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Emotion Charades

Age 3–12
Emotion cards (optional)
10–15 min

What It Builds

Emotional literacy, naming feelings, empathy, and reading facial and body cues.

How to Do It

  1. 1

    Write feelings on cards or slips (happy, sad, mad, scared, excited, nervous, proud, shy).

  2. 2

    Take turns drawing a card and acting out the feeling with your face and body, no words.

  3. 3

    Others guess the feeling.

  4. 4

    Share a time you felt that way.

  5. 5

    Switch actors each round.

Tips & Variations

  • Start with basic emotions for young kids and add subtler ones (frustrated, embarrassed, jealous) for older kids.
  • Try it in front of a mirror.
  • Let kids make their own cards.
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