Support Social-Emotional Literacy With the Healing Hand Activity | Edutopia
For Grades K-5
The Healing Hand activity, as described by Edutopia, is a simple, and powerful, mindfulness exercise that can help students regulate their emotions and reduce stress. To perform the exercise, students trace the outline of their hand on a piece of paper, and then use different colors to fill in each finger with an emotion that they are currently feeling. For example, the thumb could represent anger, the index finger could represent fear, and so on. Once students have identified their emotions, they can use the exercise to explore their feelings and try to regulate them. They might visualize releasing negative emotions as they breathe out, or focus on positive emotions as they breathe in. The activity encourages students to be present in the moment and to acknowledge their feelings without judgment. The Healing Hand activity can be adapted for different age groups and can be used as a quick classroom exercise or as part of a longer mindfulness lesson. It can help students develop emotional awareness and regulation skills and can be a useful tool for reducing stress and promoting well-being.
Journal Prompts