10 Emotional Development Activities Every Preschooler Should Try

Preschool years are a crucial stage in a child’s emotional and social growth. During this time, toddlers and young children begin to recognize their emotions, express their needs, and respond to the feelings of others. While academic learning often receives more attention, emotional development plays an equally important role in shaping a child’s confidence, behavior, relationships, and lifelong wellbeing. 

Introducing Emotional Development Activities in everyday routines helps children understand what they feel, manage strong emotions in healthy ways, and build empathy toward others. These experiences do not need to be complex. Simple, purposeful activities can create meaningful learning moments at home or in early learning settings. 

Here are ten effective Emotional Development Activities that support preschoolers in developing emotional awareness, resilience, and positive social skills. 

1. Emotion Cards and Facial Expressions 

Create or use emotion cards that depict different feelings such as happiness, sadness, frustration, excitement, or calmness. Ask your child to identify each emotion and copy the facial expression shown. This activity helps children build emotional vocabulary and recognize expressions in themselves and others. When children can name their feelings, they are better able to communicate with them appropriately. 

2. Mirror Emotions 

Stand in front of a mirror with your child and display various emotional expressions. Invite them to imitate you and describe what emotion looks like. This simple exercise improves children’s ability to recognize facial cues and enhances self-awareness. It also helps them understand that emotions are visible and meaningful. 

3. Story Reading with Emotional Reflection 

Choose storybooks that highlight emotions and relationships. While reading, pause to discuss how characters may be feeling and why. Ask open-ended questions such as, “How do you think the character feels?” or “What would you do in this situation?” This builds emotional understanding and encourages children to consider perspectives beyond their own. 

4. Role-Play and Pretend Scenarios 

Provide opportunities for role-play through pretend games such as playing house, doctor, teacher, or shopkeeper. Include emotional situations within play, such as comforting a toy or resolving a disagreement. Role-play allows children to explore emotions safely and practice positive responses. It supports emotional expression, empathy, and social interaction in a natural setting. 

5. Breathing and Calm-Down Techniques 

Teach young children simple calming strategies such as deep breathing or quiet sitting with gentle guidance. Techniques like “balloon breathing” (inhaling deeply and slowly exhaling) help children learn how to self-regulate when they feel overwhelmed. This builds emotional control and encourages healthy coping habits from an early age. 

6. Sharing Circle for Feelings 

Create a short daily or weekly routine where your child is encouraged to talk about how they felt during the day. Providing a safe environment to express emotions strengthens communication and emotional security. For families with more than one child, group sharing promotes listening skills and respect for others’ feelings. 

7. Kindness Crafts 

Involve your child in making simple gifts, cards, or drawings for family members or friends. 

This activity fosters generosity and emotional awareness. It teaches children that their actions can positively affect others, encouraging empathy and compassion. 

8. Movement Games for Self-Control 

Games such as stop-and-go activities support impulse control and emotional regulation. Asking children to stop, wait, or follow instructions helps them practice control over their actions and reactions. These types of activities combine physical movement with emotional learning, reinforcing both focus and patience. 

9. Emotion-Based Games 

Simple games that involve drawing emotion cards or responding to emotion prompts help children identify and reflect on their feelings. These Emotional Development Activities offer a structured foundation for understanding emotions and expressing them respectfully. 

10. Everyday Emotional Modelling 

Children learn by observing adults. When parents express emotions in a calm and healthy manner, children naturally absorb those behaviors. Use emotional language such as “I feel tired” or “I am happy because…” to model emotional awareness. This supports children in understanding that emotions are part of daily life and can be managed positively. 

Why Emotional Development Matters? 

Emotional development impacts how children communicate, build relationships, manage stress, and perform in learning environments. When emotional needs are nurtured early, children develop stronger self-confidence and better social skills. 

Benefits of consistent Emotional Development Activities include: 

• Improved emotional awareness 

• Stronger communication skills 

• Greater empathy toward others 

• Healthy emotional regulation 

• Increased confidence and self-esteem 

Children who grow up emotionally secure are better prepared to handle challenges and build meaningful relationships in later life. 

Conclusion 

Emotional development is not separate from learning; it is part of learning. Emotional Development Activities give children the tools to understand themselves and connect meaningfully with others. 

By engaging in purposeful emotional learning from an early age, you are helping your child build confidence, resilience, and empathy. These qualities form the foundation for success in school, relationships, and life itself.

Supporting emotional development today shapes emotionally strong individuals tomorrow.