This Think-Pair-Share adaptation focuses on children mimicking, identifying, and discussing emotions with partners, helping them both recognize feelings and connect them to personal experiences. This activity works best in a quiet, well-lit room with space for students to work in pairs. Chairs can be arranged in two facing rows or scattered pairs around the room. This simple but powerful partner activity develops emotional awareness and empathy. One child expresses an emotion (verbally or through facial/body cues), and their partner mirrors it back and describes what they think the other is feeling.
Skill focus
Primary Skill Focus
- Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
Complementary/Secondary Skill Focus
- Empathy
- Valuing people and nature
| Age group | Student number | Duration |
| 6-10 years old | 10 to 25 children (pairs or small groups) | 30 minutes |
Proposed step by step implementation of the learning activity
- Each child draws an emotion card (or the teacher assigns one). They silently act out the emotion in front of their partner, using only facial expressions and body language.
- The partner guesses the emotion and asks, “When do you feel this way?” The acting child shares a personal example.
- Each pair shares one example or discovery with the whole group, highlighting the variety of emotional experiences.