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Emotions · Ages 3 to 8
Feelings Words for Kids
When children have words for their feelings, they can tell us what is wrong instead of only showing it. This page lists feelings words from the FunMinds Feelings game, from the six core feelings to bigger words like frustrated and proud, with body clues and calm ways to cope.
Practise feelings in a free gameCore feelings
Start with these six.
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Scared
- Sleepy
- Surprised
Bigger feelings words
- Frustrated
- Embarrassed
- Confused
- Worried
- Excited
- Calm
- Disgusted
- Bored
- Proud
- Lonely
- Shy
- Annoyed
- Loving
Reading body clues
Our bodies show feelings too. Can your child name the feeling?
- Her heart is racing and she wants to hide. How does she feel? Scared
- He crosses his arms, stamps his feet and frowns. How does he feel? Angry
- She keeps yawning and rubbing her eyes. How does she feel? Tired
- He is jumping up and down and can't wait. How does he feel? Excited
- Her cheeks turn red and she looks at the floor. How does she feel? Embarrassed
- He sighs and stares out the window with nothing to do. How does he feel? Bored
- She finally finds her lost puppy after a long search. How does she feel? Relieved
- He took his sister's sweet and now he can't look at her. How does he feel? Guilty
- Grandpa made her a present by hand. She hugs him and says thank you. How does she feel? Grateful
- He falls off his bike but gets straight back on to try again. How does he feel? Determined
- She practised for weeks but was not picked for the team. How does she feel? Disappointed
- He has homework, piano and football all on the same day. How does he feel? Overwhelmed
What can you do with a big feeling?
Easy
- You feel angry. What can you do? Take deep breaths
- You feel sad. What can you do? Ask for a hug
- You feel scared of the dark. What can you do? Turn on a night light
- You feel very tired. What can you do? Have a rest
- You feel worried. What can you do? Tell a grown-up
- You feel happy. What can you do? Smile and share it
Medium
- Your friend looks sad. What can you do? Ask if they are okay
- It is too noisy and you cover your ears. What can you do? Find a quiet spot
- You lose a game and feel upset. What can you do? Say good game
- Your homework is frustrating. What can you do? Take a break, then try again
- You feel nervous before a show. What can you do? Practice and breathe slowly
- A child is playing all alone. What can you do? Invite them to play
Harder
- You and a friend both want the same swing. What can you do? Take turns
- You feel jealous of your sister's new toy. What can you do? Say how you feel calmly
- You make a mistake on your drawing. What can you do? Fix it or start again
- A classmate keeps teasing you. What can you do? Say stop and tell an adult
- You break a vase by accident. What can you do? Tell the truth and say sorry
- You have too many jobs to do at once. What can you do? Do one thing at a time
Helping children talk about feelings
- Name your own feelings out loud: "I feel frustrated because the bus is late."
- Talk about characters' feelings in stories and cartoons.
- Make a daily check-in: "Which face are you today?"