Lesson 2: Feelings jars

Learning how to talk about personal feelings.

New statutory RSHE guidance is here. We’re creating our brand new RSE & PSHE scheme ready for September 2026. Learn more

Learning objective

  • To talk about how I feel.

 

Cross-curricular links

Communication and language

ELG: Listening, Attention and Understanding

Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions when being read to and during whole class discussions and small group interactions. 

ELG: Speaking

Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas, using recently introduced vocabulary. 

Expressive Arts and Design

ELG: Being Imaginative and Expressive

Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

See Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, 2021 contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. 

EYFS outcomes

Early years foundation stage statutory framework

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

ELG: Self-regulation

Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly.

See Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, 2021 – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. 

Development matters

Personal, Social and Emotional development

Children in reception will be learning to: 

  • Express their feelings and consider the feelings of others.
  • Identify and moderate their own feelings socially and emotionally.

Characteristics of effective learning

  • Playing and exploring.
  • Active learning.
  • Creating and thinking critically.

See Development Matters (non-statutory curriculum guidance) contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. 

Before the lesson

Print

Teacher notes

Lesson plan

Adult-led task

Adaptive teaching

Adults could give support by:

  • Providing the Resource: Feelings jars (support) to children who would benefit from completing the activity individually or in a smaller group.
  • Providing laminated photo cards instead of name labels for the children who are not yet able to recognise their name. They can move their photo card to the feelings jar in the same way as the name labels.

Key vocabulary

  • angry

  • feelings

  • happy

  • sad

  • worried

Created by:
Kapow Primary, 
RSE & PSHE specialist
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