🧩 Thinking & feelings · Ages 2–3 · about 2 weeks

Happy, Sad, Cross

Goal: Name a few feelings, recognise them on faces, and start taking turns.

For parents: Toddlers have big feelings and few words for them. Naming the feeling ('You are cross because the tower fell') is the first step to calming down.

Do together

  1. Feelings faces

    You need: A mirror

    Make a happy face, a sad face, a cross face, a surprised face in the mirror together. Ask your child to show you one; you guess which.

  2. Story feelings

    You need: Any picture book

    While you read, stop and ask: 'How does he feel? How do you know?' Point to the face in the picture.

  3. My turn, your turn

    You need: A ball, or blocks for a tower

    Roll a ball back and forth saying 'my turn, your turn'. Build a tower one block each. Praise waiting: 'You waited for your turn!'

Talk about it

  • What makes you happy?
  • What can we do when we feel sad?
  • How did your friend feel when you shared?

Words to use

  • happy
  • sad
  • cross
  • scared
  • share
  • turn

Play

  • Feelings Friends
    Feelings
  • Helper Heroes
    Community helpers
  • Memory Match
    Memory
Play these games free

Every game is free for every family until 20 November 2026.

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