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Emotions are a tricky thing for young children and toddlers. They’re overwhelming and hard to understand. To help teach this tough concept, a variety of games and activities centered on emotions for kids can be used.
Take a Look at These Excellent Emotions for Kids Activities
Playing emotion games with your little one will help them learn about how they are feeling, all while playing. Kids will be able to give the feeling a name and learn how to practice responding to those emotions. These games will help you with teaching your child to identify and express emotions. Below you’ll find 30 resources centered on emotions for kids and how to teach children about emotions.
“When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”
Fred Rogers
Throughout the years, I’ve compiled the best printables for teaching emotions in Emotions Daily Trackers & Games, see it here.
Printables
First, help your child learn that even the big emotions are helpful with this creative emotions wheel. They’ll be able to choose which emotion they’re feeling, and discuss it with leading questions using this free printable.
Next, these printable emotions cards, you can also check out the various memory games that can be played with these beautiful cards!
Thirdly, another helpful printable that is great for kids to use daily: stick up your current emotion on this lego man printable, and complete the “Today I feel…” image.
Teach your child about their different emotions with a stunning personalized emotions game which uses pictures of themselves showing different emotions.
This free emotions emergent reader is great for those children learning to read and identify letters and words. A great book along with picture cards to help your child learn to read about emotions.
Enjoy working through this free printable Monstrous Emotions pack and learn about different facial expressions, while having some coloring fun.
Learn about emotions with this fantastic Emotional Robot 10 page printable pack, and watch your child learn about emotions with this coloring and paper craft adventure!
Similarly, these feelings action cards are an awesome way to get your child moving while expressing emotions. Check out the clever cubes you can make and use them as a game to discuss different emotions!
These 12 emotions flash cards are beautifully designed and are a creative way to teach your child about their emotions. Print them for free!
Additionally, teach your child to create their emotions using a create-a-face activity. It’s a beautiful hands-on activity where your child can build their own faces and discuss the emotion attached to it!
Lastly, this toy emotion learning station is also a great way to change facial expressions on a face with movable parts, while discussing different emotions and feelings!
Book-Inspired Activities
Help your child explore their feelings through color, by using this My Many Colored Feelings activity. It is a great way to get your child to differentiate between different emotions using color.
Your child can learn to understand their different emotions by reading My Many Colored Days by Dr Seuss, and creating their own colorful characters, which they can discuss with you. A cute, creative way to color code emotions.
Your child can make their own Pout Pout Fish while reading along with the book. This is a great creative activity full of themes, humor and paint!
Set up a Feelings Center in your home or classroom, and create a safe, creative space where your child can read about and express their emotions.
“I’m convinced that when we help our children find healthy ways of dealing with their feelings, ways that don’t hurt them or anyone else, we’re helping make our world a safer, better place.”
Fred Rogers
Hands-On Ideas for Teaching Emotions to Children
Your child can learn about emotions by building Emotion lego characters, and drawing their expressions on with dry erase pens.
These story stones are a very creative way for your child to create the type of emotion they are feeling, by making a face with stones.
Use plastic eggs to create super cute emotion characters with different emotions drawn on, and play emotion games with your kids to help them learn to identify and name their emotions!
These stress ball balloons are a fun activity for your child to make themselves, and are great for learning emotions as well as giving finger muscles a good workout!
Have lots of creative fun making funny stone rock faces, and mix and match different facial features to create emotions, which you can discuss!
Get creative and make some cute Emotions Discovery Bottles, where each bottle is a different color and has a different emotional expression on it. Very cute and a great way to discuss emotions with your child.
Use your child’s love of LEGOs and build a LEGO emotions station, where you can build different faces showing different emotions. This is a great way to open discussions about emotions with your child!
Use paper plates creatively and make some paper plate emotion masks with your child. This is a fun way to change emotions and discuss them!
Make some emotion faces with doodle rubbings, and get creative with some cardboard and colors while discussing your child’s emotions!
More Feelings Activities
Help your child identify big emotions, and learn through singing songs about emotions! A great way to help them learn to lead you in a song too!
Identify emotions with self portraits and discuss what your child feels and sees while looking in the mirror at their reflection and expressions!
Take a look at these 5 activities to help kids develop emotional sensitivity – from making a face with felt, discussing emotions and imagining different scenarios; there are a lot of ways to teach your child about emotions!
Make a paper plate feelings spinner, and help your child learn about identifying and naming feelings while having loads of fun!
Practice matching emotions labels to feelings faces with this cute activity!
Your toddler can explore colors and emotions with this cute toddler emotion stickers activity!
Books Kids Will Love
Now it’s your turn. What are some of your go-to resources that help with teaching emotional regulation skills for kids? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you and your children.
SNK Creation says
This is very nice post thanks for updating this information. And thanks for your attention to us. I like your blog post.
Scarlet says
I love these printable resources for teaching kids about emotions. It is so important that they learn to recognize and express their feelings.
Mia says
It looks amazing. I’ll definitely try them. For how old children are these activities best suitable? Thank you
Nicolette Roux says
it really depends on the developmental level of the child. The average age is a toddler to kindergarten but there are special needs kids or those with social skill problems that would also use these no matter their age.
shelah says
This is a spectacular collection of activities to help children explore their feelings.