Expressing feelings is one of the ways children learn how to deal with their emotions and become more aware of the feelings of others. However, it’s difficult for little ones to intuitively know how to express themselves constructively. That’s why it’s helpful for children to spend time intentionally thinking about different emotions and feelings. This free game can help!!
Scroll to the bottom of this post to find lots of other great farm-themed learning activities from your favourite bloggers!
Why should we make faces?
This game has been created as a starting point for teachers and parents to chat with their kids about feelings. It’s meant to be fun and light hearted on the surface, but depending on the children and situation it can be used to open discussion and ask questions and get dialogue going between adults and children, and between the children themselves.
The hope is that in really focusing in on what our faces often show when we feel different emotions it will help young children ‘interpret’ the feelings of themselves and others.
Getting ready
Download your Expressing Feelings on the Farm printable at the bottom of this post. Print off the game board you wish to use and laminate it. You can choose between:
- colour or black and white
- faces only, or faces with a feeling written below
Print off the expressions poster if you’d like to pop it nearby for your child to refer to, or to use it during a discussion on feelings and how we can look for clues in people’s faces to see what they’re feeling.
Grab a die and a counter for each player and you’re ready to go.
How do we show our feelings?
- Before playing look at the Feelings Faces poster (it’s included in the printable) with your child and ask them what kind of emotions they think are represented.
- Point out the eyebrows and mouths. Can they use those as clues to know what they are feeling?
- Have children try and make each face and talk about what makes them feel happy, angry, frustrated, confused, scared and worried. Do they even know what these words mean? Some might take a bit of explanation.
- Can they look at other people making those faces and guess what it means?
- These pictures are showing expression with only the eyes, eyebrows and mouth. When the children look at real faces are there even more clues we can look for?
Expressing feelings through the game
- Counters start on the farm.
- Children take turns to roll a die and move their counter that number of steps.
- Look at the expression they‘ve landed on and copy that expression on their own face. What do they think they might be feeling? If they land on a worried dog, what might they be worried about? For example, being worried that a sheep escaped.
- The game is finished when everyone has landed on the river!
Download the printable
Click the following highlighted link: Expressing Feelings on the Farm. It will immediately be sent to your downloads folder or other device equivalent.
Looking for more on feelings and emotions?
- 23 free calming strategy cards
- How to calm an angry child
- 10 activities and Youtube songs to explore emotions
- Talking about feelings with 5 Little Ducks
Looking for farm activities?
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Farm CVC Words // A Dab of Glue Will Do
Farm Counting Cards // Playdough to Plato
Expressing Feelings on the Farm // Liz’s Early Learning Spot
Count and Graph on the Farm // Sara J Creations
Pigs in the Mud Alphabet Match // The Kindergarten Connection
Farm Animal Puzzles // Powerful Mothering
Farm Play Dough Activity // Mom Inspired Life
Farm Washing Sensory Bin // Coffee Cups and Crayons
Farm Counting Book // Recipe for Teaching
Interactive Farm Book // Mrs. Jones’ Creation Station
Gross Motor Farm Game // Modern Preschool
Farm Animal Sorting // Still Playing School
Farm Fence Number Ordering Mats // Fairy Poppins
Farm Letter Sound Matching Clip Cards // Schooling a Monkey
Making Farm Footprints // Pleasantest Thing
Farm Muffin Tin Syllable Counting Game // The Educators’ Spin on It
Farm Themed Old Maid // Stay at Home Educator
Farm Emergent Reader // The Letters of Literacy
Playful Farm Animals Hands on Math // Stir the Wonder
Farm Busy Box // Teach Me Mommy
Farm Animal Ten Frame Cards // Preschool Inspirations
Farm Addition Cards // The Stem Laboratory
Interactive Math Addition Book // DIY Farm Wife
Farm Animal Sentences // (Not Pictured) The Simplified Classroom
Old MacDonald’s Farm Busy Bag // (Not Pictured) Adventures of Adam
My son struggles to understand peoples different emotions so this will come in very handy.
It’s such a challenge for some children, and so confusing. I do hope he enjoys playing this game, Emma!