Many preschoolers are full of energy and need movement to help focus on the day's lessons. With a choreographed song, children can expend extra energy and learn about different feelings. Use songs with a message that talks about feelings such as "If You're Happy and You Know It," "I Miss You" by Miley Cyrus or "My Heart Does a Little Dance" by Tegan and Sara. Pair these songs with movements that indicate emotion to teach little ones about the meaning of different feelings.
A lesson based on good and bad smells assist preschoolers in learning about facial features when connected with feelings. Line up several opaque containers containing strongly scented items and keep each container covered with a cloth. Food items like cinnamon and vanilla make for strong pleasant scents. Chopped-up onions, strong-smelling cheese or preserved fish give off a strong, and oftentimes unpleasant, odors. When your preschoolers take turns smelling and guessing the different items, ask them to look at the faces they make. Talk about how good smells such as vanilla creates a happy face, while other smells like kimchi or cheese make faces scrunch up or frown.
The basics of the color wheel combined with a finger-painting lesson can also teach little ones about different emotions. Spread a sheet of newsprint over a table and set up pots of finger paints that include both warm and cool colors. Children can paint with warm colors such as red, yellow and orange as you discuss happy feelings, such as being content or physically feeling warm and satisfied. Dark and cool colors such as black, blue and gray can indicate anger, being cold or feeling isolated. Ask your children to paint with the colors that they feel represents the emotions you discuss.
"All nonverbal communication has some sort of meaning," according to Joe Navarro's article "Body Language Essentials for Your Children - For Parents." Interpreting non-verbal language can be a challenge for young children as they connect actions with feelings. To get your students to understand specific movements in body language, read a favorite story while you act out the parts. Use your hands, body and facial expressions to indicate the change of emotions and feelings of each character. The exaggerated visual display will help teach preschoolers how to use different body movement to convey what they are feeling.