A Rainbow of Feelings Lesson Plan A Rainbow of Feelings
Lesson Plan • Kindergarten
35 Minutes
Why This Matters
Understanding and expressing emotions is a crucial life skill. This lesson helps young students develop emotional literacy, which supports healthy social interactions and self-regulation.
Learning Objective
Students will be able to name at least five different emotions and act them out in a game of charades.
Materials Needed
Slide Deck
Grumpy Monkey Story Guide
Feelings Charades Cards
Family Connection handout
Whiteboard & Markers
Drawing Paper & Crayons
Teacher Preparation (15 min)
• Review the Slide Deck for visuals and talking points.
• Print and cut out the Feelings Charades Cards.
• Prepare copies of the Family Connection handout.
• Gather "Grumpy Monkey" by Suzanne Lang.
Time Activity & Instructions 10 min
Story Time Warm-Up
Introduce (2m): Use Slide 1. Ask: "What are feelings? What are some feelings you know?"
Read (8m): Read "Grumpy Monkey" using the Story Guide. Pause to ask about Jim Panzee's face and feelings. Encourage students to identify emotions as they appear.
|
| 10 min |
Feelings Charades Game
Explain (2m): Use Slide 3. Explain how to act out feelings without speaking while others guess.
Play (8m): Divide into groups or play as a class using the Charades Cards. Emphasize observing facial expressions and body language.
|
| 5 min |
Group Brainstorm
Identify other feelings not yet mentioned. Draw or write them on the board. Ask: "How do these feelings look on our faces or bodies?"
|
| 5 min |
Drawing Our Feelings
"Now, I want you to draw a picture of a feeling. Maybe it's a feeling you've had today, or one your favorite character has."
Distribute paper and crayons. Encourage students to use colors that match their feelings.
|
| 5 min |
Gallery Walk and Share
Students display drawings on their desks. Conduct a brief walk to observe. Invite a few volunteers to share. Distribute the Family Connection handout to take home.
|
A Rainbow of Feelings Slide Deck A Rainbow
of Feelings!
What are feelings?
What feelings do you know?
Teacher Notes
Welcome students and introduce the world of feelings. Ask open-ended questions to activate prior knowledge.
Grumpy Monkey
Story Time:
Grumpy Monkey
Let's read about Jim Panzee and his feelings!
Watch for Jim's face! How does he feel?
Teacher Notes
Introduce the book. Explain that the story will help them learn about different feelings and how to handle them.
Game Time!
Feelings Charades
1 Act out a feeling with your face and body!
2 NO talking allowed!
3 Can your friends guess what it is?
Teacher Notes
Explain the game. Emphasize using body language and facial expressions to communicate emotions.
What Other Feelings
Do We Know?
Angry
Sad
Calm
Happy
How do they look and feel in your body?
Teacher Notes
Lead a group brainstorm. Record student responses on the board. Connect physical sensations to names of emotions.
Drawing Our Feelings
Draw a picture of a feeling! Show how it looks and feels to you.
Teacher Notes
Transition to creative work. "You can draw yourself having a feeling, or a character from a story. Be creative with colors!"
Share & Reflect
Gallery Walk
Walk around and see everyone's amazing art!
Share your picture with a friend or the class.
Empathy
Sharing
Creativity
Teacher Notes
Conduct the gallery walk. Invite volunteers to describe the feeling they depicted and how they showed it in their art.
Grumpy Monkey Story Guide Grumpy Monkey
Story Guide & Read-Aloud Script
Setup
Hold up the book "Grumpy Monkey" by Suzanne Lang. Point to the cover.
Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to read a super fun story about a monkey named Jim. The book is called Grumpy Monkey. What do you think 'grumpy' means? What kind of face do you make when you're grumpy?"
Open to the first page and begin reading.
Teacher: (Reading) "Jim Panzee woke up feeling grumpy. He didn't know why, but he was grumpy."
"Look at Jim's face on the first page. How does he look? Does he look happy? Sad? Grumpy? What makes you think that?"
Continue reading through the first few animals.
Teacher: (Reading) "'You should sing,' said Lemur. 'You'll feel better.' But Jim didn't want to sing. He was grumpy."
"Oh dear, Lemur is trying to help Jim feel better, but Jim just wants to be grumpy. Have you ever felt grumpy when someone tried to cheer you up? How did that feel?"
Continue reading as more animals offer suggestions.
Teacher: (Reading) "'You should dance,' said Zebra. 'You'll feel better.' But Jim didn't want to dance. He was grumpy."
"So many animals are trying to help Jim! They want him to be happy. What kind of feelings are these animals showing towards Jim? (Guide students to 'empathy' or 'caring'). Do you think they understand why Jim is grumpy?"
Read the part where Jim finally yells.
Teacher: (Reading) "'I AM grumpy!' said Jim. 'And I like being grumpy!'"
"Wow! Jim finally said how he feels! How do you think Jim felt after he finally said he was grumpy? Sometimes, it's okay to just feel grumpy, isn't it? What happens when we hold our feelings inside instead of telling someone?"
Continue to the end where Jim feels a little better.
Teacher: (Reading) "And you know what? Being grumpy didn't last forever. Soon, Jim Panzee wasn't grumpy anymore."
"Even though Jim was grumpy, his friends stayed with him. They let him feel his feelings. What does that teach us about feelings? Do feelings last forever? Is it okay to feel all kinds of feelings?"
"Thank you for listening! We learned that it's okay to feel grumpy, and it's important to talk about our feelings. Feelings can change, just like Jim's did!"
Feelings Charades Cards Feelings Charades Cards
Print and cut out each of the cards below.
Place cards in a hat or colorful bag.
Students act out the emotion without speaking.
Encourage using big facial expressions!
Card 1
Happy
Card 2
Sad
Card 3
Angry
Card 4
Scared
Card 5
Surprised
Card 6
Excited
Card 7
Confused
Card 8
Proud
Card 9
Silly
Card 10
Worried
© A Rainbow of Feelings • Kindergarten Emotions Activity
Family Connection Feelings Check In Family Connection:
Feelings Check-In
Connecting School & Home Learning
Empathy First
Student Name
Date
Today at School
Today, your child explored the "Rainbow of Feelings." We read Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang and learned that it's okay to have all kinds of emotions. We practiced naming feelings like happy, sad, angry, and surprised, and we even played charades to show how those feelings look on our faces and bodies!
Try This at Home
1 The Feelings Check-In
Pick a time each day (like dinner or bedtime) to ask: "What color is your heart feeling today?" or "What's one feeling you had today?"
2 Name That Face
While reading stories together, point to characters and ask: "Look at their face. How do you think they are feeling? Why?"
My Feeling Drawing
Students: Draw a picture of how you feel right now with your family!
Feeling Name
Why I feel this way