MY FEELING HAS A STORY

MY FEELING HAS A STORY

Children do not always experience emotions as neat words such as happy, sad, worried or angry. A feeling may first appear as a tight tummy, a hot face, restless movement, silence, a need to hide, or a sense that everything feels prickly. Asking “How do you feel?” can therefore be a much bigger question than it seems.

I created My Feeling Has a Story as a colourful six-page activity that gives children more than one way to communicate. Instead of relying only on emotion labels, the child can explore texture, movement, weather, colour and body clues. They can cut out cards, point, circle, draw, colour or build their own description. There is no correct combination and no pressure to explain every choice.

The opening page gives adults gentle guidance and language that remains curious rather than leading. The following card pages explore what a feeling might feel like, how it may move, and what kind of weather or colour might match it. A spacious creative template helps bring those choices together, while the final page asks what the feeling may need and what the child would like a trusted adult to understand.

This resource can be useful for children who find direct questions difficult, including neurodivergent children, children with language differences, and those who communicate more easily through pictures, sensory ideas or movement. Please allow the child to pass, change their mind, use their own words or return later. The aim is connection and understanding, not extracting an answer.

Every feeling is allowed. Strong feelings are not bad feelings, and two apparently opposite emotions can be present at the same time. If a child becomes overwhelmed, pause the activity and focus on safety, co-regulation and reducing demands.

With warmth,
Maggie
Space to Breathe Therapy

This educational resource does not replace personalised assessment, therapy, safeguarding action or crisis support.

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