New board game ‘Monster Moods’ aims to help children articulate emotions

Monster moods; it’s one way to describe a toddler’s torrid temperament.

But, when verbal communication fails — as it so often can with a five-year-old — early childhood experts have started pointing to other, more creative ways to help our little ones learn to express themselves clearly.

How? Through games.

Monster Moods is a new board game that features 30 little monsters, each representing a different emotion, who encourage children to speak up without shame, “even when words fail them.”

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“The kids need to know that it’s not normal that...there is discrimination or intimidation in school,” said Daniel Jasmin, general director of the non-profit STOP Cyberviolences and creator of Monster Moods.

The game, designed for children aged three to nine, is described as an “awareness-raising tool that helps children put their emotions into words and identify and express unfair situations they experience at school, at home or online.”

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It was created in collaboration with early childhood professionals by the Centres Relier in Paris, France, which points out that children who start practicing sharing their feelings at a young age gain the tools to continue doing so throughout their adult lives.

“The aim of the game is for the kids just to be sure that he can talk, even if something is small, to an adult, and the adult is ready to help him,” said Jasmin, who notes that bullying, online predators and the prevalence of suicidal thoughts among children remain a global problem.

Canadian debut

Now, Monster Moods is launching in Canada, as part of a partnership with Concordia University’s Innovation Lab.

“We want to distribute this game for free across the country, starting in Quebec and across all the other provinces, to schools, hospitals and daycares,” said Robin Dionne, a student who works with the lab.

One of the first Canadian schools to give the game a spin is Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary in Montreal.

“Whether it’s feeling sick or something happened at recess or something happened at home, let us know what’s going on,” said Tanya Alvares, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School principal. “I think doing this through games is the best way for kids to understand the concept and be able to let us know.”

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Monster Moods starts with a simple question: how was your day?

The kids use the little monsters, each with their own unique feelings, to share a story, real or fictional.

They move the pieces across the numerous boards: a monster playground, home, digital space and, of course, school.

“Every part we show there, we have been working with researchers; it’s the part of the school where some bullying can appear,” said Jasmin.

As the story unravels, it’s up to adults to ask questions about how the situation may make the monsters feel, so the children can reflect on the answers.

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“We need to know what’s going on,” said Alvares. “There are so many things going on here at school, at home, that we want the kids to be able to express themselves at a young age.”

The principal says, with this new tool at her disposal, she’s excited to see how things play out — no pun intended — when it comes to helping little kids sort through their big feelings.

To request a free copy of the game or to donate, click here.