That first day or week back at school can be an anxious time for our littlest learners… that’s why it’s so important for us as educators to let them know that it’s ok to have those feelings and then give them strategies to work through them. Young children often won’t be able to identify these big feelings. Lucky for us there are so many amazing picture books that we can use in the classroom to help kids learn how to identify their emotions and express them in healthy ways.
Here are my five favorites:
The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
This picture book is a fantastic introduction to feelings. The Color Monster wakes up one day and his emotions are all over the place… He then meets a little girl who shows him what each feeling means through color. The Color Monster learns to sort and define his mixed-up emotions. As a result, he gains peace and self-awareness.
Check out these activities to support using this book in the classroom.
Click here to buy these activities!
In My Heart by Jo Witek
In My Heart explores emotions – happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness, and more by describing how the body experiences the feeling physically. This is such a wonderful book to use to act out different emotions as part of a drama activity.
Check out these activities to support using this story in the classroom.
Ruby Finds A Worry by Tom Percival (Ruby’s Worry)
Ruby Finds a Worry is an excellent children’s book that deals with anxiety. Every time I read this story the kiddos open up about all of the things that worry them. It provides such wonderful opportunities to teach our little ones strategies that will help them with their worries – reinterating that worries are normal but can get out of hand if you don’t deal with them properly.
Go Away Worry Monster by Brooke Graham
This one is great for students in kindergarten and those starting at a new school. Go Away, Worry Monster! gives children evidence-based strategies to help them cope with their worries, showing them how to make their own Worry Monsters leave during stressful periods of their lives, from starting or changing schools to a change in family dynamics.
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
A classic go-to book for the first day of school in many kindergarten classrooms – most children can relate to Chester and the worries he feels about separating from his mum. This beautiful story creates great opportunities to talk about feelings and ways to cope with any worries the children may experience in those first days of school.
Check out these activities to support using this story in the classroom.
Click here to buy these activities!
Visit Little Learner Hub to find more great teaching resources!
