Mindful Moment - Feelings Thermometers (October 2025)

Mindful Moment: Feelings Thermometers

Welcome to a Mindful Moment where we take a few minutes out of our busy day to slow down, recharge, and practice mindfulness together. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing our attention to the present moment with kindness and curiosity.

Helping children identify and communicate their feelings in the early years is one of the most important steps toward learning how to manage strong emotions. A feelings thermometer is a simple yet powerful tool that helps young learners visualize their emotions on a scale. By sliding a bead up and down, children see that emotions rise and fall, which helps normalize the ups and downs of the day. Even better, it provides them with a nonverbal way to share their emotional state with you; letting you know when they might need extra support, a break, or a quick check-in.  There are many different ways to visualize emotions on a “Feeling Thermometer” so find the best one that works for your class.

Taking a few moments for whole-group or individual mindfulness supports both children and adults in navigating daily challenges with ease. This Mindful Moment is especially designed for educators with limited time and many responsibilities. It is a simple and engaging way to integrate mindfulness into the classroom.

Materials List:

• Pipe cleaners (one per child)
• Small beads (large enough to slide, but safe for little hands)
• Simple feelings chart (pictures of faces from sad to happy)
• Tape or glue to attach pipe cleaner to chart

How to Create a Feelings Thermometer:

• Start with a colorful pipe cleaner as your thermometer base.
• Print or draw a simple feelings chart that shows a range of emotions—sad, worried, okay, happy, excited—using faces that children can easily recognize.
• Thread a small bead onto the pipe cleaner. This bead becomes the slider students move up or down to show how they feel.
• Attach the pipe cleaner to the chart so children can place the bead at the emotion that matches their current state.

*For our youngest learners, you can guide them by moving the bead together and help them name the feeling with them. This shared practice builds their vocabulary and shows them how to connect their emotions with words and actions.

How to Teach and Use with Children:

Gather students in a circle and introduce the thermometer as a “feelings tool” that helps us check in with our hearts and minds. Model how you might feel in the morning (bead low if tired, bead high if excited). Invite students to practice moving the bead to show their own feelings. Emphasize that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers—our feelings just give us information. Encourage children to keep the thermometer on their desk or in a special spot so they can quietly move the bead throughout the day. This practice builds awareness, teaches self-regulation, and strengthens classroom connection.