Watch this video for inspiration!
In this project, students work with 5 precut black shapes to create expressive faces. The limitations require them to invent and notice the impact of composition choices. Teachers prompt experimentation and describe the kids’ choices with specificity. This builds understanding of emotions and revision skills that transfer to writing, drawing, and puppetry.
Students describe what each shape makes them imagine.
For each of the five shapes ask….
What does this shape remind you of?
What is this shape called?
Is this shape curvy or pointy or both?
For the circles ask…
Is it big or small?
For the teardrop, crescent and almond shapes ask…
How many curves does it have? How many points?
Are the curves going the same direction or different directions?
Make a face together! Kids help the teacher choose…
Shapes- Which of these five shapes could I use for my eyes? nose? mouth? eyebrows?
Direction– Should I place the lemon shape so that the eye is horizontal, vertical or tilted?
Space– Do you want me to place the eyes close together or far apart?
Repeat to complete the face (eyes, nose, mouth and eyebrows).
Steps/ Tips- Explore & Describe 5 Shapes Many Emotions
Is this the only way we can make a face?
Spacing- Let’s see what happens if we squish the shapes on our face together. What happens if we stretch the shapes apart? When we change the spacing does it change the feeling the face is showing?
Direction- Let’s see what happens if we tilt the Eyebrows. What happens if we tilt them the other way? If we change the direction of the mouth? Eyes? Nose? When we change the direction of the _____, does it change the feeling the face is showing?
Shape- Let’s see what happens if we change the shape of our nose. What happens if we change the mouth shape or the eyes? When we change the shape of the ______, does it change the feeling the face is showing?
Asymmetry– Let’s see what happens if we change just one of the eyes. What happens if we change one of the eyebrows? When we make our face uneven, does it change the feeling the face is showing?
After each change ask- Can you copy our puppet face with your own face? How does it make you feel when you__________?
We are ready to make some faces! We are not using glue today. The goal is to make as many faces as you can using these shapes! When you’re done with a face you can dump it (dump your sample face) and start a new one!
(Pass out one head to each student and put piles of mixed up shapes on the tables for kids to share and choose from.)
Students explore independently/ Teachers describe kids’ choices.
Students experiment with the shapes to make different facial expressions. The goal is to try to make as many different expressions as you can.
Teachers circulate to describe student choices. For support refer to the
Each face will take a minimum of 6 shapes…
But your kids will use many more than the minimum! They may…
Encourage their creativity by prepping enough shapes! Scroll for adaptations of this project that range from ambitious to simple. Choose the version that serves your class and that feels manageable for you to prepare and do, or create your own adaptation!
For support download and use the Preparation Guide with templates.
There are different adaptations of the project that require more or less prep. Look at the options below!
Create puppets with expressive faces that show two contrasting emotions on the front and back of their heads. Kids can use their 2-face puppet to invent or retell stories, and flip the head to show when the character’s feelings change. Creating and decorating the body is an optional way to explore outside character traits and costume.
For each child you will need…
You will also need…
f your students are collaging a 2-faced puppet, we recommend prepping 3-5 of each of the five shapes to have enough for each child to make 2 faces. It’s also an option to have the kids trace and cut their own shapes (see the make 5-shapes tracer adaptation)
In class time
Adult prep time during the process
In the 5-shapes activity, kids usually end up discovering an expressive face that they really want to glue down. All you need to do is attach a stick and their face becomes a puppet character to play with, but you can also extend the project by adding collaged hair and a decorated torso if you like.
For each child you will need…
You will also need
If your students are collaging 1 puppet face, we recommend prepping 2-3 of each of the five shapes per child, so that they have a variety to choose from. It’s best to put a pile with a variety of shapes at each table for kids to share. Some children will use all 5 shapes, and some will use multiples of just one or two.
In class time
Adult prep time during the process
This option drastically cuts down the amount of prep that adults need to do. It also gives kids a chance to practice cutting and the satisfaction of making the entire project from raw materials.
If kids are tracing and making the shapes, heads and bodies themselves, we recommend having a lot of extra construction paper for shapes and card stock for heads and bodies, so that kids can take the project in whatever direction they like without running out of supplies.
In class time
Adult prep time during the process
Kids can use them to make a face to show how they are feeling each day and/or use them to play with ideas for expressive faces to inspire character drawings.
Enough black cardstock to make a set of 5 shapes per child
Cut out and laminate a set of 5 shapes for each child or make a few sets for a center or station activity. You can also cut out head shapes or just use paper plates!
How long does the project take?
This adaptation does not require any prep! We recommend doing the Explore & Describe Torn Paper Collage lesson first and then using step 2 (practice making choices) and step 3 (model revision) from this project to guide your students into creating expressive faces. Kids can also tear a head shape. Be prepared to model being open to a lopsided and lumpy head shape by using your lumpy head shape to inspire your puppet character.
No advanced prep. If you are making the faces into puppets, you may need to re-enforce the backs of the construction paper faces, so that they are not too floppy and delicate to play with.
In class time
Adult prep time duirng the process
Whichever adaptation you choose, it is important to give the students time and support to truly explore and discover using the materials. We highly recommend taking one full class period to explore with the shapes. This gives the children time to push past their first idea and learn how to revise and develop their work.
We recommend using one whole session just to explore without glue!
If, or when your class is gluing shapes down..
Remember that it is also an option to use the shapes as manipulatives (no glue) to inspire drawing.
Before this activity, assess! Are your students kinesthetic learners? If so, build content knowledge physically by doing one of these warm ups before the art making activity.
Do your students need a reminder about the parts and names of facial features before they do this lesson? Play this Facial Feature Warm Up Steps & Prompts
For more ideas see the connected activities section at the bottom of this page.
Before this activity, assess! Are your students kinesthetic learners? If so, consider doing one of these warm ups to learn about the vocabulary needed in this lesson physically.
Are your students unfamiliar with the descriptive language you want to use in this lesson? Try this quick pose warm up.
For more ideas see the connected activities section at the bottom of this page.
Before you do the 5-shapes many emotions activity, consider doing these three scaffolded Emotion Vocabulary Activities
For more ideas see the connected activities section at the bottom of this page.
In this video, kindergarteners explore how to express emotions through puppet movement.
For more ideas see the connected activities section at the bottom of this page.
In this video, kindergarteners do the Puppet Vocal Warm Up to express their puppets’ emotions with their voices.
For more vocal warm ups, visit the Vocal Expression Activities Page.
Give young artists valuable information about how their choices impact an audience by noticing the choices they make and describing them using specific language. Watch this video to build your describing skills. For support use the
Video 1: How do artists engage their senses?
Video 2: How do artists engage with others?
Video 3: How do artists use time
Video 4: What is an artists’ process?
Video 5: How do artists use their body & space?
Video 6: How do artists at work sound?
Create puppets with expressive faces that show two contrasting emotions on the front and back of their heads. Kids can use their 2-face puppet to invent or retell stories, and flip the head to show when the character’s feelings change. Creating and decorating the body is an optional way to explore outside character traits and costume. Scroll for examples.
We discussed & charted how these characters’ emotions changed throughout the story, Students selected a character and showed two different emotions. Before creating these emotions, we acted them out with our faces and bodies. Focusing on the faces, we discussed how the selection of the shapes, space & direction changes the emotions. – Bibi Z
