Emotion Spread: Stretch Your Way to Your Word

Emotion cards are spread face up on the floor, each with a stretch on the back. Students walk, pick the emotion they felt at some point in class, do its stretch and share it with someone who picked the same one.

How to play

1. Slow walk among the cards reading every emotion: joy, anger, pride, embarrassment, nerves, calm, frustration, excitement… (2 min).
2. Each student stops at the emotion they felt in the most intense moment of class and does the stretch on the back for 30 seconds (2 min).
3. With whoever is at the same card or the nearest one, tell each other in one sentence what happened (2 min).
4. Second pick: the emotion you want to leave with; do its stretch and collect the card for the teacher (2 min).

Rules

• Walk slowly and don't step on the cards.
• No one has to explain their emotion; stretching is enough.
• Stretch without bouncing and without pain.
• What's shared in pairs stays in pairs.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with visual impairments: the teacher reads the emotions aloud, the cards sit in fixed rows, and a partner walks with them.
• Wheelchair users: seated trunk, arm and neck stretches on the back of every card.
• Students who struggle to identify emotions: cards with a drawn facial expression.

Learning goals

• Identify and name emotions felt during practice.
• Stretch the muscle groups used.
• Share experiences with respect and listening.

Equipment for a class of 25

• emotion cards: 12

Teacher tip

Notice which cards get collected: it gives you a quick read of the class. Laminate the cards and reuse them.

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