Early Atlas

Activity

How Do You Feel? Faces and Sounds

A caregiver mirrors and names a toddler's emotions during play to build emotional expression.

Ages 10–36 months

Inspired by Play-based learning emotions expression feelings-vocabulary

Supports this milestone

  • learns to express a range of emotions. — Head Start ELOF

Explore milestones →

Materials

  • A mirror
  • Optional board book showing faces with feelings

Steps

  • Notice the child's current feeling and name it warmly, for example "you seem so happy!"
  • Make the matching face in the mirror together and add a sound or gesture.
  • Try other feelings — surprised, sleepy, excited — and label each one.
  • Pause often to let the child show you a face or sound of their own.
  • Connect feelings to real moments, for example "you were mad when the tower fell."

Variations

  • Read a feelings board book and copy each character's expression.
  • Use puppets to act out a feeling and name it.

Differentiation

  • For pre-verbal children, focus on faces, sounds, and gestures.
  • For talkers, add a feeling word for them to repeat.

Accessibility

  • Pair every feeling word with a face, sign, or sound so meaning is multi-sensory.
  • Let children opt out of mimicking and simply watch if they prefer.

Safety

  • Keep mirrors shatterproof and securely placed.

Practices these skills

Evidence

Early Atlas