Fidget Spinner Emotions
Fidget Spinners are all the rage, and now Fidget Spinner Emotions will let you use a fidget spinner to help kids better understand and deal with their emotions. With kids ranging from 10 into their upper teens, I have seen first hand how they are all drawn to fidget spinners, and truth-be-told, I have a collection of them myself (though I tell people it’s only because of my work with kids).
How it works
- Cut out the arrow pointer(s) you want to use.
- Cut out the dotted circle and place the arrow pointer over the center of your fidget spinner. Use a piece of tape to attach it to the fidget spinner.
- Place the fidget spinner over the gray fidget spinner outline in the middle of the emotions circle.
- Spin the fidget spinner. When it stops, do one of the following based on the emotion the spinner lands on:
- See It: What emotion is represented? The pdf file (click the picture above) includes a template with and without the emotion words included. Once kids are comfortable with the emotions shows, you can switch from using the one with the emotions listed to the template without the emotion names shown.
- Say It: What are other words describing the same emotion?
- Feel It: Describe what your body feels like when you experience this emotion.
- Mimic It: Act out the emotion in a mirror or for others.
- Talk About It: Share a time you felt this emotion and what you did about it.
A copy of the instructions is included in the pdf file that can be found by clicking the picture above or here.
Why It Works
Fidget Spinner Emotions utilizes the Super Simple Feelings Management Technique which is the first part of our comprehensive emotions management plan called Jump In! Stand Strong! Rise Up! By encouraging kids and teens to See It, Say It, Feel It, Mimic It and Talk About It, you give them the tools they need to recognize, name and deal with the difficult emotions they face. On top of that, the fidget spinner itself is a good coping mechanism.
For more awesome resources for learning about and dealing with emotions, please visit our Hope 4 Hurting Kids Emotions Help Center.
