How Are You Feeling? Themes: Emotions, Feelings, Vegetables, Foods, Faces, Contentment, Joy, Peace

How Are You Feeling?

A Preschool Story Time Lesson on Emotions:

~Helping Children Understand Their Emotions

Introduction: Before the story hour begins, have some visual aids prepared. Using wood or PVA glue, draw facial expressions onto regular copier paper. Make 5 different expressions: sad, happy, angry, surprised (or scared,) and bored. Make very simple drawings with the glue. A circle for the face, lines for eyes, nose, and mouth, and eyebrows to indicate mood will suffice. Allow the glue to dry, creating a raised surface. Before your audience arrives, place each of the five facial expressions on a whiteboard or easel. Cover each with a plain white sheet of paper, so the expressions are concealed. When it's time to begin, take colored chalk or oil pastels and begin rubbing it over the first of the raised facial expressions. Use different colors for different moods. Consider blue for sad, yellow or orange for happy, red for angry, gray for bored, and perhaps bright florescent pink for startled or surprised. See if the children can guess each emotion before you begin the rubbing by looking at the color you have chosen. Talk with the children about each emotion as it is being revealed.

Story: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst. Share a personal story of a bad day you've gone through.

Feelings Fingerplay: (original author unknown)

"Sometimes I'm as angry as a buzzing bee. (Buzzzz!)

But all the time, all the time, Jesus loves me! (Hug self.)

Sometimes I'm silly as a monkey in a tree. (Act like a silly monkey.)

But all the time, all the time, Jesus loves me!

Sometimes I won't eat even one green pea. (Act defiant.)

But all the time, all the time, Jesus loves me!

Sometimes I trip and fall and scrape my knee. (Rub knee and look defeated.)

But all the time, all the time, Jesus loves me!

Sometimes I scream louder than the TV. (Cup hands around mouth in a silent yell.)

But all the time, all the time, Jesus loves me!

Sometimes I'm sad, as sad as can be. (Boo-Hoo!)

But all the time, all the time, Jesus loves me!

Sometimes I run and feel happy and free! (Run in a small circle.)

But all the time, all the time, Jesus loves me!"

Bible Verse Bracelets:

(Print out, on a brightly-colored sheet of paper, today's verse repeated down the page. Cut between each verse so that you have 10-15 strips, each with the verse printed on it. Ask the children to form a line, and using tape to stick the ends together, wrap a "Bible Verse Bracelet" round each little wrist. Some children do not want to wear it; in that case, hand it to them and tell them to use the verse as a bookmark. The children love these, and come to expect them at each session! The verses also find their way home to parents and siblings, and help to spread the news about that day's storytime.)

Psalm 28:7

"The LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

and I will give thanks to him in song." (NIV)

Explain that even though we sometimes experience frustration, anger, or sadness, the joy in our hearts doesn't go away. We can be full of joy and thankfulness even when we're in a bad mood, because of our faith in God and our trust in His strength.

Song: "Thank You, Lord" from "Kids Collection Sing Along Praise Songs: 14 Sing-Along Songs of Praise" by Brentwood Music, Inc.

Story: How Are You Peeling?: Foods With Moods, by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers.  (This is a fantastic book about feelings featuring adorable photos of vegetables mimicking human emotions. Sounds crazy, but really funny.)

Song: "Happy All the Time" from Cedarmont Kids Classics Action Bible Songs recording.

Art Activity: Make Veggie Faces. Give each child a nice red tomato shape cut out of card stock. Give each a little green stem and leaves cut from card stock. Help them put their leaves on their tomatoes, then give each two google eyes, a small black button for a nose, a pipe cleaner for a mouth, and a black marker or crayon for eyebrows and any other features the children might like to add. Help them create their own veggie face in whatever expression they feel like!

Back to School - Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes

Storytime Lesson - Back to School!

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes, by Eric Litwin and James Dean 

Preschool Themes: Going to School, Shoes, Anxiety

Christian Themes: Anxiousness, Trust in God

Introduction: This storytime lesson is ideal for sharing right before the school year starts. Whether your children are going back to preschool or starting kindergarten or elementary school for the first time, this lesson confronts their fears and teaches them about all the fun awaiting them at school.

Bring in several pair of shoes, preferably in funky colors and styles. Ask the children which is their favorite. Ask them if they've had to get new shoes for the new school year. Take a few minutes to talk about back-to-school shopping and some of their expectations about school. What kinds of things will they do at school? What are some of the things they'll see?

Read: Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes, by Eric Litwin. Discuss the various situations Pete the Cat encountered in the book. Was Pete anxious (nervous, scared) about going to school for the first time? What did he get to do there? Did he have fun? Is he looking forward to going back again?

Song Activity: "It's time to Go to School" (Act out and sing to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell.)

It's time to go to school,

It's time to go to school,

Ring, ring, it's time to go,

It's time to go to school.

Let's put our red shoes on,

Let's put our red shoes on,

Ring, ring, it's time to go,

Let's put our red shoes on!

We're riding in the bus,

We're riding in the bus,

Ring, ring, it's time to go,

We're riding in the bus.

We put our things in our cubby,

We put our things in our cubby,

Ring, ring, it's time to sing,

We put our things in our cubby.

We listen at circle time,

We listen at circle time,

Ring, ring it's time to listen,

We listen at circle time.

We paint at the easel,

We paint at the easel,

Ring, ring, it's time to paint,

We paint at the easel.

We eat our food at lunch,

We eat our food at lunch,

Ring, ring, it's time to eat,

We eat our food at lunch.

Continue substituting any relevant lines as long as interest and creativity last!

Bible Verse Bracelets: Philippians 4:6 (CEV) "Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God."

(Print out, on a brightly-colored sheet of paper, today's verse repeated down the page. Cut between each verse so that you have 10-15 strips, (make as many as you anticipate needing,) each with the verse printed on it. Ask the children to form a line, and using tape to stick the ends together, wrap a "Bible Verse Bracelet" round each little wrist. Some children do not want to wear it; in that case, hand it to them and tell them to use the verse as a bookmark. The children love these, and come to expect them at each session! The verses also find their way home to parents and siblings, and help to spread the news about the storytime topic.)

Discuss common fears about going to school with the children. Tell them that it is very normal to have these fears, and that everything will work out fine. Explain to them that they can talk to God any time they want to, and can tell him what they're worried about. God is faithful, hears them, and will be with them in everything they do!

Art Activity: Pete's Groovy Red School Shoes!

Print off the following template and give one to each child. Provide red glitter glue, sequins, buttons, bits of yarn or other fibers, crayons, and anything else you might like and let the kids rock out their school shoes! Hang from the ceiling to add some back-to-school sparkle to your classroom or circle area!