Learning about emotions is extremely important. Kids pick up what they see around them. Therefore, in order to learn about their feelings and emotions they need to be able to see those feelings/emotions in others. 

Social and emotional learning is a crucial part in a child’s development. Since a long time, when it comes to education and learning new concepts, the focus has been on academics. Social and emotional learning is still pretty new but also very important for our little ones to understand themselves better and how they can calm themselves in certain situations or how to collaborate and coordinate with others. Social emotional skills help in cognitive development. These skills help our little ones learn decision making.

Here are a few activities we think might work that you can try at home with your little ones:

Board Games

Playing board games with our little ones is always fun and a good way to teach them self control. You might notice that many kids, in fact most of them at the age 3-4 get upset if they lose. This is the perfect opportunity to teach them about how they're feeling. We, as parents, help them out to make sure they win but sometimes we need to stop ourselves from doing that in order for them to learn self control. Sure, they’re going to be devastated or disappointed but slowly learn how to react or control themselves in such situations in a better way.

Egg Faces

You can use the Fun Easter Egg toys to play this game. Draw out different expressions on the eggs and talk about them with your little one or use the Expression Cards. They can interchange the expressions with other eggs and create new emotions and learn about them.

Musical Fun

We are aware that Music connects us with our emotions and feelings. Therefore, to teach our little ones about self expression, a small exercise involving music can be a great way to encourage children to express themselves. We can play a few tunes for them and ask them to draw or use colours about how that particular tune makes them feel.

Mood Meter 

Since kids are still exploring different moods, expressions, emotions and feelings, Creating a mood meter could be a great idea. You could make one with cardboard or use expression cards instead. Your child can then tell you how they feel about something through their mood meter or the cards if they cannot express through communication yet.

Emotional Dolls/Puppets

A fun way to learn about feelings and empathy can be through emotional dolls or puppets. Kids can create these dolls using toilet paper rolls or tissue rolls and giving an expression to each roll and having a fun role play activity where they learn about being empathetic to other’s feelings and theirs too! 

Yoga

There’s no denying that yoga is extremely beneficial and important in calming oneself. It is as beneficial for our little ones as it is for us. You can teach yoga and mindfulness to your little ones for them to learn how to calm themselves. In fact, you can practice this with them and have a bonding session. Inculcating the practice of yoga and meditation from an early age can go a long way.

Learning about emotions and feelings is as important as everything else in life. Starting this at an early age will benefit our little ones in the long run and help them be clear and understand themselves and gain other skills like decision making in a better way.

Share this with your fellow parents if you think this can help little ones grow up to be strong, confident individuals.