Emotional Check-in Display

What is an emotional check-in display?

An emotional check-in display is a display within the classroom that can be used by children to help them identify and share how they are feeling.  

The display contains visuals representing a range of emotions, an area for the children’s name tags and the means by which to attach the name tags to the visuals representing the emotions (e.g. hook and loop patches). 

Who is the emotional check-in display for?

The emotional check-in display is for all children in the class to use each day. You might find that not all children choose to display how they are feeling, and may prefer an individual check-in with a trusted adult.

How do you set up an emotional check-in display?

• Find an area of your classroom wall space that can be easily accessed. 

• Use the downloadable resources to create your display (if space allows, you may wish to print out the emotions pages in A3).

• Ensure all children in the class have a name tag that can be attached to each emotion. We recommend using hook and loop patches. Alternatively, you may prefer to use lollypop sticks with children’s names on that can be placed in pockets attached to each emotions page.

• Each morning, encourage children to pause, think about how they are feeling and put their name next to the relevant emotion. You could spend a few minutes checking in with the children to discuss their emotions. This will help to develop your relationship with the children, and also help you identify any issues or concerns early in the day. 

• You may choose to have follow up check-ins at key points throughout the day (e.g. after lunch, home time etc.)

The resources available to download can be used as a starting point in the development of your emotional check-in display. Feel free to choose which resources are suitable for your class, and add to it as you see fit.