18 Emotional Activities For Toddlers To End Meltdowns

Finding appropriate emotional activities for toddlers is essential for their development and can be a game-changer for parents struggling with tantrums and emotional outbursts. 

In today’s article, I will share with you my favorite emotional activities for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and 4-year-olds to promote healthy age-appropriate emotional regulation and awareness no matter your child’s age. 

Refined by 40 years of childcare experience, after reading this article you will gain the skills to set the stage for a well-rounded, emotionally resilient child, ready to face life’s ups and downs. Ready to dive in?

Emotional Activities For Toddlers Featured

What Are The Benefits Of Emotional Activities For Toddlers?

Engaging toddlers in emotional activities is vital for their overall development. These activities offer numerous benefits that help young children understand and manage their emotions effectively. Here are some key advantages:

Looking to get your little one to sleep quickly and effortlessly? Check out my Bedtime and Nap Cheat Sheet and master the art of making daytime naps and bedtimes as seamless as possible.

The Best Emotional Activities For Toddlers Of All Ages

So what types of activities are best for helping toddlers learn how to handle their emotions and express their feelings?

Each of the activities listed below will help contribute to healthy emotional growth in your toddler. They will lay the foundation for strong communication and emotional and mental health for years to come:

1. Emotion Masks

For this emotional activity, you will create masks showing various facial expressions for your toddler to act out. 

You’ll need paper plates, colored markers, and sticks to glue onto the back for your toddler to hold onto.

Part one of the activity is to design and make the masks together. List out the emotions you want to design and let your toddler take the lead with the design. Write the name of the emotion on the back of the mask.

Once the masks are made, part two involves your toddler choosing a mask and acting out the feeling shown. This activity helps toddlers identify and communicate their emotions in a creative and fun environment. 

2. Feeling Storytelling

Using books is always at the top of my list of essential tools when helping toddlers address topics that they currently lack the language development for. 

This is never more true than when teaching toddlers to understand their emotions. 

Using books that focus on feelings are ideal. As you read, pause to ask toddlers how characters might be feeling. This helps them understand empathy and emotional intelligence by connecting with the characters’ experiences.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions By Anna Llenas


Buy Now
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day


Buy Now
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

3. Role-Playing Scenarios

Toddlers often act out social situations in imaginative play that allows them to explore emotions in a safe space. 

Playing doctors and nurses, pretending to be mum or dad, and caring for their toys all offer opportunities to practice caring for others, sharing, or processing difficult situations.

By acting out various roles, they learn to navigate social cues and build confidence in their social skills.

So encourage these play sessions with a dress-up box, open-ended toys, and free play time. If your toddler asks politely for your involvement, offer your time willingly, but let them continue to take the lead through the imaginary play session.

4. Emotions Flashcards

I love using flashcards to promote conversation and understanding of emotions that your toddler may encounter in different settings. 

They are great for parents too as you can use them to understand how your toddler is feeling when they might not be able to vocalise their emotions. 

Here is one of my favorite sets of flashcards for toddlers:

Brybelly Feelings in a Flash - Emotional Intelligence Flashcard Game

With 100 beautiful illustrated cards, Feelings in a Flash is a set of flashcards packed with fun activities that encourage little ones to openly discuss and reflect upon their emotions. Helping to build a healthy foundation of confidence and self-awareness that will benefit them for a lifetime.

Buy Now
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

5. Mindfulness Breathing

Teaching toddlers deep breathing techniques through fun activities like blowing bubbles or using a pinwheel helps them with self-regulation and calming down during big emotions or tantrums.

One of my preferred techniques, although not an emotional activity for toddlers… is to say to children “Can you smell that?” when they are becoming overwhelmed. 

Taking a big inhale through their nose to smell something can help ground and recenter your toddler’s big emotions allowing them to work through the feelings without becoming distraught. 

6. The Compliments and Kindness Jar

Another wonderful emotional activity is to encourage your toddler to compliment or be kind to friends and family. When they succeed with these moments of kindness, write it down or put a token in the jar (like a button, marble, or lollypop stick!)

The act of recording the event will emphasize how important it is to be kind to others and if you wish, you can offer a reward once they have 10, 20, 25, etc compliments in the jar. 

A reward such as a trip to a favorite restaurant or the choice of film to watch as a family are lovely options. 

Age-Specific Emotional Development Play Activities

As a parent, you can help the emotional development of toddlers through play activities that are tailored to their age. 

These activities aim to build emotional and social skills in a fun and engaging way that is developmentally appropriate. 

Emotional Activities For 1-Year-Olds

Emotional Activities For 2-Year-Olds

Emotional Activities For 3-Year-Olds

Emotional Activities For 4-Year-Olds

Frequently Asked Questions About Toddler Emotional Development Through Play

Understanding a toddler’s emotions can be challenging. Here’s a quick guide to help you teach, find resources, and promote emotional activities for young children.

Q: How can emotional regulation be taught to toddlers?

A: You can start teaching emotional regulation to toddlers by naming emotions as they occur. Long before your toddler is able to vocalise their emotions they can start to learn the words for them. For example, if your toddler is frustrated, calmly acknowledge that feeling by saying, “You seem frustrated.” This helps them understand their emotions and associate a word with the feeling. 

Consistent routines and setting clear expectations also aid in emotional regulation. Showing your own calm responses to stress can serve as a model for your toddler’s behavior.

Q: What free resources are available for emotional activities for toddlers?

A: Free resources can be found in many places such as libraries, community centers, and online. Libraries often carry books on emotions that are suitable for toddlers. Community centers may offer workshops or playgroups focused on emotional learning. Online, you can find printable emotion cards, games, and activity ideas on educational websites. These resources provide various ways to explore feelings without any cost.

Q: How can caregivers incorporate emotional activities in a childcare setting?

A: In a childcare setting, you can incorporate emotion-based activities through daily routines and play. Start by setting up a designated ’emotions corner’ with pictures and books that depict various feelings. During circle time, encourage children to talk about what they’re feeling and why. Integrating emotion-based games like ’emotion charades’ or songs about feelings can make learning about emotions fun and engaging.

Need More Parenting Help?

Author Image Bio
Paula McLaren is the founder of Teething to Tantrums and a highly qualified childcare expert with over 40 years of experience as a Norland Nanny. She holds a BA (Hons) in Early Years Development & Learning (0-6 Years) and the prestigious Norland Diploma. Paula has worked as a night nanny, run a successful daycare center in London, and helped raise countless children using her tried and tested developmental and guidance methods.

Keep Reading