How To Teach Preschoolers To Name Their Feelings

Discover 9 practical tips on how to teach preschoolers to name their feelings. Help your child build emotional awareness with simple strategies, fun activities, and everyday routines.

Raising preschoolers is filled with joyful moments, curious questions, and, of course, big emotions. At this stage of development, your child is still learning about the world, and part of that journey includes understanding their own feelings. However, many preschoolers struggle to express what they are feeling, which can sometimes lead to meltdowns, frustration, or even withdrawal.

That’s why teaching your child to name their feelings is such a powerful skill. When children learn to recognize and label their emotions, they begin to develop emotional intelligence. A solid foundation for empathy, problem-solving, and self-regulation.

The good news is that you can take intentional steps to guide this learning process at home with your child.

In this blog post, we’ll explore why naming feelings is important and actionable strategies you can use right away.

Why Naming Feelings Matters?

Before diving into the strategies, let’s take a closer look at why this skill is so crucial.

You see, at preschool age, kids are just beginning to form their vocabulary, and feelings are often abstract concepts that can be hard to describe.

When a child doesn’t have the words to explain that they’re “angry,” “sad,” or “disappointed,” they often express those emotions through behaviors such as crying, yelling, or even hitting. Sounds familiar, right?

By giving your child the right words to describe their emotions, you are:

• Helping them communicate effectively

• Reducing frustration and tantrums

• Encouraging self-awareness

• Building empathy toward others

• Laying the groundwork for healthy relationships

Therefore, it’s not just about teaching vocabulary, but rather supporting lifelong skills that will serve your child well in school, friendships, and beyond.

Actionable Steps To Help Preschoolers Name Their Feelings

Now that we understand the importance, let’s explore practical ways you can immediately use to help your child better understand their feelings.

These steps are simple but powerful, and the key is to practice consistently.

1. Start with Simple Emotion Words

First, begin by introducing basic feeling words such as happy, sad, angry, scared, and excited. 

Preschoolers don’t need to know complex emotions like “frustrated” or “disappointed” right away. Instead, focus on a core set of words they can easily remember and apply.

• Action Step – Download my free printable feelings chart with faces that show each basic emotion. Hang it in a visible place, like the fridge, their room, etc, and refer to it daily. Ask questions like, “Can you point to how you feel right now?”

Over time, as your child grows more comfortable, you can expand the vocabulary to include words like “proud,” “nervous,” or “bored.”

Grab your free feelings chart printable!

2. Model Naming Your Own Feelings

Another effective way to teach children is by modeling the behavior yourself. It’s not as challenging as you think it is.

Your preschoolers are keen observers, and they learn a lot simply by watching how adults handle emotions.

Here’s an example – Instead of saying nothing when you’re upset, you might say, “I’m feeling frustrated because the traffic is slow. But I’m taking a deep breath to calm down.”

• Action Step – Narrate your emotions throughout the day. Use phrases like, “I’m so happy we’re baking cookies together,” or, “I feel a little tired right now, so I need to rest.”

By hearing you name your feelings, your child learns that it’s normal and healthy to express emotions with words.

3. Use Books and Stories

Because kids love stories, books are an excellent tool for teaching about emotions. (I’ve included a set of books at the end of this post for you.)

Many children’s books feature characters who experience big feelings, which opens the door for meaningful discussions.

• Action Step – As you read, pause to ask, “How do you think the character feels right now?” or, “Have you ever felt like that?”

Make sure to check out my recommended list of books at the end of this post.

4. Play Games to Practice Emotions

Learning doesn’t always have to feel like learning. Preschoolers often absorb more when you turn lessons into games.

• Feelings Charades – Act out an emotion using facial expressions and body language. Ask your child to guess the feeling. Then let them try.

• Emotion Matching – Grab my set of free emotion matching cards and have your child match them to the correct word.

• Action Step – Dedicate five minutes each day to one of these activities. The repetition helps your child internalize the vocabulary while keeping the process playful and enjoyable.

Grab your free emotion-matching cards game.

5. Validate Your Child’s Feelings

It’s not enough to just name emotions. You also need to let your child know that their feelings are valid. Sometimes our kids may hear dismissive phrases like:

• “Don’t be sad,” or
• “Big kids don’t cry.”

While well-meaning, these responses can make children feel that their emotions are wrong.

Instead, validate their feelings and gently guide them toward expressing those emotions constructively.

Here’s an example – If your child is crying because a toy broke, perhaps you can say, “I see that you’re feeling sad because your toy broke. That makes sense. Let’s think about what we can do next.”

• Action Step – Practice replacing dismissive phrases with validating ones. Say, “I hear you,” “I understand,” or “That must be hard.”

6. Use Daily Routines as Teachable Moments

Everyday life provides endless opportunities to practice naming feelings. From morning routines to bedtime, you can weave emotional vocabulary into your child’s day.

• Morning Check-In – Ask, “How are you feeling this morning? Excited, tired, or something else?”

• After School – Encourage reflection with, “What made you happy today? Did anything make you upset?”

• Bedtime Reflection – Help your kiddo wind down by asking, “What was the best feeling you had today?”

• Action Step – Create a consistent routine where emotions are discussed. This builds a habit of reflection and communication.

Grab my free emotion check in printable to do this activity. 

7. Incorporate Visual Aids and Tools

Because preschoolers are visual learners, tools like charts, flashcards, or even emojis can be very effective.

• Action Step – Create a “feelings thermometer” where children can point to how strong their emotion is. For example, the bottom might be “a little sad,” while the top is “very sad.”

Visuals give children a concrete way to connect abstract emotions with something they can see and touch.

8. Teach Coping Strategies Alongside Naming

Once your child can name their feelings, the next step is teaching them what to do with those emotions. Naming is the first step, but managing feelings is just as important.

• Action Step – Introduce calming strategies such as deep breathing, counting to five, hugging a stuffed animal, or drawing a picture of how they feel.

By pairing naming with coping, your child learns that emotions are manageable, not overwhelming.

You can also grab these breathing visuals from my Etsy storefront if you wish.

9. Practice Consistently and Patiently

Finally, remember that learning to name feelings is a gradual process. Some days your preschooler might express themselves clearly, while other days they may struggle.

That’s completely normal.

• Action Step – Stay consistent, keep modeling, and celebrate small successes. When your child says, “I feel mad,” instead of throwing a tantrum, acknowledge their progress with encouragement.

How To Teach Preschoolers To Name Their Feelings?

Teaching your preschoolers to name their feelings is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. Not only does it help reduce frustration in the moment. But it also equips them with lifelong tools for communication, self-awareness, and emotional resilience.

By starting with simple words, modeling your own emotions, using stories and games, validating their experiences, and practicing daily. You can make emotional learning a natural and enjoyable part of your child’s growth.

So the next time your preschooler has big feelings, instead of just calming them down, take a moment to guide them through naming what they feel. Step by step, you’ll be nurturing a skill that will benefit them for years to come.

Recommended Children’s Books About Emotions

If you’d like to bring these lessons to life even more, children’s books can be a wonderful tool. They provide relatable stories and illustrations that make emotions easier for kids to understand.

Here are some excellent options to get started:

The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas – This is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces emotions through different colors, making it fun and easy for preschoolers to grasp.

Today I Feel…: An Alphabet of Feelings by Madalena Moniz -This creative alphabet book explores a wide range of emotions and will give your child new vocabulary in a playful format.

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek –  A fun and interactive book that describes how different emotions feel inside, from happiness to sadness to bravery.

The Way I Feel by Janan Cain – This is a classic choice that beautifully explains emotions in child-friendly language and colorful illustrations.

Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda – A fun and interactive story where children learn about emotions through monster masks, making it especially engaging for preschoolers.

How Do You Feel? by Lizzy Rockwell –  A simple yet beautiful book that will introduce your child to different feelings with bright, friendly illustrations.

A Little Spot of Emotion Box Set by Diane Alber – An epic collection of books, whereby each book focuses on a specific feeling, like anger, sadness, happiness, and anxiety. The visuals and relatable examples are excellent for preschoolers.

Action Tip – Choose one of these books to read at bedtime each week. After reading, pause to ask your child, “Have you ever felt like the character? What word would you use to describe that feeling?” This simple routine reinforces emotional vocabulary and strengthens parent-child connections.

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