EMOJI CHARADES GAME
Emotional Awareness
Understanding Body Sensations
Self Advocacy
While you wait for the emoji game to land in your inbox. Here is some more information. Develop Interoception and Emotional Awareness
This activity has been designed to help your child discover and understand their bodily sensations so they can determine and connect which emotion words make sense for them, helping them advocate their needs effectively and clearly. By expanding a child’s understanding of sensation and emotion words, they can express and connect with a wider range of people.
Intero-what?
Interoception is our 8th sense and the system that gives us information regarding how our body feels and what it needs for health, wellbeing and regulation. We can notice body sensations such as hunger, pain, temperature, a full bladder etc. It is the foundation for emotional awareness. For people who have difficulty recognising and interpreting what their body sensations mean, they may experience feelings of dysregulation or confusion or risk illness or injury from not eating regularly or overheating.
We are often taught about emotions using emotion words only, without first identifying bodily sensations and then connecting those to emotion words. It is also important to note that sensation and emotion words are not always instinctive for everyone, and that there are other ways to communicate sensations and emotions, such as through colours, shapes, animals or other experiences.
All Experiences are Correct and Valid
Everyone has their own interoception experience which is correct and valid. Unfortunately, many children have been taught to ignore their body’s sensations to comply with expected behaviours or social norms, leading to masking, poor mental health and dysregulation. Developing interoceptive awareness can take time, particularly while a child learns to trust their body’s sensations, but this is the pathway necessary to developing emotional regulation.
‘Focusing on interoception gives meaning to emotions from the inside out’ - Kelly Mahler, OT
Emotional Regulation - The Next Steps
This activity focuses on discovering bodily sensations and connecting them to emotion words. The next step towards developing emotional regulation is identifying which actionable regulation strategies are beneficial and effective for your child. To find out more about these strategies, we recommend our Emotional Inventory Kit, available here, with our OT Kits.
How Does It Work?
Play this game when you and your child are feeling calm and regulated, as when a child is regulated, they are ready to learn. Take breaks when needed or split the game up over a few sessions.
Round 1 - The Body Sensation Word Set
Cut out cards on the downloadable body sensation word set.
Shuffle the pile of body sensation words and place the pile upside down.
Take turns or go around the circle selecting one card at a time.
The person who selected the card, reads the sensation and then responds to the following questions:
When might you notice this sensation in your body?
Where in your body could you notice his sensation?
Please note it is ok if you or your child do not notice a certain sensation in your body. Just choose another card.
Remember not to label sensations for your child, as we want them to recognise their own unique, inner experience.
After the card is selected, place it face up to the side of the game, ready for Round 3.
Continue until all cards are used.
Round 2 - The Emotion Word Set - ‘Emoji Charades’
Cut out cards on the downloadable emotion word set.
Shuffle the pile of emotion words and place the pile upside down.
Take turns or go around the circle selecting one card at a time.
The person who selected the card keeps it to themself and then tries to act out that emotion to their partner or group. They can use gestures, facial expressions, actions, drawings or descriptions to give clues about their experience with the emotion word to be guessed by everyone else.
As mentioned already, we all have our own inner experience which is correct and valid. However your child demonstrates this emotion is correct for them and needs to be acknowledged and respected.
Use this activity as a way to learn more about each other’s experiences to assist with improved understanding in daily life.
After the card is used, place it face up to the side of the game, ready for Round 3.
Continue until all cards are used.
Round 3 - Connecting Sensations and Emotions
The purpose of this round is to help your child connect their own body sensations to various emotion words.
Their job is to choose body sensation words that they experience and pair them with an emotion word that makes sense to them. There can be more than one body sensation word paired to an emotion.
You can participate together and model your experiences too. For example, choosing the ‘pounding’ body sensation word and pairing it with the ‘angry’ emotion word, explaining to your child that for your experience, when you notice your heart is pounding, it lets you know you're angry.
Explore curiously with your child, making statements such as, ‘I wonder what a ‘prickly’ body sensation means for you?’
A response from your child is not always required or expected and be sure to validate all responses they do make.
In interactions outside of the game, continue to prompt your child to think about their body sensations and how it connects to an emotion. Ask them questions like, ‘What sensation do you notice in your body right now?’, ‘I wonder what sensation you could be noticing’ or ‘I wonder what that sensation means for you’.
We hope you enjoy this game and that your child learns a lot about their own interoceptive experience, helping them to understand their needs and more meaningfully identify their emotions.
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