Ways to use this list
- Morning check-in: spin one feeling, and anyone who wants to shares a time they felt it, in one sentence. Passing is always allowed.
- Shades of meaning in grades 2–5: press Shades of meaning, spin, and place each word on a ladder from mild to strong, such as annoyed, frustrated, angry, furious.
- What helps: for each feeling, the class names one everyday thing that helps, such as a drink of water, a walk outside or talking to a friend.
- Read-alouds: pause the picture book, spin, and ask whether any character feels that way right now and how the pictures show it.
- Stories: write about a character who feels the emotion you spin.
- Ages 3–6: press Ages 3–6, spin, and everyone makes that face together; a hand mirror passed round makes it even better.
Press Spin the wheel, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you
like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the
chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a duck race, hat, claw machine and more.
The full list (37 entries)
- 🙂 Content – calm and satisfied, happy with things just as they are
- 😊 Happy – feeling good inside because things are going well
- 😁 Delighted – very pleased, often about good news or a nice surprise
- 🤩 Excited – so eager about something coming up that it is hard to sit still
- 😎 Proud – pleased about something you, or someone close to you, did well
- 💪 Confident – sure that you can do something
- 🦁 Brave – scared, but doing the thing anyway
- 🙏 Grateful – thankful for something you have or something someone did for you
- 🥰 Loved – knowing that people care about you
- 🤗 Hopeful – believing that something good can happen
- 😅 Relieved – the worry has gone because things turned out all right
- 😌 Calm – quiet and settled inside, not rushed or upset
- 🤪 Silly – playful and giggly, in the mood to be funny
- 🤔 Curious – wanting to find out more
- 😮 Surprised – something happened that you did not expect, good or bad
- 😑 Bored – nothing seems interesting, and time drags
- 😴 Tired – your body or your brain needs a rest
- 😞 Disappointed – something did not turn out the way you hoped
- 😢 Sad – feeling low, sometimes close to tears
- 😔 Lonely – wishing you had someone to be with or talk to
- 🥺 Left out – others are joining in and you have not been included
- 💔 Hurt – upset by something unkind that someone said or did
- 🙈 Shy – unsure about speaking or joining in, especially with new people
- 😬 Nervous – jittery before something new or important
- 😟 Worried – thinking again and again that something might go wrong
- 😨 Scared – afraid that something bad is about to happen
- 😱 Terrified – extremely scared
- 😵 Overwhelmed – so much is happening at once that you don't know where to start
- 😕 Confused – not sure what is happening or what to do
- 😳 Embarrassed – hot-faced and awkward because others saw a mistake
- 😓 Guilty – knowing you did something wrong and wishing you hadn't
- ⏳ Impatient – finding it hard to wait
- 🙄 Annoyed – a little cross because something keeps bothering you
- 😒 Jealous – wanting what someone else has, or worried that someone will take your place
- 😤 Frustrated – cross because something keeps not working, however hard you try
- 😠 Angry – very cross, often about something that seems unfair
- 😡 Furious – so angry that it is hard to think clearly
📖 Related guide: How to pick students at random, fairly
Questions people ask
Is this the same as a feelings wheel chart?
A feelings wheel chart is a printed circle of emotions. This is a spinner version: it picks one feeling at random to talk about, which makes check-ins easier for children.
What is the difference between frustrated and angry?
Frustrated is the feeling of being stuck: something keeps not working, like a zip that will not close. Angry is stronger and is often about something that feels unfair. A child who can name the milder feeling early finds it easier to ask for help.
What if a child doesn't want to share?
Let them pass, every time; a check-in only works when saying nothing is fine. They can point to the word instead, or say how a character in a book might feel. If something a child says worries you, follow your school's usual safeguarding steps.
Can I add more feelings?
Yes. Add words your children are ready for, like homesick, cheerful or worn out, one per line. Start each with an emoji, such as 🏠 Homesick, and the picture shows on the wheel.
Is it suitable for young children?
Yes. Press Ages 3–6 for ten simple feelings, each with a face, and copy the face together after each spin. Ages 7–11 adds words such as disappointed, jealous and relieved, and the full set of 37 suits older children and adults.