The Colour Monster

Meet The Colour Monster! Helping Our Pupils Understand Emotions 

At Drapers Mills, we know that learning isn’t just about reading, writing, and numbers — it’s also about understanding our feelings! That’s why we use The Colour Monster, a beautiful and thoughtful book by Anna Llenas, to help our pupils explore and manage their emotions in a fun and meaningful way.

What is The Colour Monster?
The story follows a lovable monster who is feeling all mixed up inside — happy, sad, angry, afraid, and calm — but he doesn’t know why!

With help from a friend, he learns to sort his emotions into colours and make sense of how he’s feeling. It’s a wonderful tool for young children to begin talking about their own feelings in a simple, non-scary way.

How We Use It in School
Each emotion in the book is linked to a colour:

Using this colour system, we’ve set up Colour Monster Check-In Stations in our classrooms.

Every morning, pupils place their name on the colour that best shows how they’re feeling.

It’s a calm and caring way to start the day and helps teachers and staff support pupils’ emotional wellbeing from the moment they walk through the door.

Why It Matters
Emotional literacy is a key part of a child’s development.

By recognising and naming their feelings, children learn to talk about what’s going on inside and ask for help when they need it. Our daily check-ins give every child a voice — even when they don’t yet have the words to explain how they feel.

We’re proud to create a school environment where feelings are understood, shared, and respected. The Colour Monster helps us do just that — one colour at a time!