About this resource
Feelings show up in the body. Research with adults shows that people link different emotions with different body sensations, and many children can show this more easily than they can explain it. The child uses a colour key to mark where they feel anger, worry, sadness, fear, happiness and calm. It builds early awareness for emotion regulation work.
Purpose
Children become detectives and colour where they feel different feelings in their body.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Counsellors and therapists. Also relevant for psychologists, social workers, educators and school support staff.
Client or participant group: Children aged about 4 to 10, working with a counsellor, play therapist or psychologist.
Practice setting: Play therapy, counselling and school wellbeing rooms.
Suggested uses
- Individual play-based sessions
- Building a relationship with a child
- Talking about feelings without pressure
- Sharing ideas with parents or carers, with the child's agreement
Instructions for practitioners
- Introduce Ollie the detective and the colour key.
- Ask 'Where do you feel worried in your body?' and let the child colour.
- Share an example of your own if that helps.
- Talk about the clues the body gives before a feeling gets big.
- Respect the child's privacy and never ask about private body parts. If a child raises something concerning, follow your child safety procedures.
Accessibility considerations
Big pictures and few words. Read it aloud, let the child draw or point, and use their own words for feelings. Print in colour if you can, or let the child colour it in.
Scope and limitations
A play-based activity that supports therapy. It is not a stand-alone treatment, a clinical assessment or a validated tool. Follow the child's lead, stop if they become distressed, and follow your child safety procedures if the child discloses harm.
Research basis
Research shows that people link different emotions with different sensations in the body, although this work was mainly with adults. Meta-analyses suggest play therapy and child-centred play therapy have positive effects on children's behaviour and wellbeing, although researchers note limits in the quality of some studies. These activities support play-based work and are not validated treatments.
- Bratton, S. C., Ray, D., Rhine, T., & Jones, L. (2005). The Efficacy of Play Therapy With Children: A Meta-Analytic Review of Treatment Outcomes. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36(4), 376–390. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.36.4.376
- Lin, Y., & Bratton, S. C. (2015). A Meta‐Analytic Review of Child‐Centered Play Therapy Approaches. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2015.00180.x
- Nummenmaa, L., Glerean, E., Hari, R., & Hietanen, J. K. (2014). Bodily maps of emotions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(2), 646–651. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1321664111
- Phillips, R. D. (2010). How firm is our foundation? Current play therapy research. International Journal of Play Therapy, 19(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017340
- Ray, D. C., Armstrong, S. A., Balkin, R. S., & Jayne, K. M. (2015). CHILD‐CENTERED PLAY THERAPY IN THE SCHOOLS: REVIEW AND META‐ANALYSIS. Psychology in the Schools, 52(2), 107–123. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21798
What is included
A 2-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced. Illustrations and activities were created for Practitioner Plus; no third-party worksheet or image was used.
