Group- Emotions Kids group FINAL*

Inside Out Of Your Emotions
Kids Group Curriculum – 6 Weeks
Activities for each group have been gathered from Pinterest.com.
Elements based off of Disney Pixar “Inside Out” movie.
Title: Kids Group
Targeted Group:ages 6-9, all genders – Impacted in some manner by interpersonal violence.
Purpose:
The purpose of this curriculum is to engage and partner with participants (ages 6-9) to
understand and learn healthy ways to express their emotions.
Identifying, understanding and responding to the emotions of others are very important social
skills for all of us to have. These skills help us to understand and develop relationships with
other people.
Emotion regulation means being able to think constructively about how to cope with feelings.
We want children to have their feelings, but not be overwhelmed by them. We want children to
understand that it is always okay to have their feelings, but to learn healthy ways to express
themselves. We want children to understand how they feel about themselves and learn to have
good self-esteem.
This curriculum focuses more on negative emotions that one would have because the
participant has been somehow impacted by interpersonal violence. These negative emotions
are shown more by the people around them, in their home, and within themselves. A good
understanding on these more negative emotions is crucial in their development to build
resilience.
Goals:
· Participants will learn to identify a variety of emotions.
· Promote emotional and social competence.
· Foster resilient development.
Tips For Best Use:
 Have the participants be familiar with the movie Inside Out. (Maybe watch on a free
day.)
 Have a co-leader and other helpers during group, if available.
Schedule:
Week 1: What are Emotions/Feelings?
Week 2: Joy/Sad. Is it okay for me to feel this way?
Week 3: Anger/Disgust. What are Healthy Ways for me to express myself?
Week 4: Fear/Worried. How do I feel about myself?
Week 5: Anxiety/Stress. How can I empower myself?
Week 6: How to Control My Emotions.

Week One
Title:What are Emotions?
Summary:
Discuss with the participants a general overview of a wide range of emotions. What do they
think emotions are? Is it okay for them to have different emotions? They will be introduced to a
variety of emotions such as: joy, sad, anger, disgust, fear, worried, anxiety, and stress
throughout all of the group sessions.
This is an introductory group to emotions will get the participants open and comfortable with
exploring different emotions they experience. An introductory time will take place, a discussion
time, and along with an activity exploring emotions. Group participants will walk away with an
understanding of the group and emotions they have.
Goals/Objectives:
· Define what emotions are.
· Discuss the characteristics of different emotions.
Materials/Supplies Needed:
Glue Construction Paper
Emotions Flashcards Markers
Scissors
Agenda:
1. Get to know the Group
2. Group Rules
3. Confidentiality
4. Summary of Kids Group
5. Check-in
6. Discussion Questions
7. Activity – Emotion Flash Cards
8. Closing
Session Details:
 Introductions
o Introduce The Group Leader(s)
o Get To Know The Group:
 Go around and have each participant state their:
 Name
 Favorite ice cream flavor
o Establish Group Rules
 Ask participants what rules they want within group.
 Make sure some basic rules are established:
 Respect, no talking when leader is talking, do not talk over other
people, etc.
o Confidentiality
 Cover the importance of what is being shared during group is not to be
shared with anyone else outside of group. We want to create a safe place
to share our thoughts, feelings, and stories.

o Summary of Kids Group
 Discuss why this group is meeting. A place to learn more about the
different feelings we have, why we have them, and how we can be in
charge of our emotions.
 Ask if the participants know what emotions are? Give examples if needed.
 Emotions are something your body does to show what is going on
inside of ourselves.
 Ask participants if they have seen the movie Inside Out.
 Can they tell what happens in the movie?
 What are all the emotions?
 Check-in
o Have each participant take a turn to talk about what happened that day in school,
how things are at home, or how they are feeling today.
 This is a time to have them feel free to share whatever they may want to
in a safe and encouraging environment.
 Discussion
o What are emotions?
o Are emotions good or bad to have? Why?
o How many emotions can you name?
o Discuss the characteristics of different emotions.
o What emotions did you feel today?
 Activity
o Give the children each a large piece of construction paper and emotion flashcard
templates.
o Have the children cut out the emotions flashcards and glue the emotions they like
to have on one side of the paper and emotions they don’t enjoy having on the
other side of the paper.
o Have the children identify times when they may feel each of the emotions and
write it down under the flashcard.
o Ask children if they would like to share.
 Closing
o Summarize the topic, discussion, and activity.
o Answer any questions the children may have.
o Ask the kids how they are feeling.

Week Two
Title:Joy/Sad(ness). Is it okay to feel the way I feel?
Summary:
In this session the group will discuss the emotions Joy and Sad. When are times when you feel
these emotions? Ask the kids if it’s okay for them to have the emotions they feel. Why? The
participants will discuss what they believe joy and sadness is, what it looks like, and when they
experience these emotions. Participants will also explore two extreme ends of emotions and
recognize that both emotions are okay and normal to have. This session includes team activities
of acting out joyful and sad skits and a coloring sheet of Joyful and Sadness.
Goals/Objectives:
· Understand the concepts of Joy and Sad
· Identify times when you may have those feelings.
· To understand that your feelings and emotions are always okay to have.
Joyful & Sadness Color Sheet
Coloring Utensils
Agenda:
1. Get to Know the Group
2. Review of Group Rules/Confidentiality
3. Check-in
4. Summary of Session
5. Discussion
6. Activity:
a. Skits
b. Color Sheets (If time allows)
7. Closing
Session Details:
 Introductions
o Get to Know the Group:
 Go around and have each participant state their:
 Name
 Favorite animal
o Review Group Rules/Confidentiality
 Ask if anyone remembers from last week.
o Check-in
 Have each participant take a turn to talk about what happened that day in
school, how things are at home, or how they are feeling today.
 This is a time to have them feel free to share whatever they may
want to in a safe and encouraging environment.
o Summary of Session
 Ask if participants know what joy is? What is being sad? Give examples if
needed.
 Joy – something that makes you smile and feel warm inside.
 Sad – something that might make you cry or have a frown.

 Remind the participants that we are meeting to have a safe place to share
our emotions and learn more about them.
 Discussion
o Discuss the characteristics of Joy and Sad.
 What is joy? What does it look like? When do you have it?
 What is sad? What does it look like? When do you have it?
o Discuss how it’s always okay to have feelings and feel both joy and being sad.
 Help participants realize that they are complete opposite emotions, yet
still okay and normal to have.
 Activities:
o Skits:
 Split the children up into small groups- groups of two participants would
be ideal.
 Have each group come up with 2 skits.
 1 skit should show a situation where someone would feel joyful.
 1 skit should show a situation where someone would feel sad.
 Give the groups about 10 minutes to come up with both skits.
 Each group will preform their skits in front of the class.
 After each group preforms have one student tell what elements in
the skit where joyful or sad.
 Ask the group as a whole if the emotions were okay to have?
o Answer should always be yes! (:
o Joyful & Sadness Coloring Sheet (If time allows)
 Closing
o Answer any questions the kids may have.
o Ask the kids how they are feeling.

Week Three
Title:Anger/Disgust. How do we handle our emotions?
Summary:
Discuss with the participants the emotions of anger and disgust. Identify situations that these
emotions can arise. Talk about how to recognize when these emotions are coming and how to
handle them. The participants will better understand when these emotions arise and how to
release them in a healthy manner. Interactive discussion time will occur along with an activity of
building Legos according to what makes us angry or disgusted. Participants will learn how
different methods of dealing with these negative emotions in respectful and healthy ways.
Goals/Objectives:
· Learn how to recognize anger and disgust.
· Discuss how to be in charge over these emotions and how to react.
Balloons (draw face on before)
Assorted Color Legos (red, yellow, black, blue, green, white)
Agenda:
1. Review Name’s of the Participants
2. Review Group Rules/Confidentiality
3. Check-in
5. Discussion
6. Activity:
a. Anger/Disgust Lego
b. Anger Pledge
7. Closing
Session Details:
 Introductions
o Quick Review of Participants Names
 Ask if a participant can tell the group.
o Check-in
 Ask participants if they know what the emotions of anger and disgust are.
If needed, give examples of each.
 Anger – something that makes you “fire up”, not happy, mad,
upset.
 Disgust – You cannot believe something mixed with feelings of
anger.

 Discussion:
o Balloon Visual
 Explain that each breath into blowing the balloon up represents
something that made you angry or disgusted.
 When the balloon is blown up for the first time:
 Let it go into the air.
 Ask participants what happened?
 Explain that when we do not know how to handle our anger or
disgust it can go out of control and that is not good.
 Blow the balloon up a second time:
 Once fully blown, slowly let air out of it.
 Ask participants what happened?
 Explain to participants that when we see that we are getting
angry/disgusted it is import to have control and handle our
emotions in a respectful way.
 Then ask: What makes you upset? What makes you disgusted?
 What are some ways to let our anger or disgust out in a good way?
 Have participants tell what they can do when they are feeling this
way.
o Examples: listen to music, go outside, draw, talk to
parents, etc.
 Activity
o Angry/Disgust Lego
 Give each participant a handful of different color Legos.
 Instruct the participants to sort their Lego by color.
 Each participant takes a turn and provides a response for each Lego
color piece they have.
 Red: Name something that makes them angry.
 Yellow: Explain how the anger makes them feel inside of their
body (face turns red, get hot, heart beats fast, etc.).
 Black: List how they might act/behave if they are angry or
disgusted (yell, hit, say something mean, run away, etc.).
 Blue: Name one person who they think does a good job handling
and controlling their emotions when they are angry or disgusted
(mom, dad, grandma/pa, etc.).
 Green: Name something that makes them disgusted.
 White: Explain how being disgusted makes them feel (not happy,
mad/angry, want to run away, or yell, etc.).
 Once answered - start to build.
 Show how angry/disgust can start building up and show little to none
warning signs. Point out:
 Once it starts to build walls are formed and no one can be let in to
help with emotions that are happening.

 The higher the wall is built, the easier and faster the wall can fall
and break. This is not having control or a good handle on
emotions.
 Ask the participants what they have learned from this activity?
Have them reflect.
 Learn how to let go of anger/disgust in positive ways.
 Remind the participants that it is okay to have the emotions of
anger and disgust, but once we have these emotions it is very
important what we do next.
 Teach the importance of being able to know and feel when their
body is giving them warning signs of anger/disgust (face turns red,
want to hit/yell/run away, cannot believe something, etc.).
 Once they start to feel these warning signs in their body explain
that they need to do something that will not hurt other people’s
feelings.
 Give some examples of healthy/nice ways to let go of anger or
disgust.
o Read a book, listen to music, talk to a
friend/parent/teacher, think of something happy, take deep
breaths, do their favorite activity, etc.
 Have each participant say what they will do when they are feeling
anger or disgust.
 Help give ideas if participants need it.
 Closing
o Answer any questions the children may have.
o Ask the kids how they are feeling and encourage positive ways to handle
anger/when feeling disgust.

Week Four
Title:Fear/Worry. How do I feel about myself?
Summary:
Discuss with the participants the emotions of being full of fear and worried. Identify times when
the participants may feel these emotions. Talk through how to cope and handle these emotions
in a positive way. In this session, participants will discuss different fears or worries and how they
act and what they say when they are feeling that way. Then the main activity is the Fear/Worry
Milk. This visual will show the participants how fear and worry can impact our lives as a whole.
Goals/Objectives:
· How to identify emotions of being fearful and worried.
· Discuss how participants may feel about themselves.
Dish soap Pencils
Paper/plastic Bowls Milk
Food coloring
Agenda:
1. Review Name’s of the Participants (if needed)
3. Check-in
5. Discussion
6. Activity
a. Fear/Worry Milk
7. Closing
Session Details:
 Introductions
o Quick Review of Participants Names (if needed)
o Check-in
 Ask participants if they know what the emotions of fear and worry. If
needed, give examples of each.
 Fear- When you are afraid of something/someone, you do not
want to do something, it makes you scared.
 Worry- You cannot stop thinking about something/someone,
wondering how it will go or be, want to know what will happen.
● Discussion
○ Ask each participant to name something that they are fearful of. Why does that
make them full of fear? When they are fearful, what do they do or say?

○ Ask each participant to say something that they worry/think about all the time.
Why do they worry about that? When they are worried, what do they do or say?
● Activity
○ Fear/Worry Milk
■ Give every two students a paper/plastic bowl with enough milk to cover the
bottom of the bowl a good amount.
■ Next, have the leader(s) go around to each bowl and put 2-3 different food-
coloring colors in the bowl.
● ** It is KEY to explain that each drop represents a different area of
their life. Give examples when putting each drop in such as:
family, friends, school, homework, pets, etc.
■ Then, the leader(s) will walk around and put a few drops of dish soap.
● **It is also KEY to explain that the dish soap drops are “fears” or
“worries” that we have. Ask the participants to describe what
happens when the “fear/worry” hits the different areas of their
lives.
■ Help guide participants to the conclusions that fear/worry can “mess up” all
areas of life, it can make us feel all mixed up inside, it is hard to tell what
area of live is what. The coloring is not in the nice circle anymore. Explain
the importance of not letting fear or worry touch and mix up different areas
of our lives.
■ Have participants come up with different ideas of what they can do when
they start to feel fear coming in or worried about something.
● Examples: Tell a friend/parent, think about something happy, take
deep breaths, etc.
■ Ask participants if they have any questions.
● Closing
○ Summarize the topic, discussion, and activity.
○ Answer any questions the children may have.
○ Ask the kids how they are feeling.

Week Five
Title:Anxiety/Stress. How can I empower myself?
Summary:
Discuss with the participants the emotions of stress and anxiety. Identify times when the
participants may feel these emotions. Talk through how to cope and handle these emotions in a
positive way. This session will cover different things or situations that cause stress or anxiety in
our lives. The spaghetti visual well help the participants visualize what their bodies are actually
doing when they are stressed or feeling anxious compared to when they are relaxed. They will
also do an activity to feel it within their own bodies and discuss what are some healthy manners
for dealing with these emotions.
Goals/Objectives:
· How to identify emotions of being confused and surprised.
· Discuss how participants may feel about themselves.
Spaghetti- cooked/uncooked
Agenda:
1. Quick Review of Names (if needed)
3. Check-in
5. Discussion
6. Activity- Spaghetti Visual
7. Closing
Session Details:
 Introductions
o Quick Review of Participants Names (if needed)
o Check-in
 Ask participants if they know what the emotions of fear and worry. If
needed, give examples of each.
 Anxiety- When you feel really nervous and not calm about
something, and are constantly worrying.
 Stress- When you are really overwhelmed with something or
cannot stop thinking about it.
o Discussion
 Ask participants if they have ever experienced stress. Ask if a few
participants can name anything they are stressed about right now or a
stressful situation they have experienced in their life.

 Help guide responses if participants are having difficulty.
 Ask participants if they have ever experienced anxiety. Explain that
anxious is another word for anxiety. Ask if anyone is anxious about
anything in their life or has ever felt that way about something.
 Help guide responses if participants are having difficulty.
● Activity:
○ Spaghetti Visual
■ Show the concept of the uncooked spaghetti being when we are stressed
or anxious about something. When we feel stressed or anxious, our body
and muscles will get tense and not flexible, just like the uncooked
spaghetti.
■ The cooked spaghetti is when we are relaxed and not stressed/anxious
about something. When we are relaxed, our body feels more warm, soft,
and flexible – like the cooked spaghetti.
■ Give participants a piece of cooked and uncooked spaghetti for them to
feel and understand close up.
■ Have the participants pretend to be the spaghetti. Instruct them to tense
up like the uncooked spaghetti to show when we are stressed or anxious
about something. Have them hold this position for 10 seconds. Then
instruct them to “let go” to have their muscles be lose and flexible just like
the cooked spaghetti when we are relaxed. Have them do this back and
forth a few times.
● Make sure to highlight to the participants the difference that they
feel between when they are stressed or anxious and how it feels
when they are relaxed.
■ Brainstorm with participants different ideas that
they do or can do when they are feeling stressed out or anxious (Go
outside, take deep breaths, talk to a friend or parent, etc.).
● Closing

Week Six
Title:How To Control My Emotions.
Summary:
Discuss the meaning of this group series on Inside Out of Your Emotions. This session is a time
to reflect on all the different emotions that were discussed throughout the weeks of group.
During this session we will be exploring other ways to handle and control about the emotions
that we feel. In this session the participants will be taught a breathing exercise and instructed to
do so when emotions are feeling overwhelming. They will also make a stress pool noodle
(acting as a stress ball) to have and decorate.
Goals/Objectives:
· Reflect on the previous sessions of emotions.
· Discuss how participants can control their emotions in the future.
Pool Noodle Markers
Scissors Various Stickers
Agenda:
1. Review of Group Rules/Confidentiality
2. Check-in
4. Discussion
5. Activity
a. Breathing Hand
b. Stress Pool Noodle
6. Closing
Session Details:
 Introductions
o Check-in
 Tell participants that for the final session we are going to learn how to
control our emotions.
o Discussion
 Ask participants to reflect on what has been taught over the past 5
sessions meeting. Ask what they have learned about their emotions?
What has stuck out to them? What was their favorite part?
 Ask if they have any ideas on how to control their emotions?
 What do they do to control their emotions? (Play a game, sing a
song, go to their room, take deep breaths, etc.)

● Activity:
○ Breathing Hand
■ Stretch out your hand
■ Use your pointer finger on your other hand ready to trace your
hand/fingers up and down.
■ Move up each finger slowly and slide down slowly.
■ Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do at the
same time as tracing your every finger.
■ Explain to the participants that this is a way that they can use when they
are starting to feel their emotions build up inside of them. This is a health
manner to control emotions that we feel. Have the participants try on their
own hands for a few minutes.
○ Stress Pool Noodle
■ Take a pool noodle and cut as many pieces as there are participants. Cut
the noodle sideways leaving the piece that is cut off as a circle.
■ Explain that when they are feeling different emotions they can grab the
stress noodle and squeeze it in their hand. Leader(s) show by example
and have the participants try on their own. Further explain that this is a
healthy manner for them to express and let go of the bad emotions that
they are feeling.
■ Let the participants decorate the noodle with markers and stickers to
keep.
● Closing

Group- Emotions Kids group FINAL*

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