Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Eyebrow Emotion Lab: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Eyebrow Emotion Lab is a free printable PSHE worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children fill in a lab chart about feelings, eyebrows and mouths. Then they draw a four panel strip where a feeling changes. It needs only a pencil and paper, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children start with a lab chart that has three columns: Feeling, Eyebrows and Mouth. They use the word bank and test shapes on scrap paper before they fill it in. Then they draw a short comic strip in four panels: Calm start, Something happens, Big feeling and How it ends. Each panel shows how a face changes as the feeling changes.
- Feeling
- Eyebrows
- Mouth
- Panel 1: Calm start
- Panel 2: Something happens
- Panel 3: Big feeling
- Panel 4: How it ends
How the lab works
Test on scrap paper
Children try different eyebrow and mouth shapes on scrap paper first. They can rub out, redraw and compare before they commit to the chart.
Fill in the lab chart
The chart links each feeling to the shape of the eyebrows and the shape of the mouth. Children decide what to draw and can explain why.
Plan the strip
The four panels follow a small story. It starts calm, something happens, a big feeling arrives and then the story ends.
Show the change
Each panel needs a face that looks different from the one before. Children think about what stays the same and what changes.
Why faces matter for feelings
People show how they feel in many ways. They use words, the tone of their voice, their body and their face. The eyebrows and the mouth are two parts of the face that move a lot, so they are good places to start when children learn to read expressions. Looking closely at faces helps children notice how others might be feeling.
Naming a feeling is a useful skill in PSHE. Children who can say how they feel, and spot how someone else feels, often find it easier to talk about problems, take turns and make up after a disagreement. Drawing is a gentle way in. It lets children think about feelings without having to talk about their own.
Face and feelings facts
- Muscles in your face move your eyebrows up, down and together.
- Comic strips tell a story in boxes called panels, read in order.
- People often use faces to work out how someone feels.
- The same feeling can look a little different on different people.
- A face can change quickly when a feeling changes.
Skills and curriculum link
- Naming feelings
- Reading faces
- Drawing a story
- Showing change over time
- Explaining your choices
Ideas to help children think about feelings
- Feelings come in sizesA feeling can be small or big. A face can show that too, so children can think about how strong a feeling is as well as its name.
- Feelings can changeA feeling does not always stay the same. Something that happens can move a feeling from one to another, and that is what the strip shows.
- Faces give clues, not proofA face can tell us a lot, but it cannot tell us everything. The best way to know how someone feels is to ask them kindly.
- Small lines make a differenceA tiny change to a line can change the whole look of a face. Children can test this by changing one thing at a time.
Key words
- FeelingWhat you notice inside when something happens, such as happy, worried or cross.
- EmotionAnother word for a feeling.
- ExpressionThe look on a face that shows a feeling.
- EyebrowsThe strips of hair above your eyes. They move to help show how you feel.
- PanelOne box in a comic strip. Each panel shows one moment in the story.
- Comic stripA story told in a row of pictures, read in order.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the word bank together. Let your child test eyebrow and mouth shapes on scrap paper first.
- Work through the chart together the first time. Talk about each choice and ask, "Why did you draw it like that?"
- Let your child draw their four panel strip, then check against the notes and answers on page 2.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Give your child a pre drawn blank face for each panel, so they only add eyebrows and mouths. Try one feeling at a time. Pull the face yourself in a mirror, then copy what you see onto scrap paper.
To stretch confident children
Add speech bubbles that match each face in the strip. Or show a feeling that is not on the chart, such as surprised. Ask your child to explain which parts of the face changed and why.
Make it a game
Pull a face without speaking. Can a partner guess the feeling just from your eyebrows and mouth? Take turns. Then try again with a hand covering the mouth, and see how much the eyebrows tell you alone.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child draws the same face in every panel.
Try thisAsk, "What just happened in this panel?" Then change one thing only, such as the eyebrows, and see how the face looks different.
Watch forA child draws only the mouth and leaves the eyebrows plain.
Try thisCover the mouth with a finger and look at the eyebrows alone. Talk about what they show, then add them back in.
Watch forA child draws very quickly and the faces are hard to read.
Try thisSlow down and use scrap paper first. Ask them to pick their clearest face and copy it onto the sheet.
Talk about it
- Which part of the face tells you most about a feeling, the eyebrows or the mouth?
- Can you think of a time when a feeling changed quickly?
- What happened in your story to change the feeling?
- How can you tell how a friend feels without asking them?
- Can two people feel the same thing but show it differently?
- What helps you when you have a big feeling?
Take it off the page
Mirror faces
Stand at a mirror and make a face for a feeling. Move only your eyebrows, then only your mouth. Talk about what you see.
Face on a spoon or plate
Draw a simple blank face on a paper plate. Use strips of paper for eyebrows and mouths. Slide them around to make new feelings.
Feelings story
Tell a short story out loud where a character's feeling changes three times. Act out the face for each part.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first go, then let them lead. Short bursts work well. Praise their thinking, and ask them to explain their drawings rather than judging them as right or wrong.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and it fits within PSHE work on feelings.
Home educators
Pair it with picture books, a family mirror game or a walk where you talk about feelings. It is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit a few weeks later.
Where this fits in
Before this sheet, children learn simple feeling words such as happy, sad and cross. They also begin to notice how people around them look and sound when they feel those things.
After this sheet, children can describe feelings with more detail, think about why someone feels a certain way and talk about what to do with big feelings. Drawing and acting out stories are good next steps.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Eyebrow Emotion Lab for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can try it with help, and older children can use the stretch idea on page 2.
- What will children practise?
They practise naming feelings, reading faces and showing feelings through facial expression. They do this by filling in a chart and drawing a short comic strip, within PSHE.
- How do I use it?
Read the word bank together first. Let children test shapes on scrap paper, then fill in the chart and draw their strip. Work through it together the first time and talk about each choice.
- What if it feels too hard?
Give a pre drawn blank face so children only add eyebrows and mouths in each panel. Page 2 has more help for children who find it hard, so keep it handy for the grown-up.
- How long does it take?
It depends on the child, so let them work at their own pace. Children can stop and come back to it later. Page 2 has help ideas for children who find it hard and a stretch idea for confident ones.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children only need a pencil, and they can add colour if they want to.
- Is it free, and can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary or homework, and home educators can use it alone or as part of a wider plan.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.