Teaching young children to identify and express their emotions is a vital part of early childhood development. It helps them build emotional intelligence, regulate their feelings, and foster positive relationships. Preschoolers are at the perfect age to begin understanding and talking about emotions. Below are five effective strategies you can use to help your preschool child identify and express their emotions:
1. Name the Feeling
One of the first steps in helping children understand their emotions is to give those feelings a name. For example, if your child is upset because their toy broke, you can say, “I see you’re feeling sad because your toy is broken.” By labeling emotions such as sadness, happiness, frustration, or anger, your child starts to make connections between their experiences and their emotional responses. Over time, they will be able to use these words to express their own feelings.
2. Play the “If You’re Happy and You Know It” Game with Different Feelings
The classic song “If You’re Happy and You Know It” can be adapted to help your child explore a variety of emotions. Try singing lines like “If you’re angry and you know it, stomp your feet,” or “If you’re sad and you know it, give a hug.” This activity teaches children that different feelings can be expressed in different ways. It also helps them learn appropriate responses to their emotions, making it both a fun and educational game.
3. Tell Stories About Your Child’s Feelings to Help Make Sense of Them
Children love hearing stories, especially ones that involve them. By telling stories about situations where your child felt a certain way, you can help them make sense of their emotions. For example, “Do you remember last week when you were scared at the doctor’s office? That’s okay because sometimes new places make us feel nervous. But after, you felt proud because you were so brave!” These stories allow children to reflect on their experiences and emotions, helping them understand that feelings are natural and can change.
4. Wonder About the Feelings of Others
Teaching your child empathy is another key aspect of emotional development. When reading books, watching TV, or interacting with others, ask questions like, “How do you think that character is feeling?” or “Why do you think your friend looks sad?” These conversations encourage your child to think beyond their own emotions and consider how others might feel in different situations. This not only helps with emotional awareness but also builds social skills.
5. Read Books About Feelings
Children’s books about emotions are an excellent tool for helping preschoolers identify and express their feelings. Books like The Feelings Book by Todd Parr or When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang offer opportunities for your child to see characters experience and express a range of emotions. As you read together, ask your child how they think the characters feel and why. This opens up conversations about their own emotions in a way that feels safe and relatable.
By using these strategies, you help your preschooler build a strong foundation in emotional literacy, equipping them to navigate their feelings and the world around them with confidence.
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Genesis Tampines Childcare 1989 is one of the best preschool and childcare in Tampines. Our Preschool Tampines have over 30 years of experience in nurturing thousands of infants, toddlers and preschoolers. At our Tampines Childcare, we advocate that every child is unique and precious who needs to be loved and cherished.
As a leading early childhood centre in Singapore since 1989, we are committed to nurturing our early learners holistically through various learning areas and positive learning dispositions. We place a strong emphasis on the way our teachers facilitate and interact with the children.
Our Childcare Tampines believe that every child is unique and precious who needs to be loved and cherished. Hence, our holistic curriculum aims to create meaningful learning experiences for each and every one of them!
Our Playgroup Tampines provides parents with the confidence that their children are in the good hands of our trained and caring teachers.
Our professional team of preschool teachers has a good understanding of child development and learning principles. We apply them efficiently and set the stage to create a meaningful learning experience that supports your child's discovery.
We consistently create a positive and cozy environment that will give your child a sense of security which builds their self-confidence to explore the world around them.
If you are looking for a good Tampines infant care or Tampines preschool or Tampines childcare near Tampines Central, do consider Nurture Infant House or Genesis Childcare 1989.
Located alongside our childcare in Tampines is our Nurture Infant House. If you are looking for Tampines infant care or infant care in Tampines, do visit Nurture Infant House. It is for infants aged 2 months to 18 months old. You can learn more about our infant care Tampines here.
Lastly, would you like to visit our Genesis Childcare 1989 to find out more about our environment and setup as well as understand our operations by talking to our teachers and supervisor?
Genesis Childcare 1989 (Playgroup to Kindergarten 2)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-63/65 S(520433)
Nurture Infant House (2 to 18 months Infants)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-61 S(520433)
Opening hours: Monday to Friday (7am to 7pm) & Saturday (7am to 2pm)
Public Bus services: 8 / 21 / 28 / 29 / 293
Tel: 96664141
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