We emptied the box of 30 pieces of interchangeable bodies, faces, feet, hair and trunks as kids quickly started snapping the magnetic parts together to build their figures. Each of the 6 faces expressed a different emotion, well-known to kids–happy, sad, angry, surprised, confused, and scared, sparking a lively conversation about feelings, situations, and behavior. Adults encouraged the conversation while kids were building, “I see surprised!” “Which face would you have on when you see your tent?” “Or eat avocados?” Our little boy knew right where the “sad” or yucky” face was for the last question! With Emotional Intelligence or EQ being a hot topic right now and the knowledge that we can increase a child’s EQ by helping them name, identify, and regulate their emotions, this building set is a great tool to further those language and social skills. My social worker friend tells me that sometimes kids talk more about their feelings when they have some object to work with, like a stuffed animal or Better Builder Emotions figure that they can express their thought through. As a language therapist, I see the opportunity for kids to express themselves, and even use the different faced figures to explain what to do or not do in certain situations, or talk about how others must feel, allowing them to grow in their social skills too!
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