Little people have big emotions! It is so important to allow toddlers to appropriately express their feelings and emotions that they don’t fully understand. Sometimes as adults, we need reminders to be patient with our toddlers and understand that they are learning how to process their emotions and understand their feelings. It is important to teach children about emotions so as they grow and become more mature, they can handle their feelings and strong emotions in a positive way.
1. Making Faces with Food
It’s time to let your child actually play with their food! For this activity, you can use rice cakes and spread peanut butter, raisins, veggies, or chocolate chips to make facial expressions such as happy, sad, or angry faces. This is a very yummy way to learn about emotions!
Learn More: Child Fun
2. Paper Plate Puppets
A fun way to teach toddlers about facial expressions is by using paper plate puppets. You will give each child a paper plate that has a smiley face on one side and a sad face on the other. You will share scenarios that prompt happy or sad feelings and discuss them.
Learn More: Child Fun
3. Feeling Wheel
Creating a feeling wheel is a great way to explore all the toddler’s emotions. It includes feeling hungry, shy, sleepy, surprised, sick, happy, sad, angry, funny, and nervous. Your child can select the emotion and corresponding picture to share how they are feeling.
Learn More: Etsy
4. Feelings Flashcards
Feeling flashcards are a helpful way to teach young children about their emotions. These flashcards represent 40 different emotions. It is a simple activity that will help your toddler to recognize the wide range of emotions they feel.
Learn More: Amazon
5. Paper Plate Emotion Masks
Paper Plate Emotion Masks help identify overwhelming emotions that toddlers may feel. It will guide them to see a representation of emotions and match them with facial expressions and feelings.
Learn More: Play Inspired Mum
6. Read Books About Feelings Together
Books are great resources to start the discussion about feelings with your child. There are several titles to choose from, including, “Lots of Feelings” by Shelley Rotner and more. Books are also an effective way to share illustrations of feelings and bond with your child.
Learn More: Zero To Three
7. A Little Spot of Feelings
A Little Spot of Feelings comes with 9 plush toys and a corresponding activity book. This set will encourage your child to process negative emotions as well as positive emotions in a fun and engaging, hands-on way.
Learn More: Amazon
8. Feeling Labels
Labeling feelings is an effective method of validating your toddler’s feelings. Some ways children can learn about feeling labels are through activities such as making cards for feelings or putting together feelings puzzles.
Learn More: Kidlutions
9. Learn About Feelings Activity Set
This learning about feelings activity set is a great way to teach toddlers and preschoolers about feelings. They can learn about emotions and even explore their playful feelings too. Overall, this is an awesome resource to learn social-emotional skills while playing a fun game with family and friends.
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10. Emotion Matching Game
Does your toddler enjoy matching games? This emotion matching game includes free emotion cards that will allow children to understand emotions using facial features. This activity will cognitively challenge children while engaging them in game-based learning and using motor skills.
Learn More: Outside The Toy Box
11. Emotion Bingo
Emotion Bingo is a fun idea for teaching children self-regulation and emotion identification. It is also beneficial in practicing visual motor and fine motor skills. During the game, you may find opportunities to allow your little one to ask you questions about feelings or share their current emotions.
Learn More: Your Therapy Source
12. Emotion Puppets
Creating emotion puppets will be an engaging way to teach your toddlers about emotions while making an awesome craft. Your child will learn about facial expressions and expressing feelings through color. This is a creative activity that can help with teaching your child about emotions. How cute are these puppets?!
Learn More: Montessori From The Heart
12. Emotions Puzzle
This is another excellent emotion game in which children will match the top and bottom portions of the face. They will choose from a wide array of emotions to identify the matching sets. This is a fun activity for your little one to learn matching and emotions simultaneously.
Learn More: Montessori From The Heart
13. My Feelings: My Choices Flip Book
Flip books are the perfect idea for young children to use because they are easy to navigate, and you can draw on them with dry-erase markers. My Feelings: My Choices Flip Book allows children to identify their feeling using the feelings chart and find the corresponding page number.
Learn More: Etsy
14. Feelings & Emotions Printable Pack
This printable pack includes a feelings thermometer, feelings wheel, feeling color chart, feelings list, and feelings alphabet. You can use these with your child on a daily basis to discuss feelings. These activities will promote emotional regulation and emotional expression. Even simple games can make a big difference.
Learn More: Etsy
15. Emotion Board Game
The emotion board game is a fun social-emotional activity for children to interact and have fun playing board games while they learn about feelings and emotions. All of these game pieces are printable so you can have them downloaded and printed in minutes.
Learn More: Etsy
16. Feelings Flip Chart
Modeling the feelings flip chart with your child will promote conversations about emotions. I recommend taking turns with your child to identify emotions on the chart and selecting the most appropriate follow-up action. This is a great activity that will open the discussion about emotions with your little one.
Learn More: Amazon
17. Puppy Matching Emotion Game
The puppy matching emotion game uses super cute emotion characters to teach toddlers about communication skills and facial expressions. If you have a toddler who loves puppies, you may want to check out this printable activity.
Learn More: Etsy
18. Feelings Charades
Who is ready for a fun game of charades? I know I am! Playing feelings charades will help little ones identify and process emotions and how other people express their feelings. As a result, children will start to be more accepting and understand other people’s feelings.
Learn More: Centervention
19. StoryBots Super Songs about Emotions
This StoryBots Super Songs video is perfect for teaching your toddler about emotions. Teaching emotions with songs can enable your child to understand emotions in a different way. After watching this video with your child, discuss how your child is feeling along with calming skills.
Learn More: Netflix Jr.
20. Circle Time Feelings
Circle time is the perfect time to talk to your little ones about how they are feeling. As the day is starting, children can share what is on their minds. I love the idea of taking pictures of your child with different expressions and having them pick one to share.
Learn More: No Time For Flashcards
21. Stack and Build Emotion Kids
Stack and build emotion kids is a great tool to help teach children about body language. It is important to understand interpreting body language to identify how someone may be feeling. This will help with friendship skills and developing empathy.
Learn More: Lakeshore Learning
22. Calm Down Mini Book
Check out this free printable calm down a mini book that serves as a reminder for your child of the positive choices they can make when they are feeling sad or angry. Some of the choices include asking for a hug, counting to five, and taking deep breaths.
Learn More: The Mommy View
23. Calm Down Cubes
Calm down cubes are a fantastic and fun way to assist your child with regulating their emotions. The calm down cubes include 12 different soothing strategies such as, “hug a toy”, “draw a picture”, and my personal favorite, “dance it out”.
Learn More: Lakeshore Learning
24. Affirmation Station
Incorporating an affirmation station in your home or school is very beneficial for children of all ages. This special place is set up with a mirror and words of affirmation to remind your child of positive thoughts and feelings when they are feeling down. What a confidence booster, too!
Learn More: Etsy
25. Cosmic Kids Yoga: Exploring Feelings
My children can’t get enough of Cosmic Kids Yoga. This particular episode is about exploring feelings. Children will learn about feelings, emotions, and how to appropriately channel their energy using fun yoga poses.
Learn More: Cosmic Kids Yoga
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