Toys That Help Kids Express Feelings and Identify Emotions
20+ Toys, Games, and Stuffed Plushies That Help Kids Identify and Express Feelings
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There are so many resources to help kids learn to identify and regulate their own feelings — as well as other people's, which is the first step to building empathy! — from books and shows to toys and games. We've rounded up some of the best stuffed plushies, toys, board games, and other playthings to help your child build critical social-emotional skills surrounding emotions and self-expression.
Keep scrolling to see and shop them all!
1 Manhattan Toy Making Faces
Kids can learn to identify and express feelings through the Manhattan Toy Making Faces ($27) game.
2 Slumberkins Alpaca and Board Book
The Slumberkins Alpaca and Board Book ($48) teaches kids to identify and manage stress, worry, and anxiety.
3 Miniland Emotiblocks
These cute Miniland Emotiblocks ($20) can be arranged and rearranged however your child likes, but ultimately help to teach kids to understand facial cues and identify emotions.
4 Janod Magnetic Game of Emotions and Feelings
The Janod Magnetic Game of Emotions and Feelings ($25) explores ten different feelings — happiness, fear, sadness, shyness, love, disgust, laughter, jealousy, anger, and surprise.
5 Lego Build Me "Emotions" Set
This Lego Build Me "Emotions" Set ($70) has 188 pieces that encourage kids ages 2 through 5 to construct characters with various facial expressions.
6 Peaceable Kingdom Friends and Neighbours: The Helping Game
Peaceable Kingdom's Friends and Neighbours: The Helping Game ($18) helps kids identify the feelings and needs of others, and teaches them ways they could be of help to build empathy skills.
7 hand2mind Learn About Feelings Activity Set
With this hand2mind Learn About Feelings Activity Set ($20), kids ages 3 will learn how to identify different emotions and manage feelings.
8 Emotional Rollercoaster Anger Management Board Game
This Emotional Rollercoaster Anger Management Board Game ($25) teaches kids that getting mad is OK, but how we cope and calm down when we're angry is important.
9 Hape Eggspressions Wooden Learning Toy with Illustrative Book
The six expressive wooden eggs that come with the Hape Eggspressions Toy and Illustrative Book Set ($25) help promote emotional maturity in kids ages 2 and up.
10 Learning Resources Soft Foam Emoji Conversation Cubes
Toddlers and little kids can use these Learning Resources Soft Foam Emoji Conversation Cubes ($9) to relate words to feelings.
11 Feelings and Emotions Memory Game
The Feelings and Emotions Memory Game ($20) teaches kids 2 and up emotional intelligence and empathy skills through its colourful feelings cards.
12 Kimochis Mixed Feelings Pouch
This Kimochis Mixed Feelings Pouch ($19) includes five feelings plushies — loved, grateful, shy, scared, and jealous — as well as one blank plushie that can be drawn on with a washable marker to express a custom feeling.
13 hand2mind See My Feelings Mirror
With the hand2mind See My Feelings Mirror ($19), kids can practice their facial expressions and will learn to recognise and identify other people's feelings.
14 Learning Resources Big Feelings Pineapple
Preschoolers can use the 26 pieces of the Learning Resources Big Feelings Pineapple ($10) to create a bunch of expressions.
15 Peaceable Kingdom Guess It, Get It, Gumballs: A Game of Faces and Feelings
The Peaceable Kingdom Guess It, Get It, Gumballs: A Game of Faces and Feelings ($18) is a memory game that helps kids to idenitfy and emulate feelings.
16 Learning Resources Emoji Dice
With this set of 200 Learning Resources Emoji Dice ($23), kids can use the various faces to illustrate emotions.
17 Chalk and Chuckles Monkey Expressions Preschool Feelings Puzzle
Kids ages 3 through 5 will learn to identify feelings and communicate emotions with this Chalk and Chuckles Monkey Expressions Preschool Feelings Puzzle ($15).
18 Whatsitsface Stuffed Animal
Flip the faces or twist the knob on the head of this Whatsitsface Stuffed Animal ($25) to see its six different facial expressions.
19 TeeTurtle The Original Reversible Cat Plushie
The TeeTurtle The Original Reversible Cat Plushie ($15) has two different emotions to help kids express themselves.
20 Miniland Educational Emotions Detective Learning Playset
The Miniland Educational Emotions Detective Learning Playset ($22) helps kids learn about their own feelings, but also those of other people.
21 How I'm Feeling Sentence Completion Cards
This kit of How I'm Feeling Sentence Completion Cards ($15) come with 54 different cards taht contain prompts to get kids sharing and talking about their emotions.
22 Mad Smartz
Mad Smartz ($18) is a card game similar to Uno, but it explores social skills, empathy, anger management, confidence, and more.
