Mood Meter

(for ages 5+, requires adult help)

Ingredients:

  • Poster board
  • Compass and Ruler
  • Markers or Crayons in red, orange, yellow, green, and black
  • Metal paper fastener (“brad”)
  • Markers

Prep Time:

  • None

Recipe for Fun!

On the top of a poster board, write a title (or help your child write it herself) such as, "Right Now, I Feel…" Use your compass to make a large circle in the middle of your poster. Then, use your ruler to divide the circle in half, and then divide each of the halves in half, so that you have four “slices” marked off. Color the “slices” in the following order, green, yellow, orange and red. On the green slice, write “Calm and happy.” For the yellow, have her write “A little upset.” In the orange section, “Very upset.” In the red, she can write, “Exploding!" or any word that indicates she's extremely upset. Get creative! Have your child use markers to add other decorations on the poster.

Together, cut out a 6” arrow from the black construction paper, and attach it to the poster board with the metal fastener. The arrow should be attached to the center of the flat side on the circle.

Put the mood meter in a prominent place at home, like the kitchen or the living room, and encourage your family to use it whenever the time seems right. Invite your child to pay attention to how she’s feeling and to talk about it. With luck, you’ll have many happy days ahead, safely in that nice green zone.

*From Education.com