Simple Feelings Charades for Kids
Act out different emotions using face and body while the other person guesses — a playful way to deepen emotional understanding.
What You'll Need
- 1Emotion picture cards (optional, for prompts)
What You'll Need
Optional: emotion picture cards for prompts (not required — you can whisper suggestions instead)
How to Play
Sit facing your child and explain the game: "I'll make a face, and you guess the feeling!"
Start easy — big, exaggerated happy face with your whole body. Arms up, bouncing, huge grin.
When they guess it, celebrate and switch roles: "Your turn! Show me a feeling."
If they're stuck on what to act out, whisper in their ear: "Can you show me scared?"
After each round, connect to real life: "When do you feel happy? What makes you happy?"
Gradually try bigger emotions — surprised, confused, proud, excited, silly.
End with everyone striking their favorite emotion pose for a photo.
Why It Works
Charades takes emotion recognition a step further — from identifying feelings in pictures to producing them with their own face and body. This is active emotional learning. When your child has to show "scared" with their whole body, they're accessing their own experience of fear and representing it externally. That connection between internal feeling and external expression is the heart of emotional intelligence. And the guessing game makes it social and fun.
Tips
Use your whole body, not just your face. Stomp for angry, slump for sad, bounce for excited. Kids read body language before facial subtlety.
Accept any interpretation. If their "angry face" looks more like "confused," that's fine. Talk about the differences.
For younger kids, stick to happy, sad, mad, and scared. For older kids, try jealous, embarrassed, or proud.
Play this in front of a mirror so kids can see their own expressions while performing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this activity take?
This activity takes about 15 min, with 0 min of preparation time beforehand.
What materials do I need?
You'll need: emotion picture cards (optional, for prompts).
What age is this activity for?
This activity is designed for 2-4 years. You can adapt it for younger or older children by adjusting the complexity.
Can this be done indoors or outdoors?
This activity works great both indoors and outdoors, giving you flexibility based on the weather or your space.
How difficult is this activity?
This is an easy activity that requires minimal setup and supervision. Great for busy days or when you need something quick.
Ratings & Reviews
Sign in to leave a rating or review.
Add to Your Weekly Plan
Schedule this activity into your family's week. It takes about 15 min.
Free account required to save plans
Explore More
Love this activity?
Create a free account and add it to your weekly planner. Discover hundreds more activities matched to your child's age.