As caregivers, we know how overwhelming it can feel when our little ones experience big emotions and physical sensations like anger, fear, or excitement. Their bodies are still learning how to process these sensations, and they often look to us for guidance. Together, let’s explore five strategies that can help create emotional awareness and support our children in navigating these moments with confidence and calm.
1. Emotion Charades
How to play:
Write different emotions on slips of paper (e.g., happy, sad, scared, excited).
Take turns drawing a slip and acting out the emotion without words.
The others guess the emotion.
Skills Strengthened: Improves emotional recognition and empathy by connecting physical expressions to feelings.
2. Emotion Detective
How to play:
Pretend to be detectives searching for "clues" about emotions.
Observe facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice in each other, characters in books, or favorite TV shows.
Discuss: "What clues tell us they’re happy/sad/frustrated?"
Skills Strengthened: Enhances emotional observation, empathy, and the ability to interpret nonverbal cues.
3. The Feelings Weather Report
How to play:
Ask your child, “What’s your feelings weather like today?”
Example: “Is it sunny (happy)? Stormy (angry)? A bit cloudy (confused)?”
Let them draw their “emotional weather” or describe it out loud.
Talk about how the weather might change and how to prepare (e.g., “What can we do if it’s stormy?”).
Skills Strengthened: Encourages emotional self-awareness, expression, and understanding of the changing nature of feelings.
4. Sensory Matching Game
How to play:
Create cards with emotions (e.g., angry, excited, nervous) and cards with body sensations (e.g., fast heartbeat, sweaty hands, butterflies in the stomach).
Have kids match the emotion to the physical sensation they think fits.
Discuss times they’ve felt that way and coping strategies.
Skills Strengthened: Builds interoceptive awareness (recognizing body signals) and strengthens the connection between physical sensations and emotions.
5. Emotion Freeze Dance
How to play:
Play music and let the kids dance freely.
Pause the music and call out an emotion.
Kids freeze and strike a pose or facial expression that matches the emotion (e.g., arms crossed and frowning for angry, jumping and grinning for excited).
Skills Strengthened: Develops emotional recognition, body-mind connection, and the ability to express feelings through movement.
6. The Calm Cup
How to play:
Create a cup filled with slips of paper, each with a calming activity (e.g., “Take 3 deep breaths,” “Give a big hug,” “Stretch like a star,” or “Count to 10”).
When big emotions arise, let the child pull a slip from the Calm Cup and try the activity together.
Add sensory items (like a fidget toy or stress ball) for extra fun.
Skills Strengthened: Teaches calming techniques, self-regulation, and positive coping strategies through playful practice.
7. Feelings Storytime
How to play:
Read a book or make up a story together.
Pause at key moments and ask, “How do you think this character feels?” or “What would you do if you felt this way?”
Encourage kids to create their own stories with characters experiencing different emotions.
Skills Strengthened: Boosts emotional vocabulary, empathy, and perspective-taking through storytelling.
8. Emotion Sculpting
How to play:
Ask kids to sculpt emotions out of clay or play-dough (e.g., “What does anger look like? What about happiness?”).
Encourage them to explain their sculptures and what emotions feel like to them.
Use the sculptures as conversation starters to discuss coping strategies.
Skills Strengthened: Encourages creative expression, emotional articulation, and self-awareness through hands-on play.
Games like these are more than just fun—they’re powerful tools for strengthening emotional awareness, regulation, and connection. By playing together, we can help our children build essential life skills in a way that feels engaging and joyful.
Learn More & Connect
Have you entered our latest giveaway? Enter HERE!
Check out our Infant & Child CPR & Choking First Aid Class HERE!
Have questions? Message us on Instagram!