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SHARON YARIMI STEIN
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Case Study:
Happy Monkey Digital Emotion Cards

Category: Digital Learning & Interactive Content
Role: Learning Experience Designer, Content Writer, Visual Designer

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Project Overview

​Happy Monkey Digital Emotion Cards is a visual micro-learning tool that helps children identify emotions, express what they feel, and choose helpful responses.

The tool is designed for quick daily use at home, in therapy, or in classrooms - supporting emotional vocabulary and self-awareness in a simple, playful way.

The Problem

Many children experience emotions physically but struggle to:​​

  • Name what they feel

  • Explain it to adults

  • Ask for what they need

  • Choose a constructive response

Educators and parents require tools that simplify emotional language and make conversations easier.

Target Audience

  • Children ages 4–10

  • Parents, educators, facilitators, and therapists

  • Special education and SEL environments

Learning Objectives

Learners will:

  • Identify emotions visually

  • Connect feelings to needs

  • Practice naming and sharing emotions

  • Choose appropriate coping strategies

  • Build daily emotional vocabulary

My Role

I was responsible for:

  • Creating the emotional categories and learning structure

  • Writing the content for each card (emotion → description → needs → ways to cope)

  • Designing all visual elements and UI

  • Ensuring accessibility for young learners

  • Testing with families and adjusting the content accordingly

How It Works

The digital platform includes four different interactive SEL activities, each designed to support emotional awareness, expression, and connection in a playful and structured way.

Each activity can be used:

  • individually

  • 1:1 with a parent/therapist

  • in small groups

  • in classrooms

  • in Zoom/online sessions

  • on mobile, desktop, or tablet

1. “How Are You?” – Emotional Check-In

Participants choose one or more emotion cards that describe how they feel right now or how they felt in a specific situation.

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Then they click “Ask me about it”, which opens a set of guided reflection questions that help them:

  • name the emotion

  • describe what happened

  • explore what they need

  • share their experience with others

This supports emotional vocabulary and self-expression.

2. “Mystery Card” – Guess the Emotion

One participant chooses an emotion card without showing it.

Then they click “Ask me about it”, revealing a scrolling deck of question cards that other participants can ask.

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Through the questions, the group tries to figure out which emotion it is.

This activity strengthens empathy, emotional reasoning, and perspective-taking.

3. “Heart on My Sleeve” – Matching Emotion to Question

Participants swipe through a deck of question cards
(e.g., “What helps you when you feel overwhelmed?”).

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After selecting a question, they click “Choose & answer” and match it with an emotion card.

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This helps learners make links between:

  • what they feel

  • what they need

  • what supports them

Perfect for 1:1 conversations or group dialogue.

4. “Mix & Match” – Emotion-Based Conversations

Participants see an emotion card next to a question/task card and begin a guided conversation.

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They can choose between three “session modes”:

  • Light & Fun

  • Conversations (deeper but safe)

  • A Bit of Both

Each mode creates a different tone of interaction and allows educators, parents, or therapists to choose the level of depth appropriate for the moment.

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This activity builds emotional flexibility, communication skills, and relational connection.

Pedagogical Rationale

The design is based on SEL principles:

  • “Name → Understand → Support”

  • Visual scaffolding for kids who struggle with verbal expression

  • Low cognitive load (one idea per card)

  • Child-friendly microcopy

  • Immediate action to reduce emotional overload

This tool also supports children who have difficulty verbalizing emotions in Hebrew or English.

Visual Language

  • Soft, warm colors for emotional safety

  • Friendly illustrated characters

  • Large icons and minimal text

  • Mobile-first layout

  • Clear hierarchy: Emotion → What it feels like → What I need → What helps

Outcome

The cards are used in:

  • Workshops for families

  • Small group emotional learning sessions

  • Parent–child conversations

  • Therapy rooms

  • Digital platforms at home

Parents and educators report increased emotional vocabulary and easier emotional conversations.

Next Steps

Planned versions include:

  • English printed set

  • Interactive version with sound

  • Integration into a full SEL micro-learning curriculum

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