Feelings Games for Preschoolers

Emotional intelligence is a vital skill that can help preschoolers succeed academically and socially. It is the ability to recognize and manage one’s emotions and empathize with others. Developing emotional intelligence can be achieved through playing feelings games for preschoolers, which are educational and fun.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FEELINGS GAMES FOR PRESCHOOLERS?

Feelings games for preschoolers are essential for the emotional development of young children. By teaching children about their emotions, these games help them to understand and manage their big emotions in a healthy and constructive way. They learn to identify and express their emotions, which in turn helps them to communicate their needs and desires effectively.

These emotions activities also encourage children to empathize with others and develop social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and problem-solving. Through play-based activities, preschoolers can learn to manage their emotions and develop a strong sense of self-awareness, which is critical for their overall well-being and success in life.

EMOTIONS MATCHING GAME

The emotions matching game is a simple but effective way to help preschoolers identify and name different emotions. You can make your own emotions cards by printing pictures of people displaying different emotions, or you can purchase a pre-made set. Spread the cards out on a table or the floor, and ask your child to match the emotions.

These card games can help your child develop emotional literacy and empathy as they begin to understand that other people experience a range of emotions. With the use of vocabulary surrounding different emotions, young children can learn to identify, name, and recognize emotions.

FEELING FACES GAME

The feeling faces game is a visual game that helps preschoolers develop their observational skills and ability to read facial expressions, which is crucial for emotional intelligence. To play this game, cut out different facial expressions from magazines or print them off the internet. You can then ask your child to identify what emotion the face is displaying. Is it a silly face? Sad face? Happy face?

You can also have them make emotion masks with paper plates, markers, crayons, buttons, and any other supplies you can find.  Making crafts that display emotions is a fun way to learn about and express emotional experiences.

Try this Silly Faces Game. Put on or remove clothespins of different emotional faces to win the game.

EMOTIONS CHARADES

Charades is a classic game that most people are familiar with. You can put a twist on this game by playing emotions charades. To play this game, write down different emotions on slips of paper, and put them in a hat. One player chooses a slip of paper and acts out the emotion, while the other players guess what emotion they are displaying.

Playing emotions charades can help preschoolers learn how to express emotions in a healthy way, read nonverbal cues, and identify and regulate their emotions, which are all essential components of emotional intelligence.

Emotions charades also gets kids up and moving.  Movement games for preschoolers are so important to their well-being, so giving this movement game an emotion theme is an even better way to help your students!

EMOTIONS BOARD GAMES

Board games are an interactive way to teach preschoolers about emotions. You can create your own board game by drawing different emotions on the board and creating cards with different scenarios that elicit those emotions. For example, a card might read “You won first place in a race. How do you feel?” The player then moves their game piece to the corresponding emotion on the board.

The emotions board game can help preschoolers learn about different emotions and how they are expressed in various situations. They can learn about social-emotional development and self-control.

EMOTIONS JENGA

Jenga is a fun game that can be adapted to teach preschoolers about emotions. To play emotions Jenga, write different emotions on each Jenga block. When a player removes a block, they must identify the emotion and either talk about a time they felt it or act out it.

Playing emotions Jenga is a great activity that can help early childhood learners figure out how to identify different emotions, express them in a healthy way, and regulate their emotions in a fun and interactive way. 

DEEP BREATHING EXERCISE GAMES

Deep breathing exercise games can be a fun and engaging way to introduce the concept of mindfulness for preschoolers and help them learn how to regulate their emotions. These games involve taking slow, deep breaths and focusing on the sensation of the air moving in and out of the body. 

One example of a deep breathing exercise game for preschoolers is “Bubble Breaths,” where children blow bubbles while taking deep breaths in and out. Another example is “Hot Cocoa Breaths,” where children pretend to blow on a cup of hot cocoa to cool it down while taking deep breaths in and out. 

These games can be a great way to teach preschoolers how to calm themselves down and manage their feelings, while also providing a fun and interactive experience.

PLAYING WITH PUPPETS

Playing with puppets can be a wonderful tool for preschoolers to explore their emotions and develop their social skills. By using puppets, children can act out different scenarios and experiment with different emotions in a safe and playful way. They can also practice empathy and communication skills by interacting with other children through their puppets. 

Through puppet play, preschoolers can learn to identify and express their own feelings, as well as recognize and respond to the emotions of others. This type of play can also help children develop their imagination and creativity while having fun and learning important life skills such as friendship and kindness.  Puppets can be such a valuable tool for emotional development and social learning in preschoolers.

Developing emotional intelligence in preschoolers is essential for their success in life. Playing feeling games is an excellent way to help young children develop emotional intelligence while having fun. These feelings and emotions activities can help preschoolers identify and regulate their emotions, develop empathy and social skills, and understand nonverbal cues.