Simple Activities to Help Your Child Identify Their Emotions

Understanding Big Feelings Starts with Small Moments

As a parent, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when your child is overwhelmed. Maybe you’ve seen them throw their homework across the room or burst into tears without warning. Perhaps they shut down and retreat into silence when something doesn’t go their way. These are signs that they’re experiencing emotions they don’t fully understand — and that’s completely normal between the ages of 6 and 12.

This stage of childhood is full of internal change. As kids grow into more complex thinkers, the world expands around them — and so does their emotional landscape. But unlike adults, most children haven’t yet developed the language or self-awareness to process what they’re feeling, let alone express it.

The good news? You don’t need to be a child psychologist (or a superhero) to help. There are gentle, simple ways to make emotions feel less scary and more familiar. And it often starts with creating a space where your child feels safe, seen, and heard.

Start with the Language of Emotions

One of the most effective ways to support your child’s emotional growth is to build their emotional vocabulary. For many kids, emotions feel like an abstract mystery — they know they’re frustrated, but what’s the word for that tight feeling in their chest? Helping them label their emotions can not only reduce stress but also pave the way for healthier communication at home and school.

At home, consider keeping a simple “emotion chart” on the fridge. This can be a homemade color wheel of basic feelings: happy, sad, angry, scared, calm, excited, or overwhelmed. Invite your child to point to how they’re feeling after school or during bedtime routines. You can even point to one yourself to model openness: “I felt a little anxious before my meeting today.”

If your child is resistant to talking, don’t worry. This gentle guide to supporting kids who don’t want to talk about feelings can be a helpful place to start.

Use Creative Expression to Explore Emotions

Not every child wants to talk — and that’s okay. Sometimes the best way to understand what a child is feeling is through play, not probing.

Encourage your child to draw what their anger looks like. What color is sadness? Can you build “joy” out of blocks? Silly as that may sound, these exercises help connect physical sensations and thoughts with recognizable feelings.

Consider creating a small "Feelings Box" at home filled with art materials, emotion cards, puppets, or old magazines. Let your child create their own “feelings story” with drawings or collages. They don’t need to be masterpieces — this is about self-expression and connection.

For auditory learners or kids who like screen-free storytelling, the iOS and Android app LISN Kids can be a valuable tool. It offers original audiobooks and audio series for children aged 3 to 12 that explore feelings through gentle narratives and characters kids can relate to. Whether during a car ride or bedtime wind-down, listening together can open new conversations without pressure.

Connect Emotions to Everyday Life

Recognizing emotions in others is just as important as recognizing them in ourselves. Use everyday opportunities to “see” emotions in real time. When watching a movie or reading a story, pause to ask: “How do you think that character feels right now?” or “What would you feel if that happened to you?”

Bedtime can also be a powerful moment. Ask your child, “What was the hardest part of your day? What was the best part?” These reflections, if timed gently and without judgment, can help them become better observers of themselves.

Not sure how to guide that conversation? These bedtime stories that help children understand their emotions introduce these topics using child-friendly language and scenarios, without making emotions feel like “bad behavior.”

Let Kids Feel Without Fixing

One of the hardest parts of parenting is watching your child struggle and resisting the urge to fix. But part of building emotional intelligence is letting children move through feelings, not around them. That means sitting with frustration instead of pacifying it, or comforting sadness without rushing to cheer them up.

It helps to name this process out loud. For example: “It’s okay to feel disappointed. I feel that way sometimes too. It doesn't feel good, but it’ll pass.” According to recent parenting discussions, children who act out when frustrated often just need space and support to decode overwhelming emotions.

This is not about ignoring big emotions — it’s about validating them while equipping your child with the tools to process what’s going on inside.

Growing Emotional Intelligence One Day at a Time

Teaching kids about emotions doesn’t happen in a single lesson. It’s a continuous, layered process that unfolds in ordinary moments: in the car after school, during a disagreement at dinner, on a walk around the block.

With consistency and compassion, these moments add up to something powerful. You're showing your child that emotions are normal, manageable, and even helpful. Through reflection, creative play, open conversation, and accessible tools like story-based audio content, your child can begin to recognize and name what they feel — which is the first step in learning to manage it.

Not sure where to begin? These foundational tips for helping kids recognize emotions offer more insights for parents just starting this journey. And if your child is at that wonderful, wobbly age of six, you might enjoy exploring these supportive strategies for talking about emotions with 6-year-olds.