling [feeling], because my [body part] felt [sensation]."
Choral Chant: "My body talks! (tap chest) I listen close! (cup ears) I know what I need! (hands on hips)"
Support Note: If a student becomes dysregulated during the Mad or Scared prompts, invite them to take 3 "hot cocoa breaths" with noodle arms. Keep the environment safe, predictable, and playful.
My Body Tells the Story • Kindergarten Unit Page 2 of 2
Heartbeats to Butterflies Slides Kindergarten SEL Journey
Mind-Body Clues
Heartbeats to Butterflies
How your wonderful body talks to you every single day!
Put on your detective hats! 🕵️♀️ 30-Minute Body Clue Quest
Your Body Sends Clues!
Secret Messages
Before Your Words
Your body rings like a gentle bell to tell you what you are feeling inside!
All Feelings Are Okay
Happy, mad, scared, or calm—every feeling is safe when we listen to our clues!
Let’s explore the 4 big feelings and their magical body signals! 🌟
Feeling 1
When We Feel HAPPY
Warm & Bouncy
BODY CLUE 1
Warm Glow in Chest
Your chest feels light and cozy, like warm sunshine or a giant friendly hug!
BODY CLUE 2
Bouncy Light Toes
Your feet want to wiggle, skip, dance, and bounce like popcorn kernels!
Quick Check: Can you give your shoulders a happy little wiggle?
Feeling 2
When We Feel MAD
Hot & Tight
BODY CLUE 1
Tight Stone Fists
Your fingers squeeze into tight balls and your arms turn stiff like wooden boards.
BODY CLUE 2
Hot Cheeks & Jaw
Your face feels warm like an oven, your teeth bite tight, and your brow squishes!
Body Fix: Blow out the birthday candle breath to cool the lava!
Feeling 3
When We Feel SCARED
Fast & Fluttery
BODY CLUE 1
Fluttery Tummy
It feels like 100 little butterflies are flapping their soft wings in your belly!
BODY CLUE 2
Racehorse Heart
Your chest goes thump-thump-thump! real fast, ready to protect you.
Body Fix: Hand on heart! Say softly: "I am safe right now."
Feeling 4
When We Feel CALM
Soft & Quiet
BODY CLUE 1
Soft Noodle Arms
Your shoulders drop down, your hands feel loose, like cooked spaghetti noodles!
BODY CLUE 2
Gentle Ocean Breath
Your belly rises and falls slow and quiet, like calm waves touching the sand.
Body Fix: Relax your jaw and take one deep ocean breath together.
Game Time! Phase 3: Freeze Dance
Are You Ready for the Signal Freeze Dance?
Signal Freeze Dance Activity Movement & Play Guide • 8 Minutes
Signal Freeze Dance
Active K-Movement
Space Setup
Clear open rug area. Each child finds a personal "bubble space."
Music Pacing
Upbeat instrumental track. Play 15-20s, pause abruptly for freeze.
Target Skill
Isolate 2 physical sensation clues on command during freezes.
4-Round Movement Flow
1
Round 1: The Sunshine Bounce (HAPPY) Warm & Springy
Music plays: Students skip and wiggle toes. FREEZE CALL: "Freeze like a warm sunbeam!"
Check 2 Clues: (1) Big bright open smiles & chest lifted; (2) Tiptoe springy bounces!
2
Round 2: The Volcano Stomp (MAD) Tight & Hot
Music plays: March with strong steps. FREEZE CALL: "Freeze like erupting lava rocks!"
Check 2 Clues: (1) Tight clenched fists at hips; (2) Scrunched eyebrows & firm locked jaw.
3
Round 3: The Fluttery Meadow (SCARED) Fluttery & Fast
Music plays: Quick light zig-zag tiptoes. FREEZE CALL: "Freeze like a startled bunny!"
Check 2 Clues: (1) Rapid hand flutter over tummy; (2) Raised shoulders & gentle fast chest taps.
4
Round 4: The Cooked Spaghetti (CALM) Soft & Loose
Music plays: Slow-motion swimming. FREEZE CALL: "Melt into soft noodles!"
Check 2 Clues: (1) Wobbly relaxed noodle arms; (2) Long slow belly exhale down to sitting rug spot.
Inclusive Variations:
• Seated / Low-Mobility: Students express body clues with arms, hands, facial expressions, and breath sounds.Sensory Sensitive: Use gentle visual signals (raising cue cards on page 2) instead of sharp loud audio cuts.
Signal Freeze Dance • Page 1: Guide Turn page for Printable Visual Cue Cards ➔
Printable Visual Cue Cards (Cut & Hold Up)
Hold up during freeze callouts
Freeze Card
HAPPY
"Sunshine Sparkles"
1 Warm, glowing chest
2 Bouncy, light tiptoes
Freeze Card
MAD
"Hot Lava"
1 Tight clenched stone fists
2 Hot cheeks & firm locked teeth
Freeze Card
SCARED
Inside Out Body Booklet My Inside Out Booklet
Page 1 • My Body Detective Map
Name:
Date:
Step 1: Circle One Feeling You Had Today
😊 Happy
😠 Mad
😨 Scared
😌 Calm
Step 2: Draw your body clues inside! Where did your body feel it? Use your favorite crayons 🖍️
Face Clues Hot cheeks? Smile? Clenched teeth?
Hands & Arms Tight stone fists or soft noodles?
Chest & Heart Fast thumping or warm glowing?
Tummy Clues Butterflies fluttering or calm breath?
Step 3: Tell Your Detective Story (Student or Teacher Scribe)
When I feel
, my body feels
.
My Inside Out Booklet Page 1 of 2
Two Ways My Body Tells Stories
Page 2 • Sensation Scrapbook
Compare 2 Signals
A High Energy Clues (Warm Sunshine or Hot Lava!)
Happy or Mad
Draw what your hands or face look like when you feel big, strong energy:
Tight fists
Warm cheeks
Bouncy toes
Big smile
B Quiet / Gentle Clues (Fluttery Belly or Soft Noodles!)
Scared or Calm
Draw what your belly or shoulders look like when you feel quiet or worried:
Fluttery belly
Fast heartbeat
Soft noodle arms
Slow ocean breath
Detective Star Check: I can listen to my body!
Color your stars:
My Inside Out Booklet Page 2 of 2
Body Clues Teacher Guide Educator Reference & Interoception Anchor
Body Clues Teacher Guide
Pedagogical Matrix
Interoceptive Awareness in Kindergarten: Five- and six-year-olds feel somatic sensations intensely before they have verbal labels. Grounding emotional vocabulary in tangible physiological cues builds lifelong self-regulation and reduces behavioral escalations.
Master Body Signal Matrix
Emotion Internal Sensation (Interoception) Observable Clues & Metaphors Teacher Co-Regulation Response HAPPY • Chest warmth / glow • Tingling, light extremities • Relaxed open airway • "Popcorn toes" (bouncing) • Open, upward mouth curve • Elevated head and eyes "I see your whole body glowing! Where can we share that sunshine energy?" MAD • Blood rush to face/cheeks • Muscle rigidity / tension • Short, forceful breaths • "Stone fists" clenched • Tight locked jaw / teeth • Scrunched eyebrows "Your fists are telling us you have strong hot feelings. Let’s blow out the hot soup together." SCARED • Sympathetic stomach drop • Elevated heart rate (thumping) • Chills or goosebumps • "Butterfly tummy" • High, rounded shoulders • Wide scanning eyes "Your body feels jumpy right now. Put one hand on heart. You are safe with me." CALM • Slow rhythmic heart rate • Diaphragmatic belly breathing • Low muscular resting tone • "Cooked spaghetti arms"
