Jack-O-Lantern Feelings

I try to integrate socio-emotional learning into as many activities as possible, because I feel it is such an important part of a preschooler's development. Around this time of year, Jack-O-Lanterns can be a fun backdrop for identifying feelings and exploring what those feelings might look like on a face. Although these faces can be a little silly, giving a name and face to a feeling is a concrete way for young children to practice recognizing these feelings in themselves and others, which is an important part of learning to regulate their own emotions and show empathy to those around them.

I learned a simple song, from the music teacher at my previous school, that I love to use with jack-o-lanterns and feelings:

Pumpkin, pumpkin

Round and fat

Turn into a Jack-o-Lantern 

Just like that!

I made some double-sided pumpkin props that have a plain pumpkin on one side, and a feeling face on the other. I usually have the kids help me to turn over one pumpkin at a time after we sing the line "just like that!" Then we talk about what that pumpkin might be feeling, and I invite them to show me what their own face looks like when they are feeling angry, sad, silly, etc. 

Depending on the day, I might also extend this activity to include a "feelings dance," where the students show what their bodies might look like when they are feeling a certain way, in addition to their face. We could also talk about what kinds of things make us feel happy or sad, or act out strategies for dealing with those feelings. This all depends on the needs and understanding of my class at the time. :) 

I also used felt to make some shapes and pumpkins that the kids could work with to make various faces. The students were usually eager to tell me about their faces, which was a great opportunity for me to observe their use of feeling words. 

I also purposefully cut out the shapes that we have been working on in class to integrate mathematical vocabulary and understanding as well. 

After working with the felt pieces, we made paper plate jack-o-lanterns. I put a little bit of glue into the orange paint so that the students could just stick the shapes on the pumpkin to make their faces. I had some leftover shapes from my Kindergarten teaching days, so we also identified some new shape names like trapezoid and rhombus.

Finally, I always love to support learning with literature, and these are two books that worked well for discussing feelings with this faces and pumpkins theme.  On Monday When It Rained has such great visuals for what feelings can look like on our faces, and Spookley the Square Pumpkin has quite a few different examples of situations that can cause us to feel a certain way, along with a message about choosing to be kind and brave, even if we are feeling sad, scared, or hurt.