Heartfelt Stories

Download the combined hearts + instructions PDF here

(Note: If you’ve already used the emotion and scenario hearts in another activity they do not need to be reprinted. You can use the ones you’ve already printed and cut out. We recommend printing/viewing just the instruction PDF below)

Instructions PDF

Emotion + Scenario Hearts PDF

This storytelling activity that helps children connect emotions to real-life experiences. It encourages them to explore their feelings through narratives, deepening their understanding of emotions and building empathy for others. 

What You’ll Need:

• Emotion Hearts (colored hearts with labeled emotions: happy, sad, angry, scared)

• Scenario Hearts (colored hearts with labeled scenarios)

• Paper and pen (optional for writing the story)

• Optional: Markers or crayons to illustrate the story

Getting Ready

1. Print & Cut Out Your Game Pieces

Emotion Hearts: Use the colored, pre-labeled hearts provided (Blue = Sad, Red = Angry, Yellow = Happy, Green = Scared).

Scenario Hearts: Use the pre-written scenarios on printable hearts.

Blank Hearts: Encourage kids to create their own scenarios on these blank hearts for added creativity and personalization. You can also write your own scenarios on blank hearts to customize the game to your child and family.

2. Set Up the Emotion and Scenario Hearts:

Place the Emotion Hearts and Scenario Hearts in a pile or spread them out on a table. Allow children to choose one or two hearts from each category (emotion and scenario).

3. Decide on the Story Format:

Choose whether you want the children to tell a story verbally or write it down. For younger kids, verbal storytelling is best, while older children may enjoy writing or drawing their stories.

Verbal Storytelling: Have the child share the story with you verbally. 

Collaborative Storytelling: Have the children take turns adding sentences to a group story. Each player draws one heart and adds to the story based on the emotion or scenario they picked.

Story Illustration: After telling the story, children can illustrate it by drawing pictures that show the emotions and scenarios.

How to Play

1. Pick a Scenario and Emotion:

Ask the child to pick one Emotion Heart and one Scenario Heart. For example, they may choose “Sad” and “You lost your favorite toy.”

2. Create a Story:

Based on the scenario and emotion, the child creates a story where the emotion is clearly demonstrated.

Example: “Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Ari who lost her favorite toy, a stuffed duck named Mr. Snuggles. She felt really sad because she couldn’t find it anywhere. She searched under the couch, in her toy box, and even asked her brother to help. When she found it, she felt a big sense of relief and gave Mr. Snuggles a hug.”

3. Share the Story:

After creating the story, ask the child to share it with the group. You can have them retell it to a parent, sibling, or even draw pictures to go along with their story.

Encourage children to express how the character might feel throughout the story, using the emotion word they drew (bonus: include other emotions the character felt along the way)

4. Reflection and Discussion:

After hearing the story, ask reflective questions to deepen the emotional understanding:

“How do you think the character felt in that moment?”

“Have you ever felt like that before? What did you do to feel better?”

“How would you help a friend who was feeling sad like that?”

Enjoy the time with your child and take your time to

explore the emotions and situations discussed.

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