Emotions in Motion: Engaging Art Activity for Emotional Literacy
Discover a delightful activity that not only brings fun to your family gatherings but also introduces valuable emotional awareness skills to children and adults alike. In this article, we're excited to share a step-by-step guide to our “Emotions in Motion” arts and crafts project, designed for children and youth ages 5 and up.
Recently, on Easter March 30th, 2024, PLAY WITH KIP had the privilege of volunteering at a community event in Duarte, CA, organized by Eunice Tin and the CABC to serve the San Gabriel Valley community. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for making it such a meaningful day.
KIP gesturing the peace sign in front of the Emotions in Motion activity table.
As a non-denominational platform, PLAY WITH KIP is committed to launching inclusive resources that support the mental health of children, youth, and caregivers from diverse backgrounds. Through playful interaction, our platform helps develop essential communication and relationship skills needed to navigate today’s complex world.
Our participation in the Easter event allowed us to create a nurturing environment where children and families could explore their emotions through creative expression. Now, let’s get into how you can bring this activity into your own home or community and help foster emotional intelligence in a fun and engaging way.
What is “Emotions in Motion”?
A short clip of the craft in motion.
Understanding emotions is crucial for everyone, especially children and caregivers. It helps develop the ability to regulate emotions, empathize, and communicate effectively—key components for nurturing healthy relationships and personal well-being. Paul Ekman's work, which identifies the six primary emotions—happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, and surprise—demonstrates how universal and foundational these feelings are.
“Through a simple yet creative exercise using two rotating paper cups, participants illustrate a character experiencing four to six different emotions.”
Our activity, 'Emotions in Motion,' embraces the complexity of our emotional world. It recognizes that our feelings can change throughout the day and are deeply tied to our values and self-perception. Through a simple yet creative exercise using two rotating paper cups, participants illustrate a character experiencing four to six different emotions. This not only fosters a deeper understanding of oneself but also showcases our unique emotional responses.
Engaging in such arts and crafts activities enhances emotional intelligence (EQ) by providing a fun and expressive way to explore and articulate feelings. More than just identifying emotions, this activity lays the groundwork for building self-compassion and empathy. Whether done in classrooms, with friends, or with family, 'Emotions in Motion' encourages lively interaction and reflective conversations, making learning about emotions both insightful and enjoyable.
FEATURED Examples
I had the joy of working on this activity with 22 children, youth, and their caregivers, each sharing their unique perspectives through their artwork. Below, you’ll find some beautiful examples of their creations, along with the emotions that resonated most with them.
Happiness was clearly the preferred emotion, chosen by over half of the participants. Yet, approximately 45% of the group opted to express other emotions, which they found either intriguing or were particularly proud to represent through their artwork.
Activity Facts
Children and caregivers diligently working on their craft.
Learning Objectives
Develop Emotional Literacy: Participants will learn to identify, understand, and articulate emotions. This enhances their ability to recognize and express feelings accurately, which is crucial for emotional development.
Foster Empathy and Social Skills: The activity encourages participants to share their emotional expressions and understand others' perspectives through their artwork. This promotes empathy and improves interpersonal communication, which is essential for healthy social interactions.
Encourage Creative Expression: Participants will use art as a tool to explore and convey emotions. This objective emphasizes creativity and artistic skills as mediums for expressing complex feelings, helping participants to better externalize and understand their emotions.
Age Range
A group of parents and children working together in the “Emotions in Motion” craft activity.
This activity is enjoyable for people of all ages and particularly meaningful for young children needing additional guidance. Such moments provide an excellent opportunity for teaching and bonding between children and caregivers.
I encourage caregivers to actively engage with their children during this activity by exploring different emotions together. Start by demonstrating an emotion, such as happiness. You could ask, 'What does happiness look like?' and show examples through smiling, laughter or expressions of joy.
Explain these emotions simply and ask your child when they feel happy. Is it when spending time with family, or perhaps while enjoying their favorite meal? Use these discussions to help them connect their experiences to the emotions they are exploring, making the activity both educational and personally meaningful.
Materials Needed
Coloring utensils, craft examples, and an standing instructional.
Paper Cups (2 per person)
3 oz. Cups: Ideal for younger children; quicker to complete.
8 oz. Cups: Better suited for older children and adults who might spend more time on their project.
Cutting Tools
Precision/Craft Knife: Recommended for older children and adults. Offers better agility for cutting curves.
Scissors: Useful for simpler cutting tasks; safer option for younger children.
Drawing Tools
Pencil and Eraser: For sketching and making corrections.
Black Tracing Pen: Enhances details and works well over markers. A fine-tip Sharpie or a 0.7 mm Paper Mate felt tip pen is recommended for precision without bleeding.
Coloring Utensils
Markers: Provide vibrant colors and cover large areas quickly. Suitable for all ages.
Colored Pencils: Offer greater color variety and precision but may appear pale depending on the quality.
Crayons: Require more effort to achieve vibrant results. Suitable for younger children.
Avoid Pastels and Wet Media: These can smudge and are less suitable for this project. If using paint, acrylics are recommended for their vibrancy and quick-drying properties, but only with proper instruction.
Estimated Time
Participants typically spend 20-30 minutes decorating a 3 oz. Cup. However, some children may complete it more quickly without sufficient guidance, often in about 10-15 minutes. Providing personalized attention throughout the activity is beneficial to encourage thorough engagement. For those using an eight oz. Cup, the estimated completion time is at least 30 minutes. Equipping participants with markers or other coloring utensils that can efficiently cover larger surface areas is advisable.
A young girl and boy sit at a small table and work on a crafts activity.
Safety Notes
Knife Safety:
Only older children and adults should handle the precision knife for cutting paper cups. For safety, I pre-cut cups for younger participants to eliminate the risk of using sharp objects.
Potential chemicals in art materials:
Select non-toxic, chemical-free art supplies, especially when working with individuals who have chemical sensitivities. This precaution ensures everyone can participate safely without health concerns.
Emotional safety:
Respect each child's space and comfort level. Allow participants to engage or withdraw from the activity as they feel necessary. Creating a positive experience focused on learning and reflection is crucial, not an obligation. For those who may need a break, adopt trauma-informed approaches by providing space to process emotions without judgment. Reinforce that they can rejoin the activity whenever they feel ready.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before you begin, ensure you have all the necessary materials listed. If you have any questions during the process, feel free to contact us through our contact page. We'll respond within 72 hours.
Two plain paper cups.
Step 1: Prepare Your Cups
Start with two paper cups. Ensure they are clean and dry.
Tracing a narrow figure on a paper cup.
Step 2: TRACE Your Figures
On cup #1, use a pencil to draw a narrow figure. A slender shape allows space to create up to six evenly spaced figures around the cup. You can draw any figure, but a narrow one is optimal for fitting multiple emotions.
Cutting out the narrow figure out of the paper cup.
Step 3: Cut Out the Figure
Carefully cut out the figure from cup #1 using a precision knife. Ensure this task is performed by an adult or under close adult supervision to maintain safety.
Using one cup with the cut-out to trace figures on the second cup.
Step 4: Trace and Expand
Place cup #1 on top of cup #2. Using the cut-out as a guide, trace the figure four to six times around cup #2 by rotating the cup as you go. If your figures are narrow, you should be able to fit up to six.
A coloring utensil decorating a cup.
Step 5: Personalize and Emote
Remove cup #1 and focus on cup #2. Decide what character best represents you or your artistic vision. Consider features like hair color, skin tone, and attire, which you will draw on cup #1. On cup #2, draw the same character expressing different emotions in each figure. Aim for stylistic consistency across the faces to maintain coherence.
Adding an environment to the cup that rotates on top of the second cup.
Step 6: Bring It to Life
After drawing, add environmental elements on the outer, rotating cup #1 to set the scene. Once completed, place cup #1 over cup #2 and gently rotate it to see the emotions in motion.
An example of a cup rotation.
Step 7
Think about the emotions you've illustrated. Which one do you feel most strongly about? Why do you think each emotion is important?
Accessible Variations and Adaptations
Adding tactile elements
Braille Labels: Use manual or automatic braillers to label emotions on the cups, making the activity accessible for deaf-blind children.
Textured Materials: Incorporate materials that reflect the emotions for a sensory experience. For example, use sandpaper to represent anger.
Clay Textures: Apply small bits of clay to the cups to create facial textures that correspond with different emotions. This adds a tactile dimension to help children understand and feel the emotions more distinctly.
Incorporating Audio:
Voice Modules: Consider using voice modules to record and playback descriptions or sounds associated with each emotion. Note that larger cups may be required to accommodate the size of the voice modules.
Cost Considerations: Voice modules add to the cost, so recording all necessary audio in one session might be economical. Combine this with tactile elements like Braille or textured clay to enrich the sensory experience.
Guidance for Emotional Regulation:
Caregiver Involvement: Encourage caregivers to use vocalizations or tactile methods to guide children through the activity, helping them connect the creative process with emotional regulation.
If you encounter challenges or need additional ideas to make this activity more accessible and inclusive, please don’t hestitate to contact us through our contact page. We’re here to help brainstorm and provide support.
Clean-up Tips
A bunch of cut out shapes and floral stickers on a yellow covered table.
Maintaining cleanliness during the activity is crucial as it saves time and energy afterward. Encourage children to assist with tidying up to help them develop good habits. Keep a trash can within easy reach to dispose of paper cup cutouts, eraser bits, and colored pencil shavings efficiently.
Encouragement for participation
Quoted scripture - Galatians 5:22-23
Art activities like this often see participants, both children and adults, doubting their artistic skills. It’s important to emphasize that the goal of this activity is to foster emotional literacy, not to perfect art techniques. Encourage everyone to understand that every effort is valuable and comparisons should only serve as a means to learn and relate to each other, not as a competition.
During the Easter event, while the main incentive for participation was the chance to win raffle tickets, it’s crucial to recognize the role of external motivators in enhancing engagement. However, fostering internal motivation remains our ultimate goal, aiming to inspire a genuine interest and joy in learning through art.
Conclusion
Thank you for exploring the “Emotions in Motion” activity with us. We hope you find it enriching and enjoyable to share with friends and family. Your experiences are valuable to us, so please don't hesitate to reach out and share how the activity went or any insights you gained. We look forward to hearing your stories and learning about your emotional discovery journey. You send us a message on the contact page.
A rainbow appears on the highway after a rainy day.
april 2024 PLatform updates
Alliant International University California School of Professional Psychology
Update #1
PLAY WITH KIP believes that knowledge is power, and KIP is starting a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy this May 2024. This education will be pivotal in creating valuable content for your family and providing mental health services to those in need.
Update #2
Support our trademark application and celebrate creativity by picking up one of our unique flower journals today!
