Feelings Detective
Children become feelings detectives, learning to identify and name emotions in themselves and others.
An emotional wellbeing lesson where children become feelings detectives, building emotion vocabulary and learning to identify and name emotions in themselves and others.
Section 1: Lesson Introduction
Arrive wearing a detective hat or holding a magnifying glass. Tell the children: 'Today, we are going to be feelings detectives! Our job is to discover and name the feelings inside ourselves and other people.' Share Larry's message: 'Feelings are like weather — they come and go. A good detective notices them and names them.'
Section 2: Building Emotion Vocabulary
Create a 'Feelings Word Wall' with the class. Start with basic feelings (happy, sad, angry, scared) and expand to richer words (frustrated, excited, disappointed, proud, nervous, curious, grateful, confused). Use picture cards or facial expression cards to help. Aim for at least 15 feeling words.
Section 3: Main Activity — Feelings Detective Game
Children get a 'Detective Notebook' (a simple folded paper booklet). Show them photos or short video clips of children's facial expressions and body language. Children write or draw the feeling they think the person is experiencing and one clue that helped them guess. Discuss answers as a class, emphasising there's no single right answer — we notice different things.
Section 4: Identifying Feelings in Ourselves
Guide children through a body scan: 'Close your eyes. Notice how your body feels right now. Is there a feeling in your tummy? Your chest? Your face?' Children draw or write what they notice in their detective notebook. Teach them that feelings live in our bodies and we can learn to notice them.
Section 5: Empathy Practice
In pairs, children take turns sharing a feeling they had recently while the other practises being a 'feelings detective' — listening, noticing, and reflecting back ('It sounds like you felt...'). Share Larry's encouragement: 'When you understand your own feelings, you can understand others. That's the heart of kindness.'
Lesson Introduction
Arrive with a detective hat or magnifying glass. Tell children: 'Today we are feelings detectives, discovering and naming feelings in ourselves and others.'
Main Activity
Children use Detective Notebooks to identify feelings from facial expression photos, then do a guided body scan to notice feelings in themselves.
Home Learning
Share your detective notebook with your family. Practise noticing feelings at home. Families can share how they know what someone is feeling.
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