Teaching Empathy Through Play: Feelings Matching

In the world of child-rearing, there’s a magical ingredient that I believe can transform children into kind-hearted individuals: empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It’s the superpower that allows children to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. When kids develop empathy, they become attuned to the emotions of those around them–whether it’s a friend who’s upset or a sibling who’s excited.

But, how do we teach our kids empathy? Play is a natural way for kids to explore the world, learn about their surroundings, and develop crucial social and emotional skills, like empathy and kindness.  

Curious B.E.I.N.G.s Feelings Matching 

Our “Feelings Matching” worksheet is a great activity to employ when teaching kids about emotions and empathy. 

1. Download and print the Feelings Matching worksheet. 
2. Instruct your child to draw a line from the emotion to the picture that they think is the best match.
3. Once they have completed the worksheet, talk about why they thought the emotion matched the picture. 
4. Take the activity a step further and ask them if they can remember a time when they felt each emotion. 

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THIS ACTIVITY HERE

Understanding different feelings and emotions is the first step toward teaching children empathy. And, once empathy takes root in a child’s heart, kindness naturally follows.
For more art activities to support your child’s social-emotional learning, follow Curious B.E.I.N.G.s on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to the Curious B.E.I.N.G.s newsletter.