Growing Happier Children
Looking after children's emotional development has always been important, but in today's uncertain times it matters more than ever. Whether you're a teacher planning lessons or a parent looking for activities to do at home, these resources can help you support the children in your life.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and to recognise and comprehend the emotions of those around you. Nurturing emotional intelligence in children is key to their emotional wellbeing and mental health. This is a vital part of their development throughout their early years and into school.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is where children learn to socialise and manage their emotions, helping them become more resilient, successful adults. Research from CASEL shows that children who participate in SEL programmes see an 11 percentile point increase in academic performance compared to those who don't. These programmes also improve attendance, reduce anxiety, and strengthen relationships with peers and adults.
Why This Matters
The benefits of emotional intelligence extend far beyond the classroom. Children with strong emotional skills are better equipped to navigate challenges, build positive relationships, and maintain good mental health. They're more likely to feel confident, show empathy towards others, and develop resilience when facing difficulties.
Research consistently demonstrates that teaching emotional intelligence produces real results. Studies show improvements in children's wellbeing, school climate, and peer relationships—particularly when programmes are delivered consistently over time.
For Parents: Using These Resources at Home
These lesson plans were created for teachers, but they work brilliantly at home too. You don't need any teaching experience—the activities are designed to be accessible and engaging for everyone.
How to use them at home:
You can dip in and out of the activities rather than completing full lessons. Pick the ones that appeal to you and your child, and use them during:
Weekend family time
Rainy day activities
Bedtime wind-down routines
Car journeys or waiting times
One-on-one moments with individual children
The activities use everyday materials you'll already have at home—paper, pens, and conversation. Some can be done digitally if you prefer. There's no pressure to complete everything, and you can adapt activities to suit your child's interests and energy levels.
Supporting what they learn at school:
If your child's school uses emotional learning programmes, these activities complement what they're already doing. You're reinforcing important skills in a relaxed, home environment where children often feel most comfortable exploring their feelings.
Many parents find that activities about emotions create natural opportunities for meaningful conversations with their children—the kind of chats that don't always happen when you ask directly "how was your day?"
About The Happier Schools Project
Save the Children have teamed up with the world famous SmileyWorld brand to create a range of resources for teachers to help them teach these important topics in the classroom.
The Happier Schools Project is a series of lesson plans aimed at primary school pupils aged 7-11 years, with activities designed to teach emotional intelligence (EQ) and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills.
The SmileyWorld brand is all about happiness, positivity, and exploring emotions. With over 3,000 icons to express any emotion or action, it's the perfect foundation for helping children expand their emotional language. With Smileys we can:
Provide a shortcut to EQ learning and a platform for self-expression
Help people understand an emotion quickly and express what may seem complicated to them more easily
Create a new universal language of emotions, understandable and accessible to all, irrespective of age, language, gender, race, or religion
How The Lessons Work
The Happier Schools Project includes five sets of lesson plans with activities designed around the CASEL framework of five core competencies for SEL. The lessons explore the 27 Key Emotions as identified by psychologist Dacher Keltner from the Greater Good Science Center. Each lesson has been designed to meet a different level of the framework.
There are a mixture of different styles of lesson marked with icons for easy identification, so you can quickly find the type of activity that suits your needs.
We've grouped the activities into five categories, which cover a variety of approaches to ensure children are thinking and talking, but also playing and getting creative. These are organised in our set of Take the Time to Smile Activity Cards, which encourage students and children to engage through different learning styles.
Activity types include:
Teachers can select appropriate activities from each lesson according to how much time they have available and the needs, abilities, and interests of their class. Parents can choose individual activities that feel right for their family. It's not necessary to complete all the activities for the lessons to be effective.
The core content can be delivered digitally, using printed materials and worksheets, or in an offline manner using a board and paper notebooks where printing isn't an option. This flexibility means everyone can access these resources, regardless of their circumstances.
Flexible and accessible:
Download The Lesson Plans
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need teaching experience to use these resources?
Not at all. While these were designed for teachers, the activities are straightforward and work beautifully at home. The instructions are clear, and you can adapt them to suit your family's style.
How long do the activities take?
Activities range from five-minute quick exercises to longer 30-minute sessions. You choose what works for your available time.
What age are these suitable for?
The activities are designed for children aged 7-11 years, though you can adapt them for younger or older children depending on their maturity and interests.
Can I just do one or two activities, or do I need to complete whole lessons?
You can absolutely pick and choose. Select the activities that appeal to you and ignore the rest. The resources are designed to be flexible.
Will this help my child at school?
Yes. Emotional intelligence skills support everything from academic performance to friendships. Children who develop these skills tend to feel more confident, manage stress better, and build stronger relationships with peers and teachers.
How do these link to what schools teach?
Many schools now include social and emotional learning in their curriculum. These resources use the same research-backed framework (CASEL) that schools use, so you're reinforcing what children learn in class.
Making a Difference Together
When families and schools work together to support children's emotional development, the impact is powerful. These skills don't just help children succeed academically—they help them thrive in all areas of life.
By taking time to explore emotions, practice empathy, and develop emotional awareness, we're giving children tools they'll use for the rest of their lives. Every conversation about feelings, every activity that helps a child understand themselves better, contributes to building a generation of more emotionally intelligent, resilient young people.
Whether you're using these resources in a classroom of 30 or around your kitchen table with your own children, you're making a real difference.
Save the Children UK In partnership with SmileyWorld™ TM & © 1971-2022 The Smiley Company
