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Fist of Five (Emotional Check-In)

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Fist of Five (Emotional Check-In)

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Community Builders
  • Age level
    Grades K-2
    Grades 3-5
    Grades 6-8
    Grades 9-12
    Ages 6-9
    Ages 10-12
    Ages 13-15
    Ages 16-18
  • Group size
    Min size
    5
    -
    Max size
    25
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Materials

NA

Instructions
  • Ask youth to sit in a circle. 
  • Say, “It’s important to know that it is OK to feel how you are feeling. Everyone goes through lots of emotions every single day. It’s normal to feel sad, excited, angry, calm or nervous every day, even multiple times a day.” 
  • Explain today we’re going to express our feelings by using our fingers. Holding up a different number of fingers represents different emotions. The more fingers you’re holding up, the more you are enjoying your day. For example:
    • Three fingers mean you’re having a super, awesome or amazing day! 
    • Two fingers mean you’re having an OK day. It’s not good, but it’s not bad. 
    • One finger means you’re having a not-so-great day. 
  • Allow youth to practice matching the number of fingers to each emotion by holding up a different number of fingers and calling out the associated emotion. 
  • Invite youth to share how they feel today as a group.
  • Say, “On my prompt, let’s hold up the number of fingers that represents how we each feel right now. It’s OK to look at each other’s hands. Ready? Go!” 
  • Ask, “Who would like to share why you decided to hold up that many fingers today?” 
  • Allow a few young people to share and thank them for their participation.
  • Summarize by saying, “Talking about your emotions is a way to help your brain slow down and understand how you’re feeling. This is important and helpful to do, especially when you are feeling a strong emotion and choosing how to react.” 

 

Facilitator Note: Follow up with any youth who are feeling dysregulated (mad, sad, scared, or worried) to ensure their emotional safety.  Provide them with an empathetic listening ear and space to self-regulate. 

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