Name of Activity: Emotion Puzzle

Originating Idea: I wanted to make the recognition of emotions to be fun through a puzzle reveal.

Curriculum Area
Highlight 1:
Approaches to learning
Social and emotional development
Physical development and health
Language, literacy, and communication
Mathematics
Creative arts
Science and technology
Social studies

KDIs
9. Emotions: Children recognize, label, and regulate their feelings.

Materials:
 Paper or poster with emotion drawn on it cut up into a puzzle.

Appropriate Age group: 3 to 5 years old

Beginning of Activity:
During our small group I will put all the cut-up paper puzzle pieces onto the table mixed up. “Today we are
going to be solving a puzzle! Once we finish the puzzle there will be an emotion on it that we need to identify.
Let’s work as a group to complete this puzzle and identify the end emotion.” The small group will work to
complete the puzzle. Once it is complete, they will figure out what emotion the picture shows.

Middle of Activity
Children from different development levels might only complete the puzzle or they may identify the
puzzle and compare it to a time when they’ve felt that same emotion.

Early: Children that are struggling with the puzzle or identifying the emotion may receive help from the teacher
to place the pieces together or receive hints on what the emotion may be displaying.
Middle: They should be able to complete the puzzle and identify the emotion shown on the puzzle.
Later: They will be challenged to complete the puzzle and tell a time they’ve felt the emotion shown on the
puzzle.

End of Activity:
“We completed the puzzle as a small group and identified the emotion on the completed puzzle. Everyone can
feel that emotion sometimes and I’m glad some of you were able to share a time when you’ve felt that way. We
are now going to pick up our puzzles and put them back into their containers. We will add this puzzle into our
puzzle collection to play with during choice time today. Let’s go to the carpet so we can find out where
everyone wants to play today.”
Follow-up Ideas (2)
Students can use the puzzle to practice cognitive development if they count the number of puzzle pieces it
takes to finish the puzzle.
The children can take inspiration from the puzzle and make their own with paper and scissors.