At Changshu Special Education School, we spent a warm and joyful afternoon with the children. On November 29, 2025, members of Flowers for Algernon Zhixing visited the school to host an interactive event titled “Understanding Emotions.” The activity aimed to help children recognize different types of emotions, respond appropriately to various situations, and improve their emotional expression. Let’s look back at this meaningful event!

Preparation

The event began on time in a welcoming atmosphere. Catherine, Ruly, Grace, and Yian introduced the program on stage, while other members warmly greeted the children, chatting with them and guiding them to their seats. The lively and engaging visuals displayed on the big screen set a cheerful tone for the activities to come.

Main Activity 1: Recognizing Emotions

“Are you happy today?” Catherine and Ruly introduced the theme by engaging the children with this question. Through interactive presentations and role-playing skits, the children learned to identify four basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, and surprise. Group members further supported the learning process by acting out facial expressions and interacting with the children.

Main Activity 2: Creating Emotion Cubes

The next activity involved crafting emotion cubes. With the guidance of the team members, the children applied stickers representing different emotions to the sides of a cube. Members patiently walked them through each step, encouraging the children to engage hands-on and enjoy the process. The children not only demonstrated remarkable focus during the task but also deepened their emotional understanding through interaction.

Main Activity 3: Emotional Challenges

In the final segment, the hosts presented real-life scenarios through slides and asked, “What emotion would you express in this situation?” The children rotated their emotion cubes to reflect their feelings. Team members patiently guided them in making decisions and offered encouragement to boost their confidence.

Conclusion

As the event came to a close, all members joined the children to reflect on the afternoon’s learnings. “Every one of you did an amazing job today!” Grace remarked with a smile. Seeing the children proudly showcase their emotion cubes, we felt that we had planted the seeds of emotional understanding and expression in their hearts.

The “Understanding Emotions” event not only taught the children basic skills in recognizing and expressing emotions but also reminded us of the importance of love and patience. Flowers for Algernon Zhixing will continue to create meaningful activities for children with special needs, ensuring that every interaction becomes a warm stepping stone on their journey of growth.

Author：Ruly 胡潘
Photographer：Oscar 陈梓钦
Editor：April 杨佳炘

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