Pass It or Keep It - A Fun Football-Themed Feelings Sharing Activity

Pass It or Keep It - A Football Pitch Activity to Support Emotional Expression and Help-Seeking

Knowing when to talk about feelings and when to manage them independently is an essential emotional skill, Pass It or Keep It helps children explore this in a safe, visual way. Using the familiar layout of a football pitch, this resource empowers children to reflect on their emotions, build confidence, and recognise when to reach out for additional support.

About This Resource:

This football-themed activity uses a simple but effective metaphor: emotions are like footballs on the pitch. Some are easier to keep and control, managed with self-regulation and internal coping strategies. Others feel too big or overwhelming, and are best passed to someone else, like a teammate, teacher, or trusted adult. Perfect for 1:1 sessions, classrooms, or home use, this resource supports important conversations about feelings and emotional boundaries.

Features:

Full-colour printable football pitch mat with clear zones.
16 illustrated football feeling cards to cut out and explore.
Usage instructions included.
Encourages both emotional literacy and self-reflection.
Great for PSHE, SEL, therapy, or emotional check-ins.

Benefits:

Helps children identify and name their emotions.
Encourages healthy help-seeking behaviour.
Builds confidence in emotional decision-making.
Supports children who may struggle to express how they feel.
Makes feelings approachable and fun through play.

How to Use:

Set out the pitch mat and cut out the football feeling cards. Ask the child to choose a feeling card that matches how they feel. Then, explore whether it’s a feeling they can manage on their own (place it in the Keep It zone) or one they’d like to share with someone (place it in the Pass It zone). You can also use the full set of cards to talk through different feelings and ask: “Would you keep it or pass it?” This activity is flexible and can be easily adapted to suit different ages and settings.

Pass It or Keep It turns emotional awareness into a game-like activity children actually want to engage with. It’s a gentle way to open up big conversations and help children feel seen, heard, and supported — all while building key emotional skills. Download now!