**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with Smile Power Day. Smile Power Day is an unofficial observance celebrated annually on June 15th. As an unofficial day, there is no single founding organisation to credit.
Monday 15th June 2026
Understanding Smile Power Day in EYFS & KS1
Let's spread some happiness and share a big smile! šāØ Smile Power Day is a special day celebrated every year on June 15th. It's all about celebrating the wonderful feeling we get when we smile and when we make someone else smile. A smile is a powerful toolāit can show someone we're happy, it can help a friend feel better, and it can even make us feel good inside! This day reminds us to be kind to ourselves and to others, and to use the simple power of a smile to brighten our own day and the days of those around us.
For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a wonderfully positive and crucial theme for exploring emotions and feelings, mental health, kindness and friendship, and personal well-being. Itās about empowering children to understand their feelings and the feelings of others, fostering empathy, and teaching them how to build positive connections. This day offers fantastic planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities & invitations that truly resonate with young minds, making learning about emotional intelligence and kindness wonderfully heart-warming!
Why Is Learning About Smiling & Emotions Valuable for Young Children?
Integrating Smile Power Day and themes of emotions, kindness, and mental well-being into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) helps with social, emotional, and personal development.
Fosters Emotional Intelligence: Helps children recognise, understand, and talk about their own feelings and the feelings of others.
Promotes Positive Mental Health: Encourages children to think about what makes them happy and how to feel good.
Builds Empathy & Kindness: Teaches children how to be a good friend and how a small gesture, like a smile, can make a big difference.
Enhances Social Skills: Gives children tools to connect with others and build positive relationships.
Encourages Self-Expression: Provides opportunities for children to express their feelings through drawing, music, and play.
Engaging āSmile Powerā Activities for Smile Power Day (EYFS & KS1)
Let's celebrate Smile Power Day by exploring emotions, kindness, connection and wellbeing. These planning ideas, provision enhancements and learning opportunities encourage children to recognise and express their feelings, build positive relationships and discover how small acts of kindness can help brighten somebody's day.
Many of these early years and year 1 activities can be supported by our dedicated āMental Healthā, āEmotions and Feelingsā, and āKindness and Friendshipā resources.
Here's some inspiration for celebrating Smile Power Day in your setting. The following ideas may be adapted for various EYFS and KS1 settings. In EYFS, these ideas are best viewed as invitations to explore and enhancements to provision rather than activities every child is expected to complete. Practitioners may choose to follow children's interests and conversations about emotions, friendships and wellbeing, using these resources flexibly. In KS1, some ideas may also be used within more structured teaching sequences where appropriate. Printable resources to support the following ideas may be found further down this page.
(Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity or enhancement and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken. Smile Power Day is not about encouraging children to be happy all the time. Instead, it provides opportunities to explore the value of kindness, connection and emotional wellbeing while recognising that all feelings are valid and important.)
š Exploring Emotions & Wellbeing
Smile Power Day provides a wonderful opportunity to help children recognise, name and talk about feelings.
Children might:
Explore different emotions through discussion and play.
Share how they are feeling today.
Learn that emotions change throughout the day.
Develop vocabulary to describe feelings.
Recognise that all emotions are acceptable and useful.
Resources on our āEmotions and Feelingsā page such as Emotion Cards, Emotion Fans, Basic Emotions Fans, Emotion of the Day Displays, All About Me Feelings Station Displays, How Are You Feeling Today? Playdough Mats, Draw Emotions, Write Emotions, and Draw Yourself Smiling Activity Sheets can help support these conversations.
Additional Provision Enhancements
Create a feelings check-in station.
Add mirrors to encourage children to explore facial expressions.
Use puppets to act out different emotions.
Create an emotions investigation area with books and photographs.
Encourage children to share feelings through drawing and mark making.
Explore how emotions can change in different situations.
š What Makes Us Happy?
Children benefit from recognising the people, experiences and activities that help them feel positive, safe and connected.
Children might:
Talk about things they enjoy.
Share favourite memories and experiences.
Discuss activities that help them feel calm or excited.
Explore what makes different people happy.
Celebrate similarities and differences between themselves and others.
Resources on our āEmotions & Feelingsā page such as What Makes You Happy? Sheets, This Story Makes Me Feel... Activities, and Why Is Teddy Happy? Activity Packs can help support these discussions.
Additional Provision Enhancements
Create a class "Things That Make Us Smile" display.
Encourage children to contribute photographs or drawings.
Develop a gratitude or appreciation wall.
Share favourite songs, books and games.
Create happiness jars filled with children's ideas.
Invite children to talk about special people in their lives.
ā¤ļø Understanding Difficult Feelings
Smile Power Day also provides opportunities to explore feelings that can sometimes feel challenging.
Children might:
Discuss sadness, worry, frustration and anger.
Explore ways of seeking help and support.
Learn calming strategies.
Recognise that everyone experiences a range of emotions.
Develop empathy for others.
Resources on our āEmotions & Feelingsā page including Why Is Teddy Sad? Activity Packs, When I Feel Worried Templates, Worry and Anger Resources, and What Happens When You Feel...? Prompt Cards can help support these conversations.
Additional Provision Enhancements
Create a calm corner or wellbeing space.
Use stories to explore emotions and problem solving.
Practise breathing and relaxation activities.
Develop simple emotional regulation toolkits.
Encourage children to identify trusted adults.
Use role play to explore supportive responses.
š¤ Kindness, Friendship & Connection
Smile Power Day naturally links to building positive relationships and encouraging kindness.
Children might:
Explore how kindness affects others.
Notice kind actions happening around them.
Practise friendship skills.
Learn ways to welcome and include others.
Develop empathy and cooperation.
Resources on our āKindness & Friendshipā page such as Be The Reason Someone Smiles Posters, Let's Show Kindness Activity Prompts and Let's Connect With Each Other Resources; and Welcome Displays, and Languages Posters on our āClassroom Decor & Displaysā page can support these experiences.
Additional Provision Enhancements
Create kindness challenge boards.
Encourage children to notice acts of kindness.
Develop friendship role-play opportunities.
Create compliment or appreciation cards.
Use circle-time discussions about friendship.
Build collaborative projects that require teamwork.
šµ Music, Movement & Emotional Expression
Music, movement and creative expression provide valuable opportunities for children to explore emotions in different ways.
Children might:
Listen to music and discuss how it makes them feel.
Express emotions through movement.
Create facial expressions and body movements linked to feelings.
Use art and creativity to communicate experiences.
Explore how music can help change mood and energy levels.
Resources on our āEmotions & Feelingsā page such as This Music Makes Me Feel... Activities, Emotions Colouring, Blank Faces, Blank Faces Playdough Mats, Let's Get Moving Activity Prompts, and related music and sound and expressive movement resources can support these experiences.
Additional Provision Enhancements
Create emotion-themed dance and movement sessions.
Explore different styles of music.
Use scarves and ribbons for expressive movement.
Create collaborative artwork about emotions.
Develop music and mindfulness areas.
Encourage children to invent emotion-inspired movements.
š§ Promoting Positive Mental Health
Smile Power Day can help children begin developing lifelong habits that support emotional wellbeing.
Children might:
Explore what helps them feel calm and safe.
Discuss healthy habits.
Identify people who help them.
Learn about self-care and looking after others.
Build confidence and resilience.
Resources such as Healthy Minds Posters, Mood Booster Activity Cards, and Hands On Heart Discussion Resources on our āMental Healthā page, can help support these conversations.
Additional Provision Enhancements
Create wellbeing baskets.
Explore simple mindfulness activities.
Encourage regular outdoor experiences.
Develop daily wellbeing routines.
Create affirmation or encouragement displays.
Celebrate effort, persistence and kindness.
š Explore More
To support your Smile Power Day learning and encourage deeper exploration of emotions, wellbeing and positive relationships, you may wish to explore our resources linked to:
Mental Health ā¢ Emotions and Feelings ā¢ Kindness and Friendship
You may also enjoy exploring related themes such as:
All About Me ā¢ Colours ā¢ Music and Sound ā¢ Nursery Rhymes
These ideas and provision enhancements offer meaningful ways to celebrate Smile Power Day in EYFS and KS1 settings. By encouraging children to understand emotions, build positive relationships and practise kindness, practitioners can help nurture emotional literacy, resilience and a strong sense of belonging. šā¤ļøšš¤
To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.
Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: āSmile Power Dayā
Free āSmile Powerā related resources and activities for EYFS & KS1 from our āMental Healthā, āAll About Meā and āEmotionsā collections:
āSmile Powerā related resources for EYFS & KS1 from our āPosters & Displaysā, āWelcomeā collection:
āSmile Powerā related resources and activities for EYFS & KS1 from our āMental Healthā, āAll About Meā and āEmotionsā collections:
āSmile Powerā related resources and activities for EYFS & KS1 from our āMusic and Soundā collection:
Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes
More Early Years Event Pages for June
Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children
Browse our āSpecial Dates Calendarā page using the link below. Youāll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!
Search āLittle Owls Resourcesā Using the following Menu Buttonsā¦
Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'Smile Power Day'. This is an unofficial observance and, as such, there is no single founding organisation to credit.
Saturday 27th June 2026: Time to put on our shades and protect our eyes for National Sunglasses Day! šāļøš¶ļø This day provides a fun and crucial theme for exploring sun safety, eye health, weather, and personal healthā¦