Compare Bear
Envy · Comparison · Self-worth
Shows up when another child gets picked first, gets a better grade, or has the toy they want. The child who watches what everyone else has and feels like they're never enough.
For Teachers, Counselors & SEL Leads
Give Your Students a Language for Feelings They Can't Name Yet
A story world of five characters that gives children a shared language for feelings — no curriculum, no training, no worksheets.
Ages 5–13 · CASEL-aligned · No training required
The Problem
You see it every day. A child shuts down. Another lashes out.
They don't have the words — and neither do you in that moment. Traditional SEL programs take 6 weeks to train, cost $5,000+ per school, and still don't give children a language they'll actually use.
What if the language was already built into a story they loved?
0 weeks
Average training time for SEL programs before a teacher can even begin
$0+
Per-school cost for most SEL curricula
0 minutes
Training needed to start using Snowballs
Why These 5 Feelings?
Kids already know anger, sadness, fear, and joy.
Every SEL program teaches those.
Snowballs names the second layer— the quiet feelings that build underneath the big ones. The comparison that triggers the anger. The doubt that causes the shutdown. These are the feelings no one teaches — because they didn't have names. Until now.
First Layer (already taught)
Anger · Sadness · Fear · Joy · Disgust
Second Layer (Snowballs)
Comparison · Doubt · Worry · Rumination · Overwhelm
Coming Next
Loneliness · Shame · Grief · and more — each with their own character, workbook, and modules.
How It Works
One shared language for the school day.
Start with the story, name the feeling through a character, and keep the same words available when children need them.
01
Read the story
Children meet the characters through a story, not a lesson plan.
02
Name the feeling
The character gives children a simple way to point to what is happening inside.
03
Use it in real moments
Teachers can bring the language back during check-ins, conflict, reflection, and home conversations.
The Emotional Compass
The Snowball Scale in Your Classroom
Four levels. From a Flurry to an Avalanche. No words required. When a child holds up an Avalanche card, you know before anyone speaks.
Three Blizzard check-ins before 9am tells you something before anyone explains. The scale turns emotional data into a classroom-level signal — instantly, silently, daily.
Meet the Cast
The 5 Snowball Characters
Every teacher recognizes these children. Snowballs gives each of them a character they can point to and say: "That one. That's what I'm feeling."
Not-Yet
Doubt · Growth · Becoming
The child who says 'I'm fine' but isn't. Hides behind a mask. Won't ask for help. Believes everyone else can do it and they never will.
Iffy
Worry · What-ifs · Uncertainty
The child who worries about the test, the fire drill, the substitute teacher, everything. Asks 'what if?' twelve times before lunch.
Loopy
Rumination · Repetition · Stuck Thoughts
The child who can't let go of the thing that happened at recess. Still thinking about it at 3pm. Goes around and around the same thought until they can't concentrate on anything else.
Over-Ollie
Overwhelm · Shutdown · Freeze
The child who shuts down when there's too much noise, too many instructions, too many feelings at once. Not defiant — drowning. Can't process, can't respond, can't move. Over-Ollie names the freeze so the child doesn't have to.
Try It Yourself
Which Snowball Are You Feeling Right Now?
This is what your students will do every morning — but with a simple card instead of a screen.
❄
Which Snowball Are You Feeling?
Answer 4 quick questions. Find out which Snowball character matches how you're feeling right now.
Clinical & Framework Alignment
Built on Evidence. Aligned with What You Already Use.
Snowballs is not a replacement for your SEL framework. It's a shared emotional language that makes every framework work better.
🎯
CASEL Aligned
Maps to all 5 CASEL core competencies.
📖
Narrative Therapy
The feeling is a character, not the child.
🧠
CBT Principles
Thought identification and cognitive reframing through story.
💛
Somatic Awareness
"Where do you feel your Snowball?" bridges mind and body.
What Educators Say
From Teachers Who've Used Snowballs
“
The first SEL resource my students actually talk about at home. Parents are texting me asking where to buy the book.
MR
Ms. Rodriguez
3rd Grade Teacher
“
I had a student hand me a Blizzard Pass instead of throwing a chair. That's the whole review right there.
MC
Mr. Chen
School Counselor, K-5
“
We tried Second Step. We tried Zones. Snowballs is the first thing our teachers didn't need a training day for.
DW
Dr. Williams
SEL Coordinator, District Level
Testimonials from pilot program participants. Names changed for privacy.
Available now
Story Books
Ready for classrooms, libraries, and counseling rooms.
Hardcover and board book editions are ready for classroom read-alouds, counseling rooms, school libraries, and family engagement gifts. Buy now through Shopify checkout, or request school pricing below for larger orders.
Hardcover
$24.99
Snowballs: Big Feels, Small Talk
A durable keepsake edition for school libraries, classroom circles, counseling spaces, and repeated read-aloud moments.
Board Book
$16.99
Snowballs: Big Feels, Small Talk
A sturdy board book edition for younger hands, small-group reading, and everyday moments when feelings need simple words.
School Pricing
Classroom purchasing is handled by request.
Bulk book orders, classroom materials, and pilot options are confirmed with the Snowballs team.
Need books for a classroom or school library?
For school libraries, grade teams, or larger classroom orders, request pricing so the team can confirm the right quantity, delivery timing, and purchasing path.
Request Bulk PricingNeed school pricing?
School purchasing is by request.
Tell us your school size, grade levels, and how you want to use Snowballs. We'll follow up with the right pilot or purchasing option.
POs, budget cycles, and grant funding all accepted.
Request School PricingPilot Program
Classroom Pilot Program
Help children learn how to investigate comparison, self-doubt, and difficult emotions before they become bigger problems.
School pilot information
A focused classroom pilot, kept simple.
The pilot introduces the Snowballs language through Foundation and Compare Bear, with classroom materials teachers can use without a long training process.
- Designed for 12 weeks
- Foundation + Compare Bear
- World Maps, Investigation Materials, and Recognition
- Teacher's guide
- Investigation Markers
Start the pilot
Apply for a classroom pilot
Tell us about your classroom and we'll follow up with fit, timing, and next steps.
FAQ
Questions Educators Ask
Bring Snowballs to Your School
Every path leads to the same place — a classroom full of children who finally have words for what they feel.
School purchasing
Request a Quote
Tell us what you need for your school, grade team, or library. We'll follow up with the right purchasing path. POs accepted.