How Do I Feel Today? PSHE Playmat – 150 × 100 cm

How Do I Feel Today? PSHE Playmat – 150 × 100 cm

Bring feelings into everyday discussion with the How Do I Feel Today? PSHE Playmat, a 150 × 100 cm resource featuring visual emotion prompts. Its expressive character graphics offer a shared focus for looking, pointing and talking, helping adults introduce conversations about emotions through familiar activities. Use the mat for individual reflection, a paired comparison or a small-group discussion, adapting the questions to the children taking part.

The large rectangular format gives you a clear place to begin an activity without needing to hand out a separate prompt to every participant. Children can look at the same picture and offer different interpretations, while a practitioner guides the conversation. It is a practical resource for connecting a word, a facial expression and an imagined situation, with room to listen to what each child notices.

Start with what children can see

Begin by inviting children to look at one character on the mat. Ask them what they notice about its mouth, eyes or other features, then explore the words they might use to describe the expression. Rather than asking for a personal explanation immediately, keep the first questions focused on the picture. An adult can model an observation and give children time to respond in their own way.

Once the group is familiar with the pictures, compare two characters. What looks different? Could the same event lead two people to choose different pictures? These questions offer opportunities to practise observing and explaining a reason, while keeping the mat central to the activity. The aim is a conversation that can develop naturally, rather than a test with a fixed answer.

A shared visual prompt for circle time

Place the playmat where everyone in a small group can see it and introduce a familiar fictional situation. You might describe a character waiting to join a game, arriving somewhere new or discovering a surprise. Invite children to choose a picture that could connect with the situation and explain their choice if they wish. Other children can offer another interpretation, creating an opportunity to hear different points of view.

Adults can keep the discussion brief, perhaps choosing just one question for a session. On another day, revisit the same prompt and extend the conversation with a new example. Using a familiar resource lets you vary the activity while maintaining a consistent visual reference. The mat can accompany existing PSHE routines without prescribing a particular teaching programme.

Explore changing feelings through stories

Use a picture book you already have to introduce a character and the events they experience. Pause during reading and ask which picture on the mat could represent how the character feels at that moment. Invite children to explain what happened in the story that led to their choice. Later, return to the question and discuss whether a different picture might now fit.

This creates opportunities to connect observations with a sequence of events and to practise giving a reason. For children who prefer to respond without speaking, pointing to a character can be an alternative starting point. An adult can acknowledge their choice and invite further explanation gently. Books and other storytelling resources used alongside the mat are separate items, not part of this listing.

Make space for different ways to participate

A group activity can include looking, pointing, listening, speaking or asking a question. Offer these choices openly, so children do not have to share a personal experience in order to take part. One child might enjoy describing a character in detail, while another may want to choose a picture and listen to the discussion. Practitioners can adjust the pace and complexity accordingly.

You can also use the mat for a quiet conversation with one child. Introduce a fictional example first or invite them to select a picture they find interesting. The resource provides a visual focus that sits alongside adult support; it does not tell you how a child feels or replace their own explanation. Keep the activity flexible and let the child's response guide your next question.

Practise conversation with paired comparisons

Invite two children to choose different pictures and describe something they notice. One can speak while the other listens, then they can swap roles. Adults might model sentence starters such as “I noticed…” or “This reminds me of…”. Keeping the task concrete gives participants something to refer back to as they explain an idea.

A second activity could involve choosing pictures for two characters in the same story. Ask why they might react differently to the situation, and let children offer more than one possibility. These suggested uses can create opportunities for feelings vocabulary, listening and imaginative discussion. They are learning activities to adapt to your group, without promising a particular developmental result.

Plan your activity space

The playmat measures 150 × 100 cm, so check your available floor area before arranging a session. Leave space around it for children and an adult to gather without blocking the pictures. Positioning participants beside the mat can make pointing and comparison easier, particularly when everyone is discussing the same character.

Keep surrounding resources simple when introducing the activity, bringing in a book or another prompt only when it helps the conversation. A dedicated discussion area can be useful, but the mat can also be brought into an existing classroom routine. The large format supports a shared visual presentation; the number of participants should reflect the room and how clearly everyone can see.

What is supplied?

This listing is for one How Do I Feel Today? PSHE Playmat, measuring 150 × 100 cm. It features visual emotion prompts and character graphics for discussion and reflection. Matching cushions and corner resources are sold separately. No cushions, mirror, wall panel, furniture or books are included with the playmat.

Features and benefits

• 150 × 100 cm rectangular playmat: Gives practitioners a defined visual resource to arrange for a discussion. Measure the available floor space and leave room around the edges so participants can see and point to the pictures comfortably.
• Visual emotion prompts: Offers something concrete to refer to when introducing feelings vocabulary. An adult can model a description, then invite children to choose a picture or explain what they notice about a particular expression.
• Expressive character graphics: Creates opportunities for close observation and comparison. Ask children to discuss the mouth or eyes of a character and consider which features influenced their interpretation, keeping questions focused and open.
• A shared focus for group discussion: Allows children to look at the same resource while offering their own ideas. Practitioners can use one prompt at a time, encouraging participants to listen and take turns without requiring a personal disclosure.
• Suitable for individual activities: The mat can also provide a focus for an adult and child conversation. Begin with a fictional example or let the child choose an interesting picture, then adapt your questions to their response.
• A starting point for storytelling: Connect pictures on the mat with characters in a familiar book. Pause at different moments and invite children to consider how an expression might relate to the events, discussing reasons for their choices.
• Flexible ways to respond: Children can point, choose, describe or listen during an activity. These suggested options give adults ways to adjust participation to the group, alongside the communication approaches already used in the setting.
• Opportunities for paired comparison: Invite two children to discuss different character pictures and swap speaking roles. Adults can introduce useful sentence starters, supporting an activity centred on observation, explanation and respectful listening.
• One playmat supplied: Keeps the purchase clearly defined. Coordinating cushions and corner resources are separate products, so you can choose the resources your setting needs without assuming those additional items come with this mat.