The Feelings Beach Ball is an easy, fun and effective way to help kids identify different emotions and talk about when they have experienced those emotions in their life. They’re simple to make too, you only need a simple Beach Ball (you can usually get one for around $1.00 after the summer is over) and a black permanent marker.

Here’s how it works:

1. Select an emotion for each color on the ball.
2. With a permanent marker, draw a face which represents each emotion.
3. With a group of kids, or between you and the child you are working with if one-on-one, pass the beach ball around.
4. When the child catches the ball, have them identify the emotion on the color under their right hand (or left if you’d prefer). The child can answer whatever emotion is elicited by the face you’ve drawn on the ball. It might not always match what you had envisioned, but if they’re way off base you might want to gently assist in identifying the emotion.
5. For an added twist, have the child share a time in their life they felt that emotion, or might feel that emotion.
6. You can also discuss ways of dealing with any negative emotions.
7. When the child is done, have him/her pass it to another child or back to you and play again.

Here are some pictures of our Feelings Beach Ball from different angles: