A story-led approach to emotional literacy

The Kingdom Approach is a story-led approach to emotional literacy that helps children recognise, understand and navigate their feelings through stories, relationships, play and everyday experiences.

Rather than teaching emotional regulation as a separate programme, it provides children and adults with a simple, shared language that can be used consistently at home, in classrooms and across the wider school community.

It begins with a story, but grows into a shared way of understanding feelings together.

Why was it created?

Children experience a wide range of emotions every day, yet emotional regulation is not something they are born knowing how to do.

Children first learn to regulate through supportive relationships with calm, trusted adults. Before children can self regulate, they first need co regulation.

The Kingdom Approach was created by Early Years teacher Catherine Rivers to help make these everyday moments easier. Developed through real classroom experience, it brings together storytelling, emotional literacy and practical helping ideas in a way that is simple, memorable and meaningful for young children.

The Four Principles

Everything within The Kingdom Approach is guided by four simple principles.

❤️ Every feeling has a place.

Children learn that every feeling is welcome and every emotion has value.

💙 Shared language builds understanding.

A consistent emotional language helps children and adults understand feelings together.

💛 Connection comes before correction.

Children are supported through connection and co regulation before reflection, problem solving or consequences.

💚 Emotional literacy grows through everyday practice.

Children develop emotional understanding through stories, play, relationships and everyday experiences.

The Kingdom Regulation Rhythm

The Kingdom Approach provides adults with a simple sequence that can be used whenever feelings become big.

Notice
Observe with curiosity before responding.

Wonder
Wonder what the child might be feeling and what they might need.

Helping Idea
Support the child through connection, co regulation and simple helping ideas.

Reconnect
Once the child feels supported, help them return to play, learning and relationships before moving on together.

This rhythm helps adults respond with connection first, creating the conditions for children to gradually develop emotional understanding and independence.

The Four Lands

The Kingdom introduces emotions through four colourful lands.

Rather than becoming a feeling, children learn they are simply visiting different lands throughout the day. This helps reduce shame, encourages curiosity and reminds children that feelings change.

❤️ Red Land explores big, fiery feelings.
💙 Blue Land explores slow, heavy feelings.
💛 Yellow Land explores wiggly, energetic feelings.
💚 Green Land explores calm and focused feelings.

Each land introduces memorable characters, emotional vocabulary and simple helping ideas that children can return to again and again.

More than a story

The Kingdom of Colourful Feelings is more than a picture book.

Every resource has been designed to reinforce the same shared language through stories, conversations, play and everyday experiences.

The collection continues to grow and includes picture books, activity books, classroom resources, visual supports, communication supports, discussion activities, parent resources, PSHE support materials and professional development for schools.

Resources can be used individually or together, helping children experience the same shared language at school, at home and across everyday life.

A shared language that grows with children

The Kingdom Approach is not a programme to complete.

It is a shared language that becomes part of everyday life through consistent relationships, meaningful conversations
at school and at home.

Whether it is used in a nursery, primary classroom, family home or specialist setting, the goal remains the same:

To help children understand that every feeling has a place, support is always available, and they can gradually build the confidence to recognise, understand and navigate their feelings.