I Feel Activity with Bottle Caps With Free Printable Templates for Kids

Teaching Kids About Emotions with the 'I Feel' ActivityHelping children understand and express their emotions is a crucial part of their development. The 'I Feel' activity, or emotion activity created using bottle caps and a simple drawing, is a fantastic way to engage kids in emotional learning. This hands-on craft allows children to visually and physically swap different facial expressions to represent their feelings, making it easier for them to communicate their emotions.

I Feel Activity with Bottle Caps With Free Printable Templates for Kids

How to Use This Activity

Print the Free Template (Available at the bottom of this page for both boys and girls).

Gather Materials

You’ll need

Bottle caps,

Markers,

Glue

Scissors.

Draw Different Faces

Create a variety of expressions on the caps.

Attach the Faces to the Main Card

You can cut out the top part of the bottle cap, leaving the base intact for easier handling. Any plastic bottle with a sturdy cap works well. You can use Velcro or glue to make them interchangeable.

Encourage Children to Swap Faces

Let kids change their faces according to how they feel.

How 'I Feel' Activity Benefits Kids of All Ages

'I Feel' Activity helps develop fine motor skills.

The act of coloring or drawing different emotions develops the muscles that will later help preschoolers button their coats, tie their shoes, write, and more.

It boosts counting and pattern recognition.

Did you know that sorting emotion cards or arranging them in patterns helps kids recognize sequences and practice counting? These are skills they will use later on in problem-solving and math! Kids can also practice their 1, 2, 3’s by counting the different emotion faces they identify or arranging them in a meaningful sequence.

It teaches shapes and colors.

Children identify different emotions by recognizing facial expressions and matching them with colors that represent feelings, such as red for anger or blue for sadness. This same thought process happens while your child is doing something as simple as sorting or coloring emotional faces.

For Kids in Elementary School...

'I Feel' Activity encourages critical thinking.

The process of identifying emotions naturally gets kids thinking about different situations and how people might feel in response to them.

It builds resilience.

By engaging with different emotional scenarios, children learn how to manage their own feelings and develop emotional regulation. It takes time to understand emotions, and they may not always get it right the first time. This activity helps kids realize that it’s okay to make mistakes and to explore different ways to handle their emotions rather than getting frustrated.

It supports reluctant readers.

Reading emotion-based stories or prompts is still reading! This activity also gives kids a visual and hands-on way to engage with language while they learn about feelings and empathy.

For Tweens and Teens...

'I Feel' Activity supports self-esteem.

Engaging in emotional awareness activities gives tweens and teens a sense of confidence in understanding and expressing their feelings. It’s the "Yeah, I get that emotion!" effect.

It encourages a reflective mindset.

Engaging in emotion-related activities teaches kids that there are multiple ways to express and process feelings. Emotionally intelligent individuals can think beyond simply "this is how I feel" and develop deeper self-awareness in a world that values social and emotional skills.

It develops patience.

We live in a fast-paced world, but emotions require time to process. When kids engage in 'I Feel' activities, they learn to pause, reflect, and understand that feelings take time to work through. Whether it’s identifying emotions in different situations or discussing them with peers, this activity helps them practice patience and emotional intelligence, which are valuable life skills.

'I Feel' Activity Supports Self-Esteem:

Engaging in self-expression through this activity allows tweens and teens to experience the satisfaction of understanding and communicating their emotions, boosting their self-esteem and confidence.

It Encourages a Reflective Mindset:

Emotional awareness activities help kids develop a reflective mindset, teaching them that emotions can be expressed in different ways. By exploring various ways to communicate feelings, kids learn to adapt and healthily respond to emotions. Studies, like the 2010 IBM Global CEO survey, have found that emotional intelligence is a key leadership quality, with 60% of CEOs citing it as the most important trait for business success.

It Develops Patience:

In a world where instant reactions are common, emotional activities teach patience. Tweens and teens learn that processing emotions takes time and thoughtful responses. Whether it’s waiting to react to a situation or taking time to understand their feelings, the 'I Feel' activity encourages self-awareness and emotional growth, which are crucial for personal and professional success.

Why This Activity is So Effective

1. Encourages Emotional Expression

Many adults find it difficult to interpret children's emotions, especially when tantrums or silence replace words. Children naturally express their feelings through crying, but sometimes they struggle to label or verbalize their emotions. This activity provides them with a structured way to explore different emotions, reinforcing that all feelings are valid and should be expressed.

2. Supports Children with Special Needs

Teachers working with children with special needs, find this activity incredibly useful. It acts as a visual communication tool, helping children who may struggle with verbal expression to show how they feel in a non-verbal way. Visual aids like these are especially beneficial for children with autism or speech delays.

3. A Fun, Interactive Learning Experience

The activity is cost-effective and easy to set up, making it an excellent resource for parents, teachers, and caregivers to incorporate into their daily routines.

4. Customizable to Fit Every Child's Needs

The good news is that this activity can be easily modified! You can create a boy version or personalize it further with different hairstyles, clothing, and cultural elements that children can relate to.

5. Great for Team-Building and Workplace

Interestingly, Esmi Jessica suggested using this activity for team-building at work. While it’s designed for kids, it can also be a fun icebreaker for adults to open up about their emotions in a lighthearted way.

6. Simple and Safe to Make

we recommend using smooth-edged plastic caps and securing them firmly with non-toxic glue.

I Feel Activity with Bottle Caps With Free Printable Templates for Kids

Free Printable Template Download Now! To make it even easier, we’ve created a free printable template featuring both boy and girl versions of the 'I Feel' activity.

Click below to download your copy and start exploring emotions with your little ones today!

Download the Free Boy and Girl Template

Emotion Template