Printable guide · ages 3–5

Feelings with Hece

Explore fictional stories together, one lesson at a time. In the child’s words, the trusted grown-up of each story is “the teacher”; you can say “a grown-up you trust” instead. Read aloud if a local device voice is unavailable. Accept a pointed-to card or a spoken idea. Never ask the child to disclose a personal event. The emotion cards show possibilities; they do not reveal what a face or a child must mean.

Materials: Optional large paper cards: possible feelings, stop, help and two story characters. Use drawings, not small loose pieces. No camera, microphone, printing or personal information is needed.

Open the lessons

What to notice

Notice whether a child can consider another possibility, leave room for a no, or build a support plan. Do not score facial expressions, force a particular emotion or require a calming technique. A pause can mean space, company or adult support. Stop the activity when a break is needed.

These are learning activities, not a psychological assessment or a safeguarding lesson. Real-child understanding, educator review, narration timing, physical devices and screen readers still need separate validation.

Lesson 1

Same rain, different feelings

Goal: Consider more than one possible feeling about the same fictional event.

Keep both possible feelings available. Ask “What else might be possible?” rather than “Which face is correct?” Completing a story earns a star for participation, not emotional accuracy.

Starting point: Use the rain story with two paper characters. Keep their thoughts unknown.
A helpful phrase: “That could be one possibility. What might another character feel?”
A common mix-up: A smile does not prove happiness, and a feeling card does not diagnose a person.
Notice the transfer: Offer a different fictional event. Notice an alternative idea or a support offer without asking for a personal example.

Show: New story: Piko’s tower falls down. Put a feeling first, then a way to help.

Lesson 2

Would you like to play?

Goal: Offer shared play while respecting another character’s choice to decline.

A respectful decline can be quiet or brief. Do not require a reason, gratitude or a happy expression before accepting it. Practise with fictional characters only.

Starting point: Put a ball drawing between two character cards. Name who owns it.
A helpful phrase: “You can invite. They can choose. What can you do after no?”
A common mix-up: Sharing does not mean surrendering a toy whenever someone asks.
Notice the transfer: Use a new painting invitation. Notice whether the plan includes waiting and listening to the answer.

Show: New story: invite Tosbi to paint. Tosbi says no. Put an invitation, then what you do after no.

Lesson 3

My friend is sad

Goal: Offer listening or help without demanding that another character’s sadness ends.

The story names sadness directly. Accept the stated feeling without using a face as proof. Help need not end sadness to be useful. Never require a hug as the correct response.

Starting point: Use a drawing of torn paper, without tearing a valued real item.
A helpful phrase: “We can offer help and still let the feeling be there.”
A common mix-up: Fixing an object is different from fixing a feeling. Consent still applies to helpful touch.
Notice the transfer: Switch to a missing drawing. Notice asking before searching someone else’s belongings.

Show: New story: Tosbi can’t find a drawing and feels sad. Put a way to help, then what you do before touching Tosbi’s things.

Lesson 4

A pause when angry

Goal: Choose a safe pause before acting while angry in a fictional play situation.

Keep the feeling separate from behavior. Do not prescribe breathing, touch, isolation or a deadline for calm. The pause remains within the fictional grown-up’s support.

Starting point: Show the fallen tower drawing and name Piko’s stated anger.
A helpful phrase: “Anger can stay while we choose a safe next step.”
A common mix-up: A pause is a choice for support, not an earned reward for becoming calm.
Notice the transfer: Move to waiting for paint. Notice two different safe pause plans and an adult-support option.

Show: New story: Hece gets angry waiting for the paint. Put a pause first, then a good next step.

Lesson 5

Worried? Ask for help

Goal: Choose a support request to the named trusted grown-up in an unfamiliar situation.

This is a fictional help-seeking story. Do not simulate danger, surprise the child with sounds or ask for a disclosure. The trusted adult is named by role within the story, not inferred from appearance.

Starting point: Describe a picture of a sound; no actual loud sound is played.
A helpful phrase: “The grown-up in this story can help. What could Hece ask?”
A common mix-up: Fear is not disproved by calling something harmless. Support is different from a command to be brave.
Notice the transfer: Change the setting to an art room. Notice directing a prepared request to the story’s trusted grown-up.

Show: New story: Piko doesn’t want to be alone in the new art room. Put what Piko says, then who can help.

Lesson 6

Taking turns

Goal: Follow an explicitly shown turn order and keep it until everyone agrees to change it.

This lesson has a closed answer only for the explicitly shown turn order. Waiting feelings remain open. Do not treat quiet waiting as the only respectful behavior; asking for help is available.

Starting point: Lay out three large character cards in the taught order.
A helpful phrase: “The cards show the plan. What can help while you wait?”
A common mix-up: A changed position is not a new agreement. Everyone waiting needs a say.
Notice the transfer: Replace the three-card model with Piko then Hece. Notice using this new model rather than remembering the old order.

Show: New turns: Piko first, then Hece. Who comes after Piko? What can you do while waiting?

Lesson 7

Saying no, hearing no

Goal: Recognize a stated no or stop and choose an action that honors that boundary.

Do not turn this into a real touch exercise or test a child’s compliance. A boundary does not depend on politeness, eye contact or explanation. This set is not a full safety curriculum.

Starting point: Let picture characters make and decline invitations.
A helpful phrase: “No is enough. Show what stopping looks like in this story.”
A common mix-up: Saying “okay” while continuing the action is not listening to the boundary.
Notice the transfer: Change the invitation from play to a toy request. Notice that the same stop rule transfers without personal questions.

Show: New story: Hece wants to keep a toy for now. Put Hece’s answer, then what Tosbi does.

Lesson 8

Asking for help

Goal: Compose a prepared help request directed to the story’s trusted grown-up.

Accept pointing as communication. Avoid making a complete sentence, eye contact or persistence a condition for help. All requests here are prepared fictional cards, not disclosures or real messages.

Starting point: Offer three large request cards and a grown-up card.
A helpful phrase: “You can point, speak or pause. Which request would help Tosbi?”
A common mix-up: Help is not a reward for getting stuck politely or trying a required number of times.
Notice the transfer: Move from puzzle to painting instructions. Notice forming a request without copying the earlier wording exactly.

Show: New story: Piko doesn’t understand how to do the painting. Put what Piko says, then who Piko tells.

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