Emotion Charades
Act out emotions without words and guess what the other person is feeling to build emotional literacy.
Feelings and Emotion Activities for Toddlers
Activities that help toddlers name, recognise, and express emotions — through drawing, charades, songs, puppets, and games. Emotional literacy is one of the most valuable skills you can build early, and play is the best way in.
These work best when things are calm — not mid-meltdown. Build emotional vocabulary during relaxed moments so your child has the words when big feelings arrive.
Age:
Energy:
12activities
Emotion Face Drawing
Draw simple faces together — happy, sad, angry, scared — and name each emotion, building the vocabulary children need to express how they feel.
Emotion Stamp and Stomp
When big feelings hit, stomp feet, stamp hands, and SHOUT the name of the feeling — turning biting urges into a full-body emotion release.
Feelings Check-In Cards
Draw simple emotion faces on cards and check in throughout the day — 'Which face matches how you feel right now?'
Feelings Colour Splodge
Link colours to feelings and splodge paint onto paper to show how you feel — messy, expressive, and no drawing skill needed.
Feelings Face Drawing
Draw simple circle faces showing different emotions together.
Feelings Face Game
Show happy, sad, and angry faces — name each one and ask 'How does teddy feel?'
Feelings Song Circle
Sing simple songs about emotions — matching happy, sad, angry, and calm faces to melodies that help your toddler name what they feel.
Feelings Weather Report
Help your toddler name their emotions by matching them to weather — sunny for happy, rainy for sad, stormy for angry.
Mirror Feelings Faces
Pull happy, sad, and surprised faces in a mirror together — naming emotions your child can see on their own face.
Puppet Feelings Theatre
Use sock puppets to act out everyday feelings — happy, sad, cross, scared — helping your toddler name and understand big emotions.
What Is Our Pet Feeling?
Watch the family pet together and narrate its emotions — building emotional vocabulary through observation.
Common questions
How do I teach my toddler about feelings?
Name emotions as they happen — ‘you look really frustrated’ or ‘that made you happy!’ Then build on that with play: feelings faces, emotion charades, puppet stories, and drawing how they feel. The goal is giving them words for what they already experience.
What is emotion charades for toddlers?
Emotion charades is a simple game where you act out a feeling — happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised — using only your face and body, and your child guesses the emotion. Then swap roles. It builds emotional recognition and is a natural way to practise naming feelings.
At what age do toddlers understand emotions?
Toddlers start recognising basic emotions (happy, sad, angry) from around 18 months. By 2–3 years they can name a few feelings, and by 3–4 they begin to understand that other people have feelings too. Activities that practise naming and acting out emotions support this natural development.