All About Me: 'How are you feeling?' Playdough Mats | EYFS & KS1 Printables

All About Me: 'How are you feeling?' Playdough Mats | EYFS & KS1 Printables

😊 Gain insight into the daily feelings of the children in your care with our wonderful 'How are you feeling?' Playdough Mats! This engaging printable resource is perfect for EYFS and KS1 children, providing a fantastic way to support fine motor skills, emotional literacy, and self-expression through a fun, hands-on activity.

Ideal for Preschool, Nursery, School, or for Parents and Childminders at home, these mats are a brilliant tool for helping children understand and express their emotions in a creative way. They're particularly beneficial for children who are settling into a new setting or who may find it difficult to articulate their feelings.

This resourceful pack features:

• A set of playdough mats designed to help children express their feelings non-verbally.

• A perfect tool for emotional check-ins: The mats provide a simple, at-a-glance way for adults to assess the feelings of a child or a group, allowing for timely follow-up if needed.

• A focus on mindfulness: The activity aids in the mindful practice of recognising emotions and can be used as a calm, reflective tool.

(Note: Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity suggested on this page and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)

• 💡 How to use this resource in your classroom/setting

  Our 'How are you feeling?' Playdough Mats are incredibly versatile and can be used in a multitude of ways across various early years and KS1 environments:

  • Emotional Check-In: Place the mats in a quiet area of your setting with a variety of playdough colours. Invite children to use the mat and playdough to create a face that best represents their current feeling. There are visual prompts at the top and bottom of each mat that show various emotional expressions.

  • Fine Motor Skills Activity: The act of squashing, rolling, and shaping playdough is a fantastic way to develop fine motor skills and strengthen the hand muscles needed for future writing.

  • One-to-One Tool: The mats are especially useful for one-to-one sessions with a child. The creative, hands-on nature of the activity can help to build trust and encourage a child to open up about their feelings.

  • Settling In: For children who are new to a setting, these mats can be a non-intrusive way for them to express how they are feeling, helping adults to understand their emotional state and provide comfort. Even in a larger group, these mats can be a useful tool to gain an overview of how children are feeling and engage individually as appropriate.

• 🎯 Learning objectives covered - 🐣 EYFS Framework

  EYFS Framework:

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Children learn to recognise, name, and express a range of emotions. The activity also helps them understand that it's okay to feel different ways and provides a safe space for expression.

  • Expressive Arts and Design: Children explore and use a range of media and materials, and express their creativity and ideas through playdough.

  • Physical Development (Fine Motor Control): The act of manipulating playdough strengthens hand muscles and improves dexterity.

• 🎯 Learning objectives covered - 🐤 KS1 Curriculum

  KS1 Curriculum:

  • PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education): The activity supports children in learning about emotions and feelings and how to express them in a healthy way.

  • English (Spoken Language): Children can use the mats as a stimulus for discussion and to talk about their creations and the emotions they represent with peers and adults.

Download our 'How are you feeling?' Playdough Mats today and help children express their emotions in a safe and creative way! ❤️😊

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