This article contains Amazon affiliate links which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.
Emotions Activities For Preschoolers
Helping your preschooler build their emotional vocabulary will allow them to recognize emotions in themselves and others, communicate what they need sooner and better, and pave the way for self-regulation earlier on.
Really wonderful things that make for a more balanced state and home life!
In this blog post, I will break down 11 simple emotions activities for preschoolers that you can use to support your child’s emotion recognition, while keeping it positive, fun, and interesting!
The sooner we start talking about emotions with our children, the sooner they can identify them, understand themselves better, and learn healthy ways to handle all their feelings.
As the owner of a Montessori-inspired Playschool for 0-5 year olds, and the mom of twin toddlers, I have helped dozens and dozens of preschoolers name their emotions, identify feelings in others, learn about compassion, kindness, and how to self-soothe!
Let’s get into the 11 emotions activities for preschoolers you can try at home…
You Might Also Like:
How To Teach Your 3 Year Old To Read
Potty Training For First-Timers: Tips You Need To Know To Save Your Sanity
A fun, engaging, and simple way to expose your toddler to emotions, the faces that correlate with those emotions and situations where they might experience the emotions!
This coloring book is a Low Stress Motherhood original, has big bold pictures of facial expressions, and describes 15 key emotions including, fear, excitement, disgust, surprise, love, and frustration.
I created it to help parents introduce emotions to their young children and to start conversations about situations, behaviors and reactions.
Talk with your preschooler as they color, mimic the faces, and have them make the faces too!
This will build their awareness of themselves and others.
With each coloring page, you can talk about ideas on how your child can respond to their emotions in healthy, constructive ways.
I say things like, “How can you help yourself feel better when you’re sad? What are your ideas?”
Potty Training Soon?
Grab my FREE Mindful & Peaceful Potty Training Starter Guide and I’ll walk you through how to prepare your toddler, your mindset, and your space, so everything is far easier!
EVERYTHING you need to know to start potty training with more ease, confidence, and calm.
2. Use A ‘See My Feelings’ Mirror
We keep this mirror in our peace corner spaces. (I highly recommend all families make a peace corner space in their home and learn about how to use it for social-emotional learning, self-soothing, and the like! It’s VERY powerful!)
This mirror is such an excellent way for preschoolers to see and mimic emotions, as well as self-soothe.
Looking in a mirror when you are upset can be very therapeutic!
Built to be unbreakable and shatterproof, this mirror is safe for young children to handle on their own.
There are pictures of real faces, which I love. Your child will be able to learn and identify their emotions from real people.
An excellent, hands on emotions activity for preschoolers!
3. Read Books That Explain Emotions
This is my absolute favorite book for introducing emotions to toddlers and preschoolers!
In simple wording it describes what emotions feel like and when a child might feel that emotion.
All of the preschoolers at my Playschool are drawn to this book and are always engaged when we read it.
It’s an excellent addition to any family’s emotions activities for preschoolers!
I’ll go around to each child and ask, “what makes you feel sad sometimes?”, “what makes you feel so excited sometimes?”
Such a great exercise for really helping them become aware of their emotions and situations that bring those emotions out.
And if you want a book that gives your toddler ideas for what to do when they are having big feelings (instead of hit or push), this book is a great one!
For the most supported, easiest potty training experience possible, check out my Mindful & Peaceful Potty Training Course that has helped hundreds of struggling, stressed moms:
4. Do Sing-A-Long Songs About emotions
Young children with developing brains learn so well from songs!
So naturally, this is one of the best emotions activities for preschoolers!
This sing-a-long song book gives you 12 social-emotional songs to sing with your preschooler to tunes they already know and love like B-I-N-G-O and Frere Jacques.
This book is a regular in our story time rotation, and the children love to see the songs all day!
I love to introduce these songs early, definitely by the time a toddler starts to walk or be more involved in things like play, sharing, taking turns, etc.
You Might Also Like: 25 Awesome Birthday Party Activities For Toddlers
5. Name & Validate Their Emotions Throughout The Day
Simply naming and validating emotions throughout the day can be very powerful with preschoolers (anyone actually!)
We all want to be seen, heard, and understood. And emotions are natural. How each of us experiences them may be more or less intense.
Poster visuals can aid in naming and validating, too.
Using one or both of these two tools totally counts as a great emotions activity for preschoolers!
With preschoolers, I name the emotion for the reason behind a behavior and then tell them why a behavior is not okay, and what to do instead.
For example, “You’re feeling so frustrated sister is knocking over your tower, I know babe, that is frustrating. But hitting is not ok because it’s dangerous. You can say stop and ask mom for help instead. Let’s try again next time.”
You can read this blog post for my 4-step plan on handling tantrums.
Be sure to have conversations with your preschooler in calm moments, not lecture in a heated moment of emotion. Doing this is far less effective, as their brain is not in a place to receive new instructions. It is in a heightened place and in need of assistance getting calm, from a calm person.
I separate the children as needed, take deep breaths with them, then talk when they’re calm.
You can get my script freebie on how to handle big feelings when they can’t have something, leaving the park, taking turns, dropping of at preschool and more, here.
Naming your preschooler’s feelings as they happen throughout the day can help shift your attention from the behavior and to the root cause (which will naturally calm you) AND it can help your child become emotionally aware and think about appropriate ways to react to those emotions.
This ‘wheel of choice’ poster can give you and your preschooler some great ideas of how they can react to their emotions.
Otherwise, simply naming your child’s emotions and helping them calm down so they can behave in an appropriate way, will have them tuning into themselves and self-soothing on their own, sooner!
Research shows that up until about age 8, children’s brains aren’t developed enough to regulate their emotions independently, and in healthy ways. I know many of us adults still struggle with this!
Helping your preschooler calm down and try again, is not ‘rewarding unwanted behavior’, it’s showing them how to help themselves calm down and act in a more appropriate way.
Don’t be afraid to help! Just like riding a bike, you will help them a lot, some, and then less, until they are doing it all on their own.
The difference with emotions though is, they are messy and we, even ad adults, struggle to handle them in graceful ways every time.
Totally normal and natural!
And we can’t expect our children to be any different or perfect at managing them!
Potty Training Soon?
Grab my FREE Mindful & Peaceful Potty Training Starter Guide and I’ll walk you through how to prepare your toddler, your mindset, and your space, so everything is far easier!
EVERYTHING you need to know to start potty training with more ease, confidence, and calm.
6. Play An Emotions Guessing Game
I use this set to play the “find the face if you are…” emotion game.
With this game, preschoolers match the little face plushes to the emotions I name.
I tell my preschoolers, “find the face you would make if you are feeling sad/mad/excited.
Not only does this game build their emotional vocabulary, it is a fun, interactive way to build their recognition of facial expression others make when they are experiencing an emotion.
Most of the children I work with will mimic the faces and share stories about situations when they feel certain emotions.
Just the other day, one of my 3.5 year olds twins said, “I’m crying because I feel sad because daddy was annoyed and yelled at me very loud!”
She could clearly see from his face what his emotion was during their exchange!
Sometimes my twins will remind one another, and us, to ‘take a deep breath in until we feel better’ and to ‘talk nicely to one another or take a break until we can.’
Having preschoolers and toddlers who are emotionally aware does this kind of magic of helping us adults check in with ourselves, our stress management skills, and our behaviors and reactions.
So helpful for a more in-tune, connected, and open family dynamic!
7. Read A Book About Ways They can Help Themselves Calm Down
With all that emotional awareness, it will be nice to provide your preschooler with some coping skills, too!
This is one of the things I do as part of my emotions activities for preschoolers because it gives them a handful of great ideas about how to handle their big feelings, in simple words with big, relatable pictures.
I add some lines here and there, but overall, highly recommend this to parents who are just starting to talk to their preschoolers and toddlers about emotions.
8. Do Kid-Focused Guided Meditation Together
This amazing little tool will help your preschooler reset their vibe and find their calm.
Something we do here at my Playschool (and in my home with my twins!) daily.
Woooosaaaah.
It’s a must-have addition for any family who’s practicing emotions activities for preschoolers!
It’s awesome and wonderful to see young children learning and practicing healthy coping skills!
One of my favorite things to do throughout the day is deep ‘voo breathing’, because it soothes the vagus nerve in our bodies and naturally de-stresses us. It’s truly incredible! Kind of feels like vicks vapor rub in your body.
With ‘9 guided meditation: From A to Zen, this unique patented audio player comes with meditation tracks for sleep, relaxation, breathing, creativity, stillness, empathy, gratitude, and feelings, ranging from 3-15 minutes long’, your preschooler will be able to learn invaluable life-long social-emotional skills!
Whenever I recommend this to parents, they are alwas a little skeptical and then, very pleasantly surprised by how helpful it is in their home with their chlidren!
9. Play An Emotion Card Matching Game
This is such a great emotions activity for preschoolers!
I set out 4-8 cards face up on a tray, depending on the preschooler, so I don’t overwhelm them with too much.
Then, I have a little box or bowl with the matching cards in them, for them to match to the ones on the tray.
This set up is Montessori-inspired.
I sit with them and we talk about emotions while they complete the matching.
If they want more to match, I can swap out the cards and let them go again.
Lots of preschoolers love this hands on game!
And it’s a really great way to expose them to and build their emotional vocabulary!
10. Story Tell With Emotion Puppets
Some preschoolers really love puppets for story time, so they can be a wonderful tool to have for one’s emotions activities for preschoolers!
“Baby blue is feeling so sad that his mommy is saying goodbye at school drop off. Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye. Mom gives him 3 big hugs and 2 kisses on each hand so he can hold them all day!”
“Miss Polly purple is surprised! When you feel the emotion of surprise, your eyes and mouth might open really big like hers! You might also gasp or shout!”
With these puppets, you can introduce emotions, talk about how to handle them, teach lessons, make situations more comfortable, and so much more!
Related: 23 Best Chores For 5 Year Olds
11. Use An Emotional Activity Book With Lots Of Ideas
Never worry about coming up with your own ideas for social-emotional learning, use this book instead!
It can be suitable for toddlers and preschoolers who are just starting to learn about their emotions.
You will find ideas for outdoor chalk play to indoor craft ideas with paper plates!
There are 50 fun, engaging activities in this book, making it a really helpful tool when planning emotions activities for preschoolers!
What Activities Promote Children's Wellbeing?
Allowing your preschooler to learn about emotions as they do any other subject, such as their ABC’s and how to read, will keep things positive.
Often times, parents punish and lecture when a preschooler’s behavior is unacceptable or inappropriate, where teaching, showing, and practicing together, would actually be far more beneficial to the child because they are still *just* learning about and how to manage their emotions.
Once a preschooler can name and recognize feelings, they can begin to learn and practice coping skills that will help them manage their emotions in healthy ways.
Research show us that not until about age 8-9 years old is a child more able to self-regulate, so there are many years of learning, understanding, and practicing required.
Supporting children’s emotional learning in these early years is key to lifelong healthy stress management.
Some top activities that promote children’s wellbeing are:
- Regular exercise or physical activity
- Adequate sleep and rest
- Eating a healthy and balanced diet
- Spending time outdoors and in nature
- Engaging in creative activities they are interested in, such as art or music
- Developing positive relationships with family and friends
- Practicing mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques
What Are 3 Ways Preschoolers Express Their Feelings?
The top 3 ways preschoolers will express their feelings is through:
Behavior / actions – crying, hitting, or laughing
Facial expressions / body language – frowning, smiling, cowering
Words – “I’m sad. I miss mommy.”, “I’m mad brother took my toy!”
How a preschooler feels can drive how they act and behave, whether it be whining for not feeling heard or seen, or constantly pushing their sibling because they feel frustrated or jealous.
When we help preschoolers recognize and name their feelings, not only do we become more aware and in tune with them, but they can start to put into words what they are feeling and come communicate to us what support they need.
Feelings are tricky, yet natural.
And we want our children to come to us when they feel overwhelmed by their feelings, not run away from us and seek support and understanding elsewhere. Doing this can be dangerous as they age, leading to more disconnect and unwanted behaviors.
We don’t get to choose how we experience our emotions or how our children will, but we can help them become aware of them AND aware of how they can help themselves feel better and balanced in healthy ways, and thrive, even with big feelings!
See our mom sweaters, picky eater ebook, playroom decor and more in our Low Stress Motherhood Etsy shop!
What Are Role Play Activities For Emotions?
Role play activities for emotions can be between you and your child, multiple children, or even between dolls!
Here are 3 role play activities for emotions that preschoolers can try:
- Acting out different emotions: Take turns acting out different emotions, such as happy, sad, angry, or surprised, with your preschooler. Encourage them to use facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice to convey the emotion. *Young children can tell SO MUCH from our tone and facial expressions, as these are their first experiences with ‘language’.
- Emotion charades: Use the card game or plush toy game from above and have your preschooler match them to the faces you make/body language you use.
- Role-playing scenarios: Come up with different scenarios that might cause different emotions, such as being left out of a game or receiving a compliment. Have your preschooler take turns acting out the scenario, using de-stressing techniques, and reacting to it with the appropriate behavior.
What Is The Best Way To Teach Kids About Emotions?
How each child will learn best, will vary.
“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” – Heather Morlock (This quote is so powerful!)
Using some of the tools you’ve read about in this blog post will give you an idea of what your child is drawn most to; what speaks to them.
Personally, I like to just talk directly to preschoolers about their emotions and give them ideas on how to handle their emotions in healthy ways.
I use calm, connected moments to do this, not moments when they are have big feelings or misbehaving.
I give preschoolers specific examples and focus on teaching, coaching, supporting, rather than criticizing, name-calling, and punishing.
Preschoolers are far more open and receptive to this, which means they are actually learning and behaviors are changing.
As parents and caregivers, we are helping them establish lifelong habits AND beliefs about themselves, so emotional support and coaching, is an incredibly important thing to highlight!
For example, rather than “bad boy! Hitting is not nice. Why are you hitting your sister?! Be nice or no ipad!”
I would say, “You are hitting your sister and it’s not ok. What are you feeling? Say what you’re feeling and what you need without hitting. Like this – ‘I’m feeling mad because sister keeps knocking over my blocks. I need space.’ Let’s try again.”
I would also chat with them in a calm moment, maybe in the car while we are driving to the park – “Hey babe, you hit your sister a lot when you are playing. Why? How else can you handle your anger? Maybe say ‘I’m angry, please stop’ and then ask me for help if she doesn’t or move away? She’s younger and still learning just like you.”
I give preschoolers ideas and tools, and another chance to try and do the right thing. If they still struggle, I separate them from the situation, and remind them to practice saying XYZ instead of hitting.
This approach works well and is supportive, safe, and fair.
What Are Emotional Skills For 3-4 Year Olds?
Things like recognizing their emotions and knowing how to help themselves cope, are life-changing emotional skills for 3-4 year olds.
Here are 7 emotional skills you can practice with your preschooler:
- Encourage them to express their feelings through words or drawings.
- Teach deep breathing exercises to help calm down when upset.
- Provide comfort items such as a stuffed animal or blanket. (We use a peace corner daily.)
- Offer positive affirmations and praise for good behavior. (Grab my affirmations coloring book for kids to help with this!)
- Teach problem-solving skills and encourage them to find solutions to their problems. (Rather than just dwell in their problem. A growth mindset is life-changing!)
- Provide a safe and supportive environment for them to express their emotions. (And practice healthy ways of working through them together.)
- Encourage physical activity and play to release pent-up energy and emotions. (daily!)
Join hundreds of other relieved moms and learn my exact style of potty training, in my exclusive Mindful & Peaceful Potty Training Course, that walks you through each day of potty training for 10 days, nighttime potty training, poop struggles, regressions, potty training when in daycare, outings and more!
