Help children explore the connection between body sensations, emotions, and physical needs with this Interoception Body Signals Social Story and Game! These hands-on social emotional learning (SEL) activities introduce children to interoception, the ability to notice internal signals from the body, through a visual social story, interactive board game, and discussion cards.

Children explore questions such as "How does my body feel?", "Where do I notice feelings in my body?", and "What might my body be telling me?" The activities encourage curiosity about sensations such as a racing heart, tight muscles, or a fluttery stomach, while helping children understand that the same sensation can mean different things to different people.

Designed for grades 1–4, this social story and game can be used in individual counseling, child therapy, occupational therapy, small groups, and elementary social emotional learning lessons. The combination of storytelling and play provides an approachable introduction to body awareness, emotional vocabulary, and communicating physical needs.

📦 What's Included:

✔️ 21-Page Interoception Social Story

• A child-friendly social story introducing body signals, internal sensations, and the connections between physical experiences and emotions.

✔️ Printable Interoception Board Game

• An interactive game that provides opportunities to discuss body sensations, recognize possible emotional connections, and practice describing internal experiences.

✔️ 108 Body Sensations and Feelings Discussion Cards

• Conversation prompts for exploring how different sensations may feel, what they might mean, and how children experience emotions in their bodies.

✔️ Visual Body Awareness Activities

• Opportunities to use visual supports and guided conversations to help children develop language for internal sensations and physical needs.

🎒 Quick Details: Grades 1–4 | 👥 Individual, small group + classroom | 🖨️ Printable social story, board game + discussion cards | 🎯 Interoception, body awareness, emotional identification + self-advocacy

🛍️ Bundle & Save:

Want this and more interoception activities at a discount?

This social story and game are included in the Interoception Activities Growing Bundle, a collection of three complementary products for teaching body awareness, emotional identification, and the mind-body connection.

🎁 Growing Bundle: The larger collection is designed to expand with additional interoception activities. Check the current bundle listing for the latest included materials and future-update terms.

🎯 Skills Addressed:

✔️ Recognizing internal body signals

✔️ Developing interoceptive awareness

✔️ Identifying and describing body sensations

✔️ Exploring connections between physical sensations and emotions

✔️ Building emotional vocabulary

✔️ Recognizing physical needs

✔️ Communicating sensations and feelings

✔️ Developing self-awareness

✔️ Practicing perspective-taking

✔️ Exploring personalized regulation strategies

✔️ Building self-advocacy skills

💡 Ways to Use It:

• Read the social story to introduce the concept of interoception
• Discuss how internal body signals provide information about physical and emotional experiences
• Use the board game during individual counseling or small-group sessions
• Explore the 108 discussion cards as conversation starters
• Invite children to identify sensations they recognize or have experienced
• Discuss how the same body signal might have different explanations
• Explore how excitement, nervousness, hunger, or physical activity can produce overlapping sensations
• Use the story during occupational therapy to introduce body awareness vocabulary
• Pair discussion cards with drawing or body mapping activities
• Encourage children to identify ways to communicate their needs to trusted adults
• Offer visual choices for children who prefer pointing instead of speaking
• Revisit the story and game to reinforce body awareness concepts
• Use selected prompts during classroom SEL lessons or emotional check-ins

👩‍🏫 Who It's For:

Child therapists, mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, school counselors, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, special education teachers, elementary classroom teachers, homeschool educators, and families.

Especially useful for adults supporting children who benefit from visual, structured, and play-based opportunities to explore body signals, emotions, and physical needs.

These activities can be adapted for neurodivergent children, while respecting individual differences in sensory processing, communication, and interoceptive awareness.

🖨️ Format & Download:

This digital product includes a 21-page interoception social story, printable board game, and 108 discussion cards.

Print the social story for individual or group reading. Prepare the board game and discussion cards for interactive counseling, therapy, or classroom activities.

The materials can be used as a standalone introduction to interoception or alongside additional body awareness lessons and worksheets.

📌 Important Notes:

• Interoception is individual. Children notice and interpret body sensations differently. Some may recognize subtle changes easily, while others may need more time, visual supports, or alternative ways to communicate.
• Body sensations do not always correspond to a specific emotion. Encourage children to explore possibilities rather than assigning one correct feeling to every physical sensation.
• Participation should be invitational. Children may speak, point, draw, select visual choices, or choose not to discuss a particular sensation.
• Avoid requiring children to focus on internal sensations if doing so feels uncomfortable or overwhelming. Adapt activities to individual sensory, developmental, disability-related, and medical needs.
• This is a digital download. No physical product will be shipped. Due to the digital nature of this resource, all sales are final and refunds are not available.