Toddler Lesson Plans

Summer Poems, Songs & Rhymes

Summer Lesson Plans

Paper Plate Emotion Masks

Lesson Plan:

​Activity:

Paper Plate Emotion Masks​

Age Group:

Toddler

Preschool

Objectives:  

To facilitate children’s understanding and expression of emotions through a hands-on, engaging activity.​

CDA Competency Standard:   

III.8.2b

• Candidate's interactions help children develop positive self-concepts.

b) Shows sensitivity to and acceptance of each child's feelings and needs.
example: Helps children understand and appropriately express their own feelings.

Materials: 

• Paper plates
• Scissors
• A sharpie
• Popsicle sticks or tongue depressors
• Clear tape

Procedure: 

1. Introduction: Begin the lesson by explaining the importance of understanding and expressing our emotions. Introduce the concept of Paper Plate Emotion Masks and how they will be used to explore different emotions.
2. Activity: Start by cutting the paper plates in half. Write different emotions on the back of each plate (e.g., happy, angry, silly, sad, etc.). For younger children who are just beginning to read, assist them with reading each word. On the front of the paper plates, create a face that represents that feeling. For example, if the mask has “sad” written on the back, then the drawing can be a frown.
3. ​Discussion: After making each face, hold the paper plates up one at a time and talk about what each of these emotions means. Use real-life, easy-to-understand examples so that children can grasp the concepts.
4. Reflection: The last step is to tape popsicle sticks onto the back of the paper plates so that you have emotion masks. Children can then share their own examples of each emotion while holding up the correct face.

Closure: Conclude the lesson by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and expressing our emotions. Let the children know that they can use these masks whenever they want to talk about their feelings but find it hard to express them.

Follow-Up: Keep the Paper Plate Emotion Masks in a common area where children can access them easily. Use them as conversation starters to discuss emotions and feelings in the future.

Assessment: 

• ​Observe and record the children's facial expressions and reactions to different emotions.
• Did any of the children express how they are currently feeling?

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Helping Children Learn to Accept Feelings

​Tuning into children’s emotions involves looking at their body language, listening to what they are saying and how they are saying it, and observing their behavior. This allows you to respond more effectively to children’s needs and to offer more specific guidance to help children manage their emotions.

Helping children learn to accept feelings and to understand the links between feelings and behavior supports their emotional development. Providing effective support for children’s emotional development starts with paying attention to their feelings and noticing how they manage them. By acknowledging children’s emotional responses and providing guidance, parents and early childhood educators can help children understand and accept feelings and develop effective strategies for managing them. ​

Take opportunities to talk with children and teach them about emotions. This will help children to become more aware of their own emotions as well as those of others. Encouraging children to feel comfortable with their emotions and providing them with practice in talking about their feelings helps children to further develop ways to manage their emotions. ​

Children learn about emotions and how to express them appropriately by watching others – especially their caregivers. Showing children, the ways you understand and manage emotions helps children learn from your example.