Developing emotional intelligence is very important and it can start with us understanding our feelings.
Sometimes, children (and adults) can’t find the right words to express how they are feeling but with “The Bears” they will be able to have a simple way to access and describe feelings. Many times children struggle to communicate with others and keep their feelings bottled up inside. We can use “The Bears” to teach children the meanings of words about feelings while building their emotional vocabularies and tapping into being able to understand themselves and others.
Very little children, adolescents and adults can use “The Bears” cards and book to begin to understand emotions and relationships. With no words written on the cards, the games that you can play are not limited by language.
Social workers, mums and dads, teachers and grand-parents can have fun exploring different personalities, feelings, expressions, moods, emotions, body language, imagery, symbolism and non-verbal communications. Conversations can be started using this delightfully simple tool.
Some ways that “The Bears” have been used include:
- Parenting
- Child care
- Teaching
- Family therapy
- Creative writing
- Counseling
- Foster care
- Child protection
… to name but a few.
“The Bears” card set provides an effective way to summarise how we are feeling or can help explain how others might be feeling. We often ask, “How are you feeling?” to get a snapshot of the experience of those with whom we are talking. “The Bears” can provide an instant ‘feelings’ check’ by helping to get this snapshot into focus.
These cards can be used as ‘ice-breakers’ and can be used as conversation starters to engage members of a family, a group or in professional development activities.
As well as a tool for feelings’ checks, “The Bears” can be used to gain feedback and evaluation:
- Can you find a bear that represents how you feel about ….
- Is there a bear that sums up your experience …
- Pick a bear that shows how you used to feel about …
- Now choose a bear that shows how you are feeling now …
- If you have chosen a different bear, in what way have your feelings changed?
Whether there have been big events and some difficult life transitions in our lives like exams, accidents, illness, divorce, grief, births, marriage etc or whether there are more daily routine life events with which to deal, “The Bears” is a tool that helps us all get in touch with our feelings and memories and can help us reflect upon the significance of different transitional times in our lives.
This is one resource from which all families and classrooms could benefit. I know I will be including this as a special gift for my friends and family for birthdays and Christmas.