Developing Self-Awareness and Understanding Emotions in The Hive

This week in The Hive, our children focused on developing their self-awareness and learning about emotions in fun and meaningful ways. Many of our children have special educational needs and are pre-verbal, so activities were designed to be sensory, visual, and highly engaging.

We introduced emotions through the story The Colour Monster, to help children begin to recognise different feelings. The children explored emotions puppets, looked at their reflections in mirrors, and made a variety of facial expressions as they practised identifying emotions and adults modelled labelling different emotions.

To develop a sense of self, the children completed jigsaw puzzles using photos of themselves, carefully finding and matching the pieces to create their own pictures. They also explored facial features by drawing and using playdough to make eyes, noses, and mouths.

Sensory play was an important part of the week. The children enjoyed exploring coloured rice, which supported curiosity, attention, and sensory development.

We also practised yoga, breathing exercises, and movement activities to support self-regulation. These sessions helped the children learn how to calm their bodies and manage their emotions in a fun and supportive way.

It was a wonderful week of discovery, expression, and growing self-awareness in The Hive!