11 Printable Feelings Charts for Kids (PDF) – How to Use Emotion Charts Effectively

Learn How to Use an Emotions Chart for Kids + Grab 11 Free Printable Feelings Charts

Have you considered using an emotions chart or a feelings chart to teach your child about emotions?

Being able to identify, label, express and manage feelings play a crucial role in children’s social and emotional development.

Understanding how people feel, they are able to respond appropriately and engage in meaningful relationships.

And when they are able to express their feelings, us parents can guide them or help them to solve problems or develop coping skills.

Some kids find it difficult to identify, label or express feelings. And this is when tools like an emotions chart or a feelings thermometer become very useful allies in our parenting job.

 

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What Is An Emotions Chart?

Emotion charts, also called feelings charts, are visual tools that help children (and adults!) identify and label their emotions.

Emotion charts display a range of emotions using words, facial expressions, colors, or images, making it easier to recognize and communicate how we feel. They are often used in homes, classrooms, and therapy settings to support emotional awareness, self-regulation, and social-emotional learning.

The picture below presents a few examples of different emotions charts.

Some feature illustrated kids, while others rely on emoticons to portray feelings.

They also represent different approaches—some work as intensity scales (like for anger), while others show a broader range of emotions such as happy, sad, tired, and worried.

All of the charts shown are included in the free download at the end of the post.

Why Are Emotion Charts So Popular for Helping Kids Express Emotions?

Emotion charts are popular because they give kids a simple, visual way to:

• recognize how they’re feeling (identifying emotions)

• put names to those emotions (labeling emotions)

• express their feelings more clearly (expressing feelings)

• understand how strong those emotions are (grading the intensity of those feelings)

Who Can Benefit From Feelings Charts?

All kids can benefit from the visual support that feelings charts offer. The clear images and structure make it easier for children to understand and talk about their feelings, especially when words are hard to find.

Emotion charts are especially helpful for kids who:

• do not communicate verbally

• have trouble identifying emotions in themselves or others

• struggle to express how they feel in words

Emotion charts can be especially useful for neurodivergent children, younger kids still developing emotional vocabulary, or children navigating emotionally challenging situations.

How Can YOU Benefit From Using An Emotions Chart? 

I want to share our experience because I genuinely hope it can become something similar for you too.

For us, it’s been like a miracle tool.

The emotions chart has become part of our calming routine. As soon as our son picks up his feelings thermometer, you can see him begin to settle.

Here are some of the ways the chart has helped—from his perspective:

• It’s a comfort cue. Just seeing the scale helps him feel better and more in control.

• He knows it gives him a way to express what he’s feeling.

• He enjoys being able to show how strong his feelings are, not just name them.

• He asks for the chart on his own now—it’s become a tool for taking the first step toward self-regulation.

• It even encourages him to open up. He likes talking about how he’s moved up or down the 5-point scale and what caused those changes.

Related reading: How to build your child’s emotional vocabulary

Different Types of Emotion Charts and How They Can Help

Emotion charts come in many visual styles, and the best option depends on your child’s age, preferences, and needs. Some charts feature:

• simple emoticons

• real photos of children’s faces

• cartoon-style illustrations or drawings

• custom-made visuals you can create at home

Each type has its strengths. Younger kids—or those who respond well to visual simplicity—might prefer emoticons or basic drawings.

Others may connect more easily with real faces showing genuine emotions.

Many people choose emoticons or illustrations because they’re clear, approachable, and easy for kids to understand.

Now that we’ve looked at visual styles, let’s explore some types of emotion charts based on how they’re used.

• Seasonal emotion charts
  Holiday seasons are the perfect time to slow down, recharge, and maybe sneak in a little extra learning too.
  But let’s be honest—holidays can also stir up some big emotions like excitement, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed.
  So, why not use that time to practice recognizing and expressing emotions?
  It can feel more like a game, and you might have a bit more time and space to do it together.
  With that in mind, I’ve created a few holiday-themed emotion charts for Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.
  They’re a light and playful way to start conversations about feelings during special times of the year—or just a fun excuse to keep building those emotional skills.

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To make things easier for you, I’ve included 11 different examples in the free download at the end of this post—so you can try a few and see what works best for your child or setting.

Tip: Laminate your feelings chart (or slide it into a plastic sleeve) so your child can use it with a dry-erase marker. This makes it reusable and perfect for daily check-ins or quick emotion updates.

In our case, anger and frustration were the biggest challenges, so we’ve leaned toward using a 5-point scale. It helps us communicate not just what the feeling is, but how intense it feels in the moment.

In the next section, we’ll go over practical tips to help you use an emotion chart effectively so it becomes a tool that truly supports your child.

Tips to Help You Use a Feelings Chart Effectively

Using a Feelings Chart is not as simple as showing it to your kid and asking them about feelings or emotions.

There is some previous work you need to do to ensure you are using this tool effectively.

These are some useful tips that will  help you use your emotions chart effectively:

1. Discuss the feelings faces with your child. Label and describe the feelings in each image.

Talk through the feelings faces with your child.

Label each one together and describe what the emotion looks and feels like.

We often use charts that include faces—whether they’re smiley-style emoticons or illustrated children’s expressions.

The one we’ve used most is a 5-point anger scale. It moves from happy to very angry, using emoticon faces to show each level.

The chart also has two extra columns: one where the child can describe how they look or act at each level and another where they can add coping strategies (we’ll get into those in the next section).

Explore the scale with your child or student by asking questions like:

• What do you think this face is feeling?

• What does your face and body feel like when you’re at this level of anger—or before the anger even starts?

This helps kids connect the chart to their own experience, making it more meaningful and easier to use in the moment.

We have been working with a 5-point anger scale.

I’ll share the answers we came up with for the questions above. They might give you some ideas or prompts to use when talking through the images with your child.

How does it look and feel at each level?

1. Emoticon with a big smile – This one shows happiness. I’m doing great. I know it because I laugh and smile.

2. Emoticon with a neutral face – This means I’m still okay. Not as great as before, but things are fine.

3. Emoticon with an annoyed face – This tells me something is bothering me. It doesn’t feel good. I’m starting to get angry. I frown and don’t feel like smiling anymore.

4. Emoticon with a very angry face – When I look like this, I’m really angry. I might shout or say things that aren’t very nice.

5. Emoticon with the angriest face – This means I’m out of control. I feel really mad. I scream. Sometimes, I might hurt myself or others. I spit, throw toys, or break things.

2. Decide with your child what the “anger action plan” will look like.

One of the great things about using an emotion chart is that it opens the door to practicing coping skills in a structured way.

• Brainstorm with your child strategies or activities that could help at each level of the chart.
  We use the second column of our chart to write down the coping strategies we’ve chosen or want to practice for each level.
  This helps make the plan clear and easy to follow in the moment.

• Practice these strategies when your child is calm and feeling good.
  Kids need to learn and get comfortable with coping strategies before they need to use them. Trying to teach a new skill in the middle of a meltdown or emotional outburst doesn’t work.
  By then, it’s too late. They’re feeling, not thinking.
  That’s why it’s so important to practice when they’re regulated and relaxed. The more familiar the strategy becomes, the more likely they are to use it when emotions start to build.

• Keep practicing regularly.
  Like any skill, coping strategies get stronger with repetition.
  Make it part of your routine. Just a few minutes a day can make a big difference. You might role-play situations, use the chart during calm check-ins, or talk about which strategies worked well after a tricky moment.
  The more you practice together, the more likely your child is to use these strategies when big feelings like anger or anxiety show up.

Some examples of calming strategies or anger management activities are:

• Breathing exercises- For kids, I especially recommend Lazy 8 Breathing or other shape-based breathing activities they can trace with their finger. These exercises are simple, calming, and easy to use anywhere. Lazy 8 Breathing has worked wonders for us. You can read more about it in “Breathing Exercises for Kids: Lazy 8 Breathing.”
• Moving into another situation – Abandoning the setting where the anger outburst is happening and moving into a calm place or a pleasant activity
• Physical exercise- “Burning energy” and focusing on a physical activity unrelated to the anger situation (jumping, running)
• Expressing it through drawing or writing
• Swapping bad thoughts for good thoughts.
• Using your imagination. Imagining a calm place, imagining that a shield protects you from your bad thoughts, imagining that you flush your bad thoughts down the toilet.
• Yoga and mindfulness exercises for kids.

If you’re looking for more ways to help kids manage big emotions, check out my post “Anger Management for Kids.” It’s a comprehensive guide packed with practical tips on parenting strategies, skill-building, calming tools, and more. 

For even more ideas, take a look at 64 Anger Management Activities for Kids: How to Help an Angry Kid. It’s full of creative and practical activities to support kids in managing anger in healthy ways.

How To Create Your Own Emotion Charts

You’ve probably noticed that making an emotion chart doesn’t have to be complicated. If you decide to create your own, keep these tips in mind:

• Create an emotion chart that matches your child’s developmental level.  
  If your kid is just starting to understand feelings, you might begin with something as simple as a happy face and a sad face.
• Choose images your kid will love, even from her favorite cartoon characters. Look for them together to make it more engaging.
• Using your child’s own photos (showing happy, mad, or silly faces) can make the chart feel more personal and motivating.
• Most importantly, remember: it’s not about how polished or pretty the chart looks—it’s about how you use it.

  To use it effectively:

  • Spend time labeling and describing the emotions together.

  • Role-play what different feelings might look, sound, or feel like.

  • Keep the chart somewhere visible and accessible, where your child can grab it on their own if needed.

You might also want to explore similar tools, like:

• • An anger thermometer: This is a visual tool that uses the image of a rising thermometer to help kids recognize and communicate the intensity of their anger.
    It’s especially helpful for children who need support identifying when they’re beginning to get upset, before emotions escalate. It’s quite similar to the 5-point anger scale that I shared on this post.
    I’ve also written a full post on how to use anger thermometers effectively, and you can also download 11 printable thermometers to try with your child
  • A mood chart: This tool helps kids track their emotions over time and notice patterns or triggers. It’s a helpful way to see how feelings change and to talk about what might be causing those changes.
    In that post, I also share several downloadable mood trackers for kids, including one inspired by the Zones of Regulation framework.

Additional Tools & Resources for Identifying and Expressing Feelings

These are some additional resources that you could use at home or in the classroom to help your child/student identify and express feelings:

• Emotions Worksheets and Workbooks

  Worksheets are a great way to help kids explore emotions through drawing, writing, and reflection. In my shop, I offer two printable workbooks that can also be purchased as part of the Emotions Mega Bundle:

  • Basic Emotions Workbook – Focuses on six core emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, and disgusted). Great for identifying feelings and exploring facial expressions and body cues.

  • Exploring My Emotions Workbook – Covers 15 emotions including anxiety, excitement, boredom, guilt, and more. Each page guides kids through thoughtful questions about their experiences, reactions, and coping strategies.
    

• Emotions Flashcards.
  Emotions flashcards are also often referred to as feelings flashcards.
  Each emotion flashcard presents a visual representation of a specific emotion (pictures, illustrations, pictograms, or emoticons), a label stating the name of that emotion, and a definition or description of the emotion presented.
  An emotion flashcard serves as an aid to learning to identify, label, and even express different emotions.
  Our Emotions/Feelings Cards are also included in the Emotions Bundle
• My Anger Scale, a collection of 5-point anger scales. My Anger Scale Workbook portrays a wide range of kids characters, making this resource a must-have for school counselors, social workers or psychologists, all over the world.
  
• 50 Fun Feelings Activities for Kids
• Anger Iceberg (Fun Activity for Kids)
• Anger Volcano (Worksheets & Playdough Activity)
• “My Moods, My Choices“, a  flipbook for kids that comes with 20 different moods/emotions. It can help you work with your kids on  identifying feeling and making positive choices
• “I know what to do when I´m feeling..”. This is another flipbook designed to help children identify and respond appropriately to their emotions. It presents 18 different moods/emotions