1. Understanding the Feel It Framework
What is the Feel It Framework?
The Feel It Framework is a whole-child approach to emotional development. It helps children notice what is happening in their body, understand their feelings and thoughts, communicate their needs, explore possibilities and recognise their inner worth.
The framework has six interconnected layers:
🔴 Marcus Meerkat - Body Alert
Noticing body signals and recognising when something feels dangerous or important.
🟠 Eddie Elephant - Calm and Memory
Practising calming tools and remembering which strategies help.
🟢 Olivia Owl - Reflection
Pausing to notice feelings, thoughts, facts and the stories our minds may create.
🔵 Delia Dolphin - Voice
Listening, asking for help and speaking to ourselves and others with kindness.
🟣 Belle Bunny - Imagination and Growth
Imagining possibilities, having a go, practising and learning through experience.
🟡 Feel It Fiona - Inner Power
Welcoming every feeling and recognising that our worth does not depend on achievement, behaviour or the opinions of others.
The Mini Magical Minds World
The six layers of the Feel It Framework are brought to life through Mini Magical Minds World.
Each Feel It Friend has a special home connected to their role:
🌲 Marcus Meerkat lives in the Quiet Forest
A place for noticing body signals and recognising when something feels dangerous or important.
🌼 Eddie Elephant lives in the Open Meadow
A place for practising calm and remembering the tools that help us feel steadier.
🌳 Olivia Owl lives in the Wisdom Tree
A place for pausing, reflecting and exploring feelings, thoughts, facts and stories.
💎 Delia Dolphin lives in the Crystal Pool
A place for listening, finding our voice and practising kind communication.
🌻 Belle Bunny lives in the Imagination Garden
A place for imagining possibilities, having a go, practising and growing.
🌈 Feel It Fiona lives beneath the Rainbow Tree
A place where every feeling is welcome and children are reminded that they are already enough.
The locations, characters and stories give children memorable ways to understand emotional ideas that can otherwise feel abstract.
Connecting the Framework to the Books
The Mini Magical Minds stories help bring the framework’s emotional language and ideas to life.
Rosie and the Journey to Mini Magical Minds World introduces children to the magical world, all six Feel It Friends and the special places in which they live. It can be used when first introducing the Feel It Framework to a class.
The Rosie Meets… series then explores each Feel It Friend individually. Through Rosie’s everyday experiences, children see how each character’s understanding and tools can support her.
Teachers can use the books to:
- Introduce Mini Magical Minds World and the complete framework
- Introduce an individual character or layer
- Begin age-appropriate classroom discussions
- Help children recognise body signals, feelings and thoughts
- Explore the connection between feelings, needs and choices
- Reinforce the framework’s shared language
- Revisit learning after a lesson
The stories support the framework, but teachers do not need to use every book before beginning. Lessons and portal resources can also be used independently.
Layers - not levels
The layers are not a ladder that children must climb, and Gold is not “better” than Red.
Children and adults naturally move between different emotional needs throughout the day. A child may need Marcus when their heart begins to race, Eddie when they want help settling their body, Olivia when they are ready to reflect, or Delia when they need to find their voice.
Children should never be labelled as being a particular colour or character.
The aim is not to move every child towards calm as quickly as possible. The aim is to help children notice, understand and respond to their experiences with growing awareness and support.
Reflection
Think of a child who sometimes finds a particular situation difficult. Instead of beginning with their behaviour, consider:
- What might their body be communicating?
- What feeling or need might be underneath the behaviour?
- Which part of the framework might help you support them?