Ladybird Class – Learning About Emotions and Making Choices
Ladybird Class have been exploring the storybook The Colour Monster, a simple and engaging story that helps children learn about different emotions and how to express them. In the story, each monster is a different colour, with each colour representing a specific feeling. The children thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it sparked some fantastic learning opportunities!
As part of this activity, the children created their own colour monsters by painting them in colours that matched how they were feeling at the time. Some children were able to explain their emotions clearly, while others chose colours they liked or remembered from the story. We had some brilliant responses when we asked, “How do you feel today?” — including:
“Angry because my toy got thrown away.”
“Love because it makes me happy.”
“Fierce because I’m an angry cat!”
In addition to learning about emotions, we have also been focusing on making choices. This is a very important part of early development, as it helps children:
Hear and use a wider range of language than they would with simple yes/no questions
Learn through clear language modelling
Build vocabulary that’s appropriate for their level
For example, during snack time, staff ask questions like:
“Would you like apple or banana?”
“Would you like the yellow banana or the red apple?”
We also incorporated this into our cooking activity this week. The children made their own pizzas and were given a choice of toppings such as red pepper and yellow corn. Some chose one topping, some chose both, and everyone finished with a sprinkle of cheese. The children loved this activity — and the pizzas were delicious!
