Encouraging children to express how they feel is crucial for their emotional wellbeing. Here are some simple and effective ways to help your child open up:

Talking & Naming Emotions

• Ask open-ended questions like “How did that make you feel?” or “Can you tell me about your day?”
• Use an emotion chart or emotion cards to help younger children point to how they feel if they struggle to find the words.
• Model healthy emotional expression—talk about your own feelings in a way that helps them learn.

Play & Games

• Use role-play with toys to act out emotions and situations.
• Try emotion-based board games or Inside Out-inspired storytelling where kids can create scenarios for Joy, Sadness, or Anger.
• Play “Feelings Charades” where each person acts out an emotion for others to guess.

Journaling & Writing

• Encourage children to keep a feelings journal to write or draw about their day.
• Use sentence starters like “Today I felt…” or “Something that made me happy was…”.
• For younger children, help them write a “letter to their emotions”—for example, “Dear Anger, I felt you today when…”.

Drawing & Art Therapy

• Give children emotion coloring sheets (like our FREE mindfulness download!).
• Have them draw their emotions using colors that represent how they feel.
• Let them create their own emotion characters, just like Inside Out!

Emotion Cards & Mindfulness Activities

• Use emotion flashcards to help children identify and describe their feelings.
• Practice deep breathing techniques, especially for managing Anger and Fear.
• Use calming activities like sensory play, listening to music, or meditation to help them regulate their emotions.

Helping Kids Feel Heard & Understood

At Stable Minds CYP, we believe that every child should have a safe space to express themselves. Whether through counselling, workshops, or creative activities, our therapists use Inside Out characters, emotion cards, and interactive play to guide children on their emotional journey.