The new Inside Out 2 movie is not only an entertaining sequel to the beloved original, but it also serves as a powerful tool for helping kids understand, recognize, and manage their emotions. Building on the foundation of its predecessor, Inside Out 2 dives deeper into the complexities of emotions, introducing new feelings and scenarios that resonate with children’s daily experiences. This movie can be a valuable resource for parents and educators to discuss emotions in a fun and engaging way.
How the New Inside Out 2 Movie Can Help Kids Learn About Emotions
Inside Out 2 continues the journey inside Riley’s mind, where her emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust—navigate the challenges of adolescence. The film introduces new emotions and situations, allowing kids to see how Riley and her emotions respond to various circumstances. By watching the characters, children can better understand their own feelings and learn that it’s okay to experience a wide range of emotions.
The movie emphasizes the importance of all emotions, showing that even feelings like sadness and fear have their place and purpose. This can help kids realize that emotions are not something to be feared or suppressed, but rather understood and managed. Inside Out 2 provides a relatable and safe way for kids to explore these concepts, making it easier for them to talk about their feelings.
About Inside Out 2
Inside Out 2 takes us back into the imaginative and colorful world inside Riley’s mind, where her emotions are personified as characters navigating her daily life. As Riley navigates the ups and downs of her teenage years, the movie introduces new emotions: Anxiety, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy. These new characters bring their unique challenges and insights into Riley’s evolving emotional landscape.
Anxiety often steps in during stressful situations, reflecting Riley’s worries about school and social interactions. Embarrassment appears during awkward moments, helping to illustrate the discomfort that comes with growing up. Ennui, representing a sense of boredom and listlessness, and Envy, highlighting feelings of jealousy, add depth to Riley’s emotional experiences.
The film beautifully illustrates the emotional roller coaster of adolescence. For example, Anxiety might take over when Riley is faced with a difficult test or social pressure, while Embarrassment could dominate during a public speaking event. Ennui could set in when Riley feels uninterested in her usual activities, and Envy might surface when she compares herself to others. These new emotions help expand the narrative, showing kids that it’s normal to experience a broader range of feelings as they grow up.
Inside Out 2 also delves deeper into how Riley’s core memories and personality islands evolve as she matures. The movie shows how her experiences shape her identity and how her emotions interact to help her navigate complex situations. The visual representation of emotions as characters—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust, Anxiety, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy—helps children personify and better understand their feelings, making abstract concepts more concrete and relatable.
Educational Activities Based on Inside Out 2
To reinforce the lessons from Inside Out 2, here are some educational activities that can be done at home or in the classroom:
Emotion Charades
Play a game of charades where children act out different emotions, and others have to guess what they are feeling. This activity can improve emotional recognition and empathy. You can use cards with different emotions written on them to guide the game and make it more structured.
Create Your Own Emotion Character
Have kids create their own emotion character, similar to Joy or Sadness. They can describe when this emotion appears and how it affects their thoughts and actions. This can help them better understand and articulate their feelings. Provide materials like colored paper, markers, and glue so they can make their characters visually appealing.
Emotion Journals
Encourage kids to keep an emotion journal where they can write or draw their feelings each day. This helps them become more aware of their emotions and provides a healthy outlet for expression. Kids can decorate their journals with stickers and drawings of their favorite Inside Out characters to make the activity more engaging.
Mindful Breathing Exercises
Teach children simple breathing exercises to calm their minds. Relate these exercises to scenes in Inside Out 2 where characters take a moment to breathe and regain control. Explain how taking deep breaths can help them manage their emotions when they feel overwhelmed.
Emotion Collage
Provide magazines, scissors, and glue, and have kids create a collage representing different emotions. They can discuss why they chose certain images and how those images make them feel. This activity encourages creativity and provides a visual representation of their emotional landscape.
Role-Playing Scenarios
Create scenarios that might cause different emotions, such as losing a toy or making a new friend. Have kids role-play how they would handle these situations, guided by their understanding of the emotions from the movie. This helps them practice emotional responses in a safe environment.
Reading About Emotions
Inside Out 2 is a great introduction to the emotional changes that come along with puberty. Further reading about this subjects can help kids and teens get a better understanding of these new emotions. Weather you are reading Inside Out 2 books or diving deeper into the changes that teenagers are going through watching the Inside Out 2 movie can be a great way to start those conversations and choose books that can help kids deal with their emotions. Here are some great books
Free Inside Out 2 Printable Activity Pages and Coloring Pages
To further engage kids in learning about emotions, I have included some free Inside Out 2 printable activity pages and coloring pages. These fun and educational printables will help children interact with the movie’s themes and characters in creative ways. Here’s what’s included:
- Coloring Pages: Let kids bring their favorite Inside Out 2 characters to life with these printable coloring pages.
- Spot The Difference: A fun activity that sharpens observation skills by finding differences between two images.
- Create A New Hairstyle for Anxiety: Encourage creativity by designing a new look for the character Anxiety.
- Bundle of Nerves Coloring Activity: Combine coloring with learning about nerves and anxiety.
- A Maze Through Riley’s Mind: Navigate through a maze that represents the complexities of Riley’s thoughts and emotions.
- Memory/Emotion Drawing Activity: Draw a memory and identify the emotions associated with it.
- Crack The Code: Solve puzzles related to emotions and characters from the movie.
You can download the entire Inside Out 2 activity booklet here.
These activities are designed to be both entertaining and educational, making the lessons from Inside Out 2 tangible and accessible for kids. By using these resources, parents and educators can create a supportive environment where children feel comfortable exploring and discussing their emotions.
Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .
When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.
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