About this resource
Children often find it easier to show feelings than to talk about them. In this activity the child colours the petals of a flower for each feeling, using more petals for bigger feelings. The garden gives you a gentle way to notice which feelings have been around this week and to talk about what helps some feelings grow.
Purpose
A bright garden activity: children colour a flower for each feeling, with bigger feelings getting more colour.
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 the garden and choose colours together.
- Ask the child to colour more petals for bigger feelings this week.
- Be curious rather than asking lots of questions, for example: 'Wow, lots of worried petals.'
- Talk about which feeling they would like to grow, and what might help.
- Keep the garden and compare it in later sessions if the child wants to.
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
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. Programs that teach adults to notice, name and accept children's emotions improve emotion coaching and can reduce children's behaviour difficulties.
- 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
- Havighurst, S. S., Wilson, K. R., Harley, A. E., Prior, M. R., & Kehoe, C. (2010). Tuning in to Kids: improving emotion socialization practices in parents of preschool children – findings from a community trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51(12), 1342–1350. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02303.x
- 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
- 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.
