As the new school year approaches, storytelling can be a powerful way to help children process their emotions. At Applejake®, we’ve created a game called “Emotion Story Time” that uses our Emoticons Cards to craft stories filled with feelings and lessons. This activity encourages kids to explore emotions creatively while preparing for the new school year.

What is Emotion Story Time?

Emotion Story Time is an engaging activity where children and parents create stories centered around different emotions using Applejake® Emoticons Cards. It’s a fun way to encourage kids to think about how they might feel in various school situations and how they can manage those feelings.

Emotion Charades

Materials Needed:

Applejake® Emoticons Cards

Steps:

  1. Choose Cards: Shuffle the Applejake® Emoticons Cards and select 5-10 cards to use in your story.
  2. Create a Story: Together, create a “Back to School” story that includes each of the emotions from the selected cards. For example, “Ella felt excited on her first day of school but also a bit nervous when she met her new teacher.”
  3. Discuss the Emotions: As you create the story, pause to discuss each emotion and how the characters handle their feelings. Relate these emotions to real-life school experiences your child might encounter.
  4. Finish the Story: Continue building the story until all emotions are included. End with a positive or empowering message that helps reinforce emotional resilience.

Game Variation: Take turns adding to the story, with each player contributing a sentence that incorporates an emotion card. This variation encourages collaborative storytelling and creativity.

Why It’s Great for Back to School

  • Encourages Emotional Exploration: Storytelling allows children to explore emotions in a safe and creative way.
  • Builds Empathy and Understanding: By discussing how characters feel and react, children learn to understand and empathize with others’ emotions.
  • Prepares for Real-Life Situations: Connecting the story to school-related scenarios helps kids anticipate and prepare for the emotions they might feel during the school day.

Check out our Emotional Education Essentials!

Introducing Applejake® Emotional Resilience Resources – the ideal companions for nurturing your child's emotional growth! Whether you weave them into storytelling sessions or seamlessly integrate them into your daily rituals, our flashcards offer an engaging and interactive platform for kids to delve into the realms of empathy and emotional understanding. Through these flashcards, children acquire the skills to identify, describe, and convey their emotions in a wholesome and safe manner