Top 20 'Emotion-Exploring' Play Activities to introduce for toddlers learning to name their big feelings - Goh Ling Yong
Welcome to the wild, wonderful, and sometimes bewildering world of toddlerhood! If you’ve ever witnessed a full-blown meltdown because you cut a sandwich into squares instead of triangles, you know that toddlers are brimming with big feelings. These intense emotions can feel overwhelming, not just for our little ones, but for us, too. The crying, the stomping, the sudden shifts from sunny joy to stormy rage—it’s all a normal part of their development. They have a rich inner world, but they lack the vocabulary to describe what’s happening inside.
That’s where we come in. Our job isn’t to stop the feelings, but to give our children the tools to understand and name them. This is the foundation of emotional intelligence, a skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Here on the Goh Ling Yong blog, we believe that one of the most powerful ways to teach these essential lessons is through something toddlers do best: play. Play is their language, and by speaking it, we can help them build a robust emotional vocabulary, one giggle, one silly face, and one creative mess at a time.
Forget flashcards and formal lessons. We’re diving into a treasure chest of simple, fun, and connection-building activities that seamlessly weave social-emotional learning into your everyday routine. These aren't about adding more to your already full plate; they're about transforming moments you already have into powerful learning opportunities. Ready to turn playtime into "feelings time"? Let's explore 20 fantastic emotion-exploring activities for your toddler.
1. The Magic Feelings Mirror
This is one of the simplest yet most effective activities for helping toddlers connect an emotion to a facial expression. All you need is a mirror (a shatterproof one is best) and a few minutes to be silly with your child. It’s a wonderful way to build self-awareness and visual recognition of different feelings.
Sit in front of the mirror with your toddler on your lap. Start making different emotional faces and naming them clearly. Say, "Look! Mommy is making a happy face. See my big smile?" Then, encourage them to copy you. "Can you show me your happy face?" Move on to other emotions like sad (pouty lip, downturned eyebrows), surprised (wide eyes, open mouth), and angry (furrowed brow, tight lips).
Pro-Tip: Make it a game! Ask, "Where did your smile go when you made a sad face?" or "What happens to your eyebrows when you feel surprised?" This helps them notice the specific physical changes that come with each feeling, grounding the abstract concept in a physical reality they can see and feel.
2. Feelings Charades
Get ready to get dramatic! Feelings Charades turns emotional expression into a fun, physical game. It encourages toddlers to use their whole bodies to show a feeling, which can be a powerful outlet and a great way to learn.
Start by acting out an emotion yourself without saying the word. For "angry," you might stomp your feet and cross your arms. For "excited," you could jump up and down and clap your hands. After you perform, ask your toddler, "What feeling was that?" Once they get the hang of it, let them take a turn acting out a feeling for you to guess.
Pro-Tip: Keep it simple with core emotions at first: happy, sad, angry, surprised, and scared. As your child's emotional vocabulary grows, you can introduce more nuanced feelings like frustrated, proud, or shy. This activity is perfect for burning off a little energy before naptime.
3. Story Time with an Emotional Lens
You’re likely already reading to your toddler every day, so this is an easy one to integrate. Simply shift the focus of your story time slightly to include a running commentary on how the characters might be feeling. This teaches empathy and shows them that everyone—even their favorite book characters—has feelings.
As you read, pause and point out the expressions on the characters' faces. Ask open-ended questions like, "Oh look, the little bear is crying. How do you think he’s feeling right now?" or "The girl got a new puppy! Look at her big smile. She looks so excited!" Connecting the events of the story to the emotional reactions helps your toddler understand cause and effect.
Example: When reading The Gruffalo, you can say, "The little mouse looks a bit scared here. His eyes are so wide!" or "Look how proud the Gruffalo looks when he scares the other animals!"
4. Puppet Power
Puppets provide a safe and playful way for children to explore complex emotions. Sometimes, a toddler might find it easier to express a feeling through a puppet than to talk about it themselves. The puppet acts as a buffer, creating a low-pressure environment for emotional expression.
Use hand puppets or even just socks with drawn-on faces. Create a short, simple skit. Maybe one puppet is sad because the other puppet took its toy. You can voice one puppet saying, "I feel so sad you took my block." Then, you can help the puppets talk through the problem and the feeling. This is a fantastic way to model conflict resolution and empathy.
Pro-Tip: Let your child lead the puppet show. See what scenarios and feelings they naturally bring up. This can give you incredible insight into what’s on their mind or what social situations they might be trying to process.
5. Painting and Drawing Feelings
Art is a classic outlet for emotional expression. For a toddler who doesn’t have the words, colors and shapes can become a powerful language. This activity is less about creating a masterpiece and all about the process of translating an internal feeling into something external and visible.
Set out some paper and crayons, paint, or chalk. You can start by suggesting a feeling and a color. "Let's draw what angry feels like. Maybe angry is a big, red scribble? What do you think?" or "How about we paint a happy picture? I’m going to use bright yellow for my happy sun."
Pro-Tip: Don't overly direct them. Let them choose their own colors and make their own marks. The goal is simply to link the act of creating with the concept of emotion. You can talk about their creation afterward: "Wow, you used a lot of blue on this page. Tell me about your picture."
6. Play-Doh Emotion Sculptures
The tactile nature of Play-Doh makes it a perfect medium for exploring feelings. Squishing, rolling, and pounding the dough can be incredibly therapeutic and a great way to release physical tension associated with emotions like anger or frustration.
Give your toddler a few different colors of Play-Doh. You can roll out flat "faces" and then use small bits of dough to create eyes, mouths, and eyebrows that show different feelings. Make a happy face with a big upward smile, a sad face with a downturned mouth and teardrops, or a surprised face with a round, open mouth.
Example: As you make a grumpy face, you can say, "This little guy is feeling grumpy today. His mouth is all tight like this. Let's squish him up and make him feel happy again!" This shows that feelings can change.
7. The Feelings Weather Report
This creative activity uses a concept toddlers are familiar with—the weather—to explain the changing nature of emotions. It helps them understand that feelings come and go, and that it’s okay to have "stormy" days as well as "sunny" ones.
Create a simple chart with weather symbols: a sun (happy), a cloud (sad), a raincloud (crying/very sad), a thundercloud (angry), and a rainbow (calm/peaceful). Each morning, you can ask your toddler, "What is your emotional weather like today?" They can point to the symbol that best fits their mood.
Pro-Tip: You can also use this language in the moment. If they’re having a tantrum, you might say, "It looks like you’re having a big thunderstorm of feelings right now. That’s okay. The storm will pass, and the sun will come out again."
8. Music and Moods
Music has a direct line to our emotions. Use this to your advantage by creating a "feelings playlist." This activity helps toddlers connect different types of sounds and tempos with different emotional states.
Play a variety of music and encourage your toddler to move their body in a way that matches the sound. For a slow, sad piece of classical music, you might move slowly and curl up in a ball. For an upbeat, happy pop song, you can jump, dance, and spin. Talk about it as you go: "This music makes me feel so energetic and happy! It makes me want to dance!"
Example Playlist:
- Happy/Excited: "Happy" by Pharrell Williams
- Sad/Calm: "Clair de Lune" by Debussy
- Angry/Energetic: A fast-paced drum solo or instrumental rock song
- Silly: "The Goldfish" by Laurie Berkner
9. Emotion Sorting Bins
This activity combines color recognition, sorting skills, and emotional learning. Designate a color for a few key emotions—for example, yellow for happy, blue for sad, red for angry, and green for calm.
Get a few small bins or bowls and label them with a simple drawing of the corresponding feeling face. Then, give your toddler a bowl of mixed-color items like pom-poms, LEGO bricks, or large buttons. Ask them to sort the items into the correct "feeling bin." As they sort, you can talk about each feeling. "You’re putting all the red pom-poms in the angry bowl. What makes you feel angry sometimes?"
Pro-Tip: This is a great quiet-time activity that reinforces the idea that different feelings are distinct and can be separated and identified.
10. Build a Calm-Down Corner
This isn't just an activity, but the creation of a permanent resource in your home. A "Calm-Down Corner" is a safe, cozy space where your child can go when they feel overwhelmed. The act of creating it together introduces the concept of self-regulation in a positive way.
Find a quiet corner and fill it with comforting items. Think soft pillows, a weighted blanket, some favorite board books, a sensory bottle (glitter jar), and maybe a few soft toys. Introduce it to your child when they are calm. Explain, "This is our cozy corner. When you have a really big feeling, like anger or sadness, you can come here to feel safe and calm down."
Important: Never use the calm-down corner as a punishment or a "time-out" spot. It should always be a positive, safe space that they can choose to go to on their own.
11. The "If You're Happy and You Know It" Remix
Take this classic children's song and give it an emotional makeover! Singing is a joyful and memorable way to teach concepts. By swapping out "happy" for other feelings, you normalize the entire spectrum of human emotion.
Sing the song with different verses:
- "If you're angry and you know it, stomp your feet..."
- "If you're sad and you know it, have a cry..." (This validates crying as a healthy response!)
- "If you're surprised and you know it, say 'Oh my!'..."
- "If you're excited and you know it, wiggle all around..."
Pro-Tip: Ask your toddler for ideas! "What should we do if we're feeling silly?" This encourages their creativity and ownership of the game.
12. Narrate Their World
This is an ongoing activity that you can do anytime, anywhere. It involves being your toddler's "emotional narrator." When you see them experiencing something, put a name to the feeling you think they might be having. This helps them connect the word to their internal experience in real-time.
For example, if they successfully stack a tower of blocks, you can say, "Wow, you did it! You look so proud of your tall tower." If another child takes their toy at the park, you can say, "It looks like you feel sad and frustrated that she took your shovel."
Important: Frame it as an observation, not a declaration. Using phrases like "It looks like..." or "I wonder if you're feeling..." gives them space to disagree and helps them feel understood, not told what they are feeling.
13. Feelings Photo Album
Create a simple photo album or board book filled with pictures of familiar faces—mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, and of course, your toddler—displaying a range of emotions. Real faces are incredibly powerful learning tools for young children.
Flip through the album together and talk about the pictures. "Look, here’s a picture of Grandma laughing. She looks so happy." or "In this photo, you were crying after you fell down. You felt very hurt and sad." This helps them see that the people they love and trust experience the same big feelings they do.
Pro-Tip: Include photos of yourself! Modeling your own emotional vulnerability is a powerful lesson. "Here's Mommy looking tired. I was very sleepy that day."
14. The Worry Monster
Anxieties and fears can be big and scary for toddlers. A "Worry Monster" is a playful tool that externalizes these fears, making them feel more manageable. Create or buy a small box or stuffed toy with a zippered mouth.
Explain to your toddler that this is a friendly monster who loves to eat worries. When your child is feeling scared or worried (perhaps about the dark or a new babysitter), they can "feed" their worry to the monster. They can either whisper the worry to the monster or you can help them draw a picture of their fear to put inside. This symbolic act can be incredibly comforting.
Pro-Tip: Check on the Worry Monster later. You can tell your child, "The Worry Monster gobbled up that worry about the dark. It's all gone now!" This reinforces the idea that fears can be overcome.
15. Sensory Bin Feelings Hunt
Combine sensory play with emotional discovery. Fill a sensory bin with a base like rice, sand, or water beads. Then, hide "feeling faces" inside for your toddler to find. You can use emotion flashcards, small painted stones, or laminated pictures.
As your toddler digs through the bin and discovers a face, they can name the emotion. "You found the surprised face! Can you make a surprised face, too?" This adds an element of fun and anticipation to learning about feelings.
Pro-Tip: You can pair this with the emotion sorting jars. As they find a face in the sensory bin, they can place it in the corresponding colored jar.
16. Building Block Emotions
Playing with blocks is a natural way to experience and process a whole range of feelings, especially frustration. Use these moments as teaching opportunities.
When a carefully built tower inevitably comes crashing down, your toddler will likely feel frustrated or angry. Instead of rushing to fix it or dismiss the feeling, validate it. Say, "Oh no, your tower fell! That is so frustrating. It’s okay to feel angry when that happens." You can then model a healthy response, like taking a deep breath before starting to build again.
Pro-Tip: You can also build towers to represent feelings. "Let's build a small, wobbly 'scared' tower, and now a big, strong 'brave' tower!"
17. A Daily Feelings Check-In
Make talking about feelings a normal and expected part of your daily routine. This could be at the breakfast table, during the drive to daycare, or as part of your bedtime ritual. It normalizes emotional conversation and shows your child that their feelings matter.
Keep it simple. Ask, "How are you feeling in your heart today?" or use the "Weather Report" chart mentioned earlier. Share your own feelings, too, in a child-appropriate way. "Mommy is feeling a little tired today, but I'm also so happy to be eating breakfast with you."
Pro-Tip: This simple ritual, as I've mentioned in my talks inspired by experts like Goh Ling Yong, is a cornerstone of building a family culture where emotions are openly and safely discussed.
18. The "Feeling" Song
Create a simple, repetitive song that you can sing together to name and validate feelings in the moment. The tune can be something simple and familiar, like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
The lyrics could be:
"I have a feeling, yes I do.
I have a feeling, how about you?
Right now I’m feeling [insert feeling word],
Feeling [insert feeling word] all day through."
When you see your child is happy, you can sing, "...feeling HAPPY..." When they are sad, you can softly sing, "...feeling SAD..." This musical acknowledgement can be very soothing and validating for a small child.
19. Dollhouse Social Stories
A dollhouse is a mini-world where you can safely role-play tricky social situations. This allows your toddler to practice navigating complex emotions and social cues from a third-person perspective, which is less intimidating.
Set up a scenario. Maybe one doll wants to play alone, but another doll keeps trying to join in. You can talk through it: "This dolly feels like being quiet by herself right now. This other dolly looks a little sad because she wants to play. What could she do?" You can model solutions like asking politely, finding another toy, or waiting for a turn.
Pro-Tip: This is a fantastic way to prepare for upcoming social events like a birthday party or the first day of preschool, acting out what might happen and how they might feel.
20. Give Feelings a Physical Form
For toddlers, abstract concepts are hard. Make feelings more concrete by giving them a physical representation. You could use different colored scarves or play silks.
For example, a red scarf could be "anger." When your toddler is angry, you can get out the red scarf and say, "Here is your anger. It’s okay to have it. Let's wave it around really fast!" A blue scarf could be "sadness," something soft to hold and cuddle when they're feeling down. A yellow one could be "joy," perfect for dancing with. This helps them see feelings as temporary energies that move through them, not as something that defines them.
The Journey of a Thousand Feelings Begins with a Single Word
Whew! That’s a lot of playtime inspiration, but remember, you don’t need to do them all. The goal is to sprinkle these moments of emotional exploration into your life in a way that feels natural and joyful for both you and your toddler. Start with one or two activities that resonate with you and see where the play takes you.
Teaching our children to name their big feelings is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. It's the first step toward emotional regulation, empathy, resilience, and strong mental health. By using the power of play, you are building a foundation of emotional intelligence that will support them long after the toddler tantrums have faded into fond memories. You are giving them a map and a language for their inner world, and that is a truly profound thing.
I’d love to hear from you! Which of these emotion-exploring activities are you excited to try first with your little one? Do you have any other favorites that aren't on this list? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below! Let's build a community of emotionally-aware families together.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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