This activity promotes development and learning by encouraging children to express, understand, and regulate emotions, and demonstrate an understanding of cause-and-effect.
Materials Needed:
- Jenga game or small wood pieces that can be used to build
- Painter’s tape or masking tape
- Markers
- List of questions or emotions
Participants: This activity is intended for adult/child interaction, and 2 or more participants/players.
Directions:
- Place a piece of tape on one side of each of the Jenga or wooden pieces.
- Write a question or emotion on each piece of tape.
- Stack the Jenga pieces.
- Take turns taking a Jenga piece out of the structure; reading the word or activity on the piece that is pulled. Alternately: start by giving each player an equal amount of Jenga pieces, have them answer the question then place their piece down to build or create a structure together.
- Each player shares a time when they felt that emotion or completes the activity on the piece pulled. Suggested questions:
- What is something really good that happened today?
- Give another player a compliment.
- What is something that makes you frustrated?
- Show us what you do when you feel scared?
- Who can you talk to when you feel sad or lonely?
- Practice what to do when you feel anxious.