Understanding Emotions

The Emotion Mix Up Game

The Emotion Mix Up Game is a fun way to really get kids and young people thinking about emotion by having them imagine what it would look like to have a less obvious emotion in reaction to a particular circumstance. Although it is similar to the Feelings Ball Toss game, it adds a fun twist that will get kids thinking about their emotions and the scenarios that cause them.

Here’s What You Need:

Last week we looked at the Feelings Ball Toss / Emotions Sorting activity. You’ll use the colored bowls and the balls from that game.
You will use a set of the Scenario Cards (I Feel) sorted by color. The colors will hopefully match the color of the bowls. If not, you can improvise.

Here’s How To Play:

Line up the bowls from Feelings Ball Toss / Emotions Sorting against a wall.
Have the children line up (assuming a group of kids) and take turns trying to throw a ball into any bucket.
If they miss, move on to the next child. If they make it, have them say the emotion associated with the bowl they landed in.
Select the top card from the I Feel…Scenario Cards and read it aloud inserting the name of the emotion of the bowl landed in.
The child has to act out the scenario using the given emotion.

You will get some natural pairings like “My friend tells a lie about me” and “Mad” or “I just got the best present ever” and “Happy.” The real fun happens when you get “unnatural” pairings like “We go on vacation tomorrow to Florida” and “Sad” or “A spider just jumped onto my head” and “Joyful.”

A word of warning: there are some particularly intense scenarios included in the I Feel…Scenario Cards which don’t fit with this more lighthearted game. You will likely want to exclude from the deck before playing this game or “edit as you go.” For example, this game does not lend itself well to scenarios like “My Mom and Dad are getting a divorce” and “My Grandfather just died last week.”

For more awesome resources for learning about and dealing with emotions, please visit our Hope 4 Hurting Kids Emotions Help Center.

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active games, activities, conversations, group activities, naming emotions

October 31, 2017 by Wayne Stocks

Written by Wayne Stocks

Wayne is the founder and executive director of Hope 4 Hurting Kids. He is a happily married father of four kids with a passion for helping young people who are going through rough times. In addition to Hope 4 Hurting Kids, Wayne previously started I Am A Child of Divorce and Divorce Ministry 4 Kids to help kids who are dealing with the disruption of their parents' relationship. These are now part of Hope 4 Hurting Kids. Wayne speaks frequently at conferences and churches on issues related to helping kids learn to deal with difficult emotions and life in modern families. Wayne lives with his wife, three youngest kids, three dogs and an insane collection of his kids' other pets outside of Columbus, Ohio. In addition to his work with Hope 4 Hurting Kids, Wayne is a partner in a local consulting firm, an avid reader, coaches his son's soccer team and is a proud supporter of Leicester City Football Club (and yes, for those in know, his affinity for the club does predate the 2016 championship). You can reach Wayne at wayne@hope4hurtingkids.com.