Spring Emotions Flower Wheel
I am so excited to share a special collaboration today! I’ve teamed up with Casey O’Brien Martin at Whole Child Counseling to create this interactive printable activity designed to help kids practice identifying their emotions. Inspired by spring and the new growth found in our gardens and nature, I created this feelings wheel for kids to color, assemble and play!
As a designer and a mom, I’ve always found that the hardest conversations become a little easier when we are creating with our hands. Whether it’s a quiet morning at the breakfast table or a moment of frustration after school, having a tangible tool to “pick” a feeling can make a difference. Head over to Whole Child Counseling, for the free printable and to learn more!
This craft is designed to be tactile and fun. I’ve found that as kids get older, the focus required for scissor work and coloring can be incredibly grounding.
This activity is fun for afternoon quiet time or an addition to your morning routine or homeschool lesson. Leave the wheel out at the dinner table or bedside to encourage this healthy habit.
Naming a feeling is the first step toward navigating it. The simple act of identifying an emotion helps shift the brain from a reactive state to a reflective one. By giving kids a visual, we aren’t just teaching them vocabulary; we’re giving them a tool for self-regulation and empathy.
I am so inspired by the work of Casey O’Brien Martin at Whole Child Counseling. If you’re looking for more social-emotional resources or strategies and tools, I highly recommend exploring Whole Child Counseling. It is a goldmine of practical tools for emotional learning. Her newest book, Skills for Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is a research based comic workbook specifically designed to help tweens and teens. navigate those intense emotional ‘rejection alarms’ with compassion and concrete coping skills.
Casey is a mom, a licensed School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist, AND a Registered Nurse. Her books and website are a treasure trove of her extensive expertise and creativity.
If your little makers enjoyed identifying their “flower faces” today, they will love diving deeper into the world of emotions with my book, How Are You Feeling?. Just like our Spring Flower Wheel, “How are you feeling?” is designed to be an interactive exploration of the many moods we experience every day.
