Discovering Emotions When Animals Help Children Better Understand Themselves

How can we help a child recognize what they are feeling? Do animals experience emotions like we do? And what if observing a bearded dragon, a hedgehog, or a parrot could help open a discussion about fear, anger, joy, or even sadness?

With our new theme Discovering Emotions, animals become the starting point for a discussion adapted to children aged 12 and under. In this blog article, the team introduces this new educational activity with animals, inspired by the book Discovering Emotions with Animals!, and explains how animal behaviours can help young people put words to what they are feeling.

Do animals have emotions?

That is a more complex question than it may seem! Scientists study emotions in animals through their behaviours, physiology, and reactions to different situations. However, we must remain cautious: when an animal displays behaviour that reminds us of anger or joy, that does not necessarily mean it is experiencing exactly the same emotional state as a human.

That is precisely what makes this educational activity for children so interesting. Each animal provides an opportunity to explore a human emotion based on real and observable behaviour. The child can then draw a parallel with themselves: « When I am afraid, what does my body do? », « How can others tell that I am angry? » or even « What do I do when I am happy? »

Léon, the bearded dragon: when anger can be seen

Léon, the bearded dragon, helps us talk about anger and, above all, body language. When a bearded dragon feels threatened or highly stimulated, its beard turns black and puffs up. It may also change its posture to appear more imposing. These are behavioural signals that communicate something to other individuals.

In humans too, anger in children can become visible before a single word is spoken: a tense face, clenched fists, a louder voice, or rapid breathing. Léon therefore allows us to ask children a very simple question: « How does your body tell us that you are angry? »  Recognizing these early signs can be an important step toward learning how to express what we are feeling.

Cocotte, the tarantula: surprise!

An unexpected vibration, a sudden movement… Cocotte, the tarantula, has an impressive sensory system for detecting what is happening around her. Spiders have sensory hairs that help them detect information from their environment. Some tarantulas also have urticating hairs that they can use as a defense mechanism when they feel threatened.

Cocotte therefore provides an opportunity to explore surprise in children. We too can react before we even understand what has just happened when something unexpected occurs: jumping, opening our eyes wide, stepping backward… Surprise happens quickly, and our bodies are particularly effective at drawing our attention to what has just changed.

Max, the rabbit: « Yuck, I don’t like that! »

Max the rabbit takes us into the world of disgust through a topic children know particularly well: food! A rabbit can be selective when it comes to meals. But what it prefers is not automatically what best meets its nutritional needs.

This creates a great opportunity to talk about food disgust in children without turning the activity into a lesson about vegetables! Why do certain smells, textures, or flavours repel us? Can we dislike a food today and enjoy it later? Above all, Max helps remind us that having a disgust reaction is normal: what matters is learning to recognize and express it.

Cactus, the hedgehog: when fear protects us

When danger seems to be approaching, Cactus, the hedgehog, has a strategy that is hard to miss: his quills! He can contract certain muscles to curl into a ball and point his spines outward. He may also huff or make sounds when disturbed. These defense mechanisms serve an essential purpose: increasing his chances of staying safe.

Fear in children also plays a protective role. It can encourage us to move away from a situation that our brain considers dangerous. But unlike Cactus, we can also talk about what we are feeling, ask for help, and develop different strategies to regain a sense of safety.

Tangerine, the crested gecko: being different is normal

Tangerine the crested gecko accompanies children when we explore sadness. To begin the discussion, young people first discover just how different geckos can be from one another: some species live in desert environments, while others live in tropical forests; some are terrestrial, while others are arboreal, meaning they spend a large portion of their time in trees.

Tangerine also has a fascinating characteristic. Like many lizards, the crested gecko can lose its tail when it becomes trapped: this phenomenon is called caudectomy. In this species, unlike many other geckos, the lost tail does not grow back. Tangerine therefore becomes an excellent starting point for discussing differences, changes, and situations that can sometimes make us sad, without those situations reducing our worth.

 

Skittle, the sun conure: joy is meant to be shared

With her bright colours and numerous vocalizations, Skittles, the sun conure, helps explore joy from a particularly dynamic perspective. Parrots are social animals that communicate extensively through vocalizations and body language. Play, movement, and social interactions also play an important role in their daily lives.

And how do we recognize joy in children? Some laugh, jump, or speak very loudly; others simply smile or try to share the moment with someone they love. Skittles reminds us of an important idea: two individuals can experience a similar situation without expressing it in exactly the same way.

An educational book created by four professionals

The theme is based on the book Discovering Emotions with Animals!, designed specifically for children aged 12 and under. Stories, animals, and exercises help young people work on recognizing, expressing, and regulating emotions, meaning our ability to understand what we are feeling and gradually adapt our response.

The project brings together four professionals with complementary expertise: Caroline Lebeau, educator and founder of Regard9; Valérie Kempa, occupational therapist, librarian, trainer, and author; Julie Huard, teacher; and Joanie Asselin, owner and biologist at Éducazoo. This collaboration brings together child development, education, and knowledge of the animal world in a single tool.

Léonardo or Coco: two ways to discover emotions

For preschool participants, Léonardo the tortoise introduces children to the different animals and the emotions associated with them. Léon, Cocotte, Max, Cactus, Tangerine, and Skittles then become the characters in an encounter where observing animals constantly serves as a bridge to the children’s own experiences.

In the version for elementary or secondary schools, or for those who wish to pay an additional fee, Coco the cockatoo takes the lead! Curious and sometimes a little self-centered in the story, Coco asks the animals questions to better understand what they are experiencing and, above all, to learn how to listen to others. This version therefore adds Coco’s presence to the activity for an additional $100.

Learning to understand ourselves by observing animals

A hedgehog cannot explain that it is afraid, and a bearded dragon cannot tell us in words that a situation is bothering it. Yet they constantly communicate through their animal behaviours, postures, and reactions. Learning to observe these signals encourages children to pay attention to what others are communicating, even when it is not expressed through words.

That is the entire goal of Discovering Emotions : using children’s natural fascination with animals to open a discussion about their own emotional world. Behind Cactus’s quills, Léon’s beard, or Skittles’s vocalizations lies the same question: « And you, how do you show what you are feeling? »

Questions parents often look for answers to

How can we help a child recognize their emotions? How can we teach a child to manage their emotions? What activities can help us talk about emotions with children? Can animals help children develop empathy? How can we explain fear, anger, sadness, and joy to a child? These are all questions that our activity about emotions for children helps answer in concrete and accessible ways.