Feelings with friends (1st - 2nd grade)

This is a simple group about emotions and coping skills.  I used it with the primary grades. It was a great way to help students who need a little extra support with emotional regulation. I focused each week on one emotion and a coping skill to go with it. I define the term Coping Skill as any tip, trick, or tool that you use to safely help you calm down that doesn't hurt you, others, or property.

What is Feelings with Friends

1. Talk about the purpose of group
2. Establish group rules
3. Watch Boundin’ the Disney/Pixar short
   1. Talk about the emotions that the sheep felt at different points in time

Learn about the variety of emotions

1. The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
2. Create a Feel Wheel (Creative Therapy p. 31) [make a giant feelings wheel with kids drawing facial expressions in each emotion]
   1. Feel Wheel with clothes pin will be used to check our emotions when we come into group

Managing Our Anger

1. Howard B Wigglebottom Learns It Is Okay to Back Away
2. Talk about how and where we feel our mads 
   1. ​Flip Chart - draw a person outline 
   2. Color and draw what the kids say on the person outline
3. Coping Skills - Breathing: Birthday Cake or Hot Cocoa breathing

Managing Our Sads

1. I Feel Sad by Brian Moses and Mike Gordon
2. Talk about our sads
3. Coping Skill - Get Moving - Dance Party (GoNoodle)
4. Visualization using the 5 senses of a happy memory

Managing Being Afraid

1. Don’t be Afraid to Drop by Julia Cook
2. Talk about our fears
3. Coping Skill - Problem Solving Skills (reframe, do something different, remember exceptions, and magic question)

Managing Our Worry

1. Wemberly Worried
2. Talk about how we feel our worries
3. Coping Skill - Progressive Muscle Relaxation or make worry Stones