Materials
To play the game, you will need some note cards or cut paper into strips, and some markers or crayons. Anything your child would like to color with will work great.
Instructions
1.) First you cut your strips or note cards and write feeling words your child is familiar with. For example, mad, or happy for younger children and angry or excited for older kids. Have your child help you prepare the game and suggest feeling words. A way to prompt this is “hmm, I wonder what kids feel sometimes”, and see if they can think of any feeling words. If your child seems to have a hard time coming up with feeling words, you can add some suggestions such as, “Kids feel happy or mad sometimes”. Then see if they can help add other feeling words to your cards. When writing the feeling words on the cards, you can pair it with a drawing of the feeling and younger children can choose to only draw a face.
2.) Next, place the cards in a container and have your child help you mix them up.
3.) Now you can take turns choosing a feeling word. Remember, if it’s your turn to choose, don’t show anyone your card.
4.) Act out the feeling word and try to only use facial expressions and body language/movements.
5.) Encourage your child to share a moment that day or week they had that feeling. If they have a hard time thinking of a time, you can start by giving an example. (e.g. “I felt mad when my friend couldn’t come to my birthday party.”)
6.) If your child has a hard time understanding the feeling word or doesn’t know how to act it out, you can model it for them first then ask them to try again.
7.) If your child does share a negative or unpleasant feeling, you can choose to validate that by saying “that sounds like that was hard for you” or “Sometimes I feel like that too.”
8.) Remember the focus of this activity is not to problem solve, although this can be done at a later time, but more of a fun way to connect and practice feeling identification.
9.) Have fun!

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