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Encouraging Positive Emotion: The Happiness Story Sack
- Michael Wood
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
While much of our work in SEMH rightly focuses on managing difficult emotions, we sometimes forget the power of nurturing positive ones. Happiness isn’t just a fleeting feeling, it’s essential to wellbeing, resilience, and connection.
That’s why we created the Happiness Story Sack: a vibrant, sensory-based toolkit designed to help children explore what makes them feel happy, loved, and safe.
Whether used in PSHE lessons, nurture groups, or one-to-one interventions, the Happiness Sack is a joyful reminder that emotional literacy also means celebrating the good.
Why Focus on Happiness?
Children—especially those with SEND or social, emotional and mental health needs—don’t always know how to express happiness, or even recognise it. Some may have had few chances to talk about joy, love, or comfort.
By giving children the language of positive emotion, we help them:
Build emotional vocabulary
Identify what brings them calm or joy
Connect happiness to safety, people and sensory experiences
Reflect on moments of success and belonging
What’s in the Happiness Story Sack?
This story sack is filled with carefully chosen resources to engage the senses and promote positive reflection.
Inside you’ll find:
📖 Happy-Themed Story Book: A warm and relatable story that encourages children to explore when and why they feel happy.
🗣 Happy Talk Board: A visual conversation starter with prompts like:“What makes you smile?” or “Who helps you feel loved?”
✍️ Mirror and Whiteboard Marker: Children can draw or write directly onto their reflection, ideal for affirmations, favourite things, or simply drawing a smile.
🔐 Lock and Key: Used symbolically to talk about feeling safe and protected.
🧸 Heart Cuddly Toy: Represents love and comfort. For some children, this becomes a transitional object or emotional anchor.
🎶 Bells or Joyful Sound Item:
Encourages conversation about sounds that make us feel upbeat and safe (like music, laughter, or familiar voices). We used jingle bells but you can choose your own.
🌈 Green and Yellow Fabrics: Bright colours associated with happiness and optimism, great for visual and tactile stimulation.
🌬️ Bubbles: Great for teaching mindful breathing
🌸 Optional Extras: Think: favourite smells (lavender, citrus), soft textures, or photos of loved ones or places.
Why It Works
The Happiness Sack is as much about creating space for joy as it is about learning. It opens up discussions that are too often skipped in busy school days—and gives quieter children a chance to express pride, gratitude and positivity in their own way.
It’s especially valuable for:
Children struggling with self-esteem
Pupils with trauma backgrounds
Nurture groups working on belonging and relationships
Celebrating success during reward time
Want to Create Your Own?
You can assemble your own Happiness Sack using low-cost items and things you already have in school. We’ve created a printable resource list and an example talk board to help you get started.
Explore our full story sack blog here: Emotion Story Sacks
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