Golden Path Games Mixed Emotions: an Activity for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Description This activity includes an 11×17 folding board), 40 color-coded chips, and 90 situation cards. The board and chips can be used for a “feelings check-in”—making it easy for kids to identify and talk about complex emotions that they may be experiencing. With the cards, players read about a person confronting a situation that might evoke “mixed emotions” and use the chips to show what emotions that person might feel. The persons presented include children, teens, and adults. This mixture allows players to put themselves in the place of other people, which helps players understand multiple view-points and aids in the development of empathy. Often children and teens act out because they don’t really understand their emotions or don’t know how to express them. Mixed Emotions gives you a hands-on tool for helping kids figure out—and articulate—their feelings. The colorful board engages children’s interest. It has 100 words that describe emotions. Children use the 40 color-coded chips to “show” you which emotions they have experienced. You can use the board as a simple check-in activity–a way for a child to bring you up to date on their recent experiences, feelings and moods. The Mixed Emotions board can also help an individual, group or family think about and process a significant event. The board and chips give them a concrete way to share their perceptions and emotional reactions to what has happened. You can also play a game with the (included) Mixed Emotions cards.