Feelings Face Mime Game

Step by step

1. 1Print 4 to 6 large face cards (happy, angry, sad, surprised) and sit near a mirror if possible.
2. 2Look at the cards together first and name each feeling using simple words ('look, he's angry').
3. 3Take turns picking a card and naming the emotion. If your child keeps picking the same one, just roll with it—having fun is what counts.
4. 4Make the face together in front of the mirror. Exaggerate and laugh: the sillier and more dramatic, the better.
5. 5Explore together: 'When do you make that face?'. Share your own grown-up examples too ('I feel angry when...').
6. 6Later in the day, bring up the cards when feelings flare ('You're making the angry card face, want to tell me about it?').

What it builds

Naming a big feeling is the first step to calming it down. By picking a face, naming it, and acting it out, your child moves what they feel in their body into words. Exactly what they need during the big tantrum years.