Fear

• Materials: Fear Images (click here for link).
• Emotion Wheel

Fear Activity Instructions

These child-friendly illustrations, created using AI, are designed to show actions or social interactions that express happiness and its many shades. The goal of this activity is to help children explore the deeper context of these emotions and practice putting them into words.

Exploring Core Emotions Under Fear
In this level, children are encouraged to identify and differ between basic feelings related to fear, helping build comfort with emotional language.

• Scared – Like you want to run, hide, or hold someone’s hand.
• Anxious – Like your heart is beating fast and you can’t stop thinking.
• Insecure – Like you don’t fit in or aren’t good enough.
• Weak – Feeling like you can’t handle something or stand up for yourself.
• Rejected – Feeling left out or unwanted.
• Threatened – Feeling like someone or something might hurt you or take something away.

Granular Emotions Under Fear
In this more advanced level, children are guided to use more specific and nuanced vocabulary to describe emotional experiences. Use the emotion wheel to help them explore and expand their vocabulary.

• Scared
  • Helpless – Feeling like you can’t do anything to fix or change what’s happening.
  • Frightened – Like your heart is racing because something seems dangerous or surprising.
• Anxious
  • Overwhelmed – Like everything is piling up and you want to cry or shut down.
  • Worried – Feeling nervous that something bad might happen.
• Insecure
  • Inadequate – Feeling like you’re not good enough to do something.
  • Inferior – Feeling like you’re less than someone else.
• Weak
  • Worthless – Feeling like no one needs you or cares about you.
  • Insignificant – Feeling like you’re invisible or forgotten.
• Rejected
  • Excluded – Feeling left out on purpose.
  • Persecuted – Being treated badly over and over because of who you are or what you believe.
• Threatened
  • Nervous – Feeling worried or jumpy, like butterflies in your stomach.
  • Exposed – Feeling like everyone can see your mistakes.

💬 How to Guide the Conversation

1. What emotions are the characters feeling?
   Encourage specific words that go beyond “happy.”

Example:

Girl: Proud, relieved, appreciated

Boy: Playful, cheerful, included

2. What do you think led them to feel this way? What “triggered” this emotion?
   Ask children to imagine what happened before the moment shown in the picture.

“Was there a celebration? Did someone do something kind for them?”

3. What thoughts do you think the characters are having?
   Encourage empathy and perspective-taking.

“What might they be thinking right now? How did they feel just before this?”
“What do you think they’ll feel or think after this moment?”

4. What would you do or say in this moment?
   Help children explore appropriate communication and connection.

“What could someone say to keep this happiness going?”
“What words might make this moment even more special?”

5. Don’t forget the background characters!
   Ask about people in the background. What are they doing? How are they feeling? Are they supporting the emotion or missing a chance to connect?