Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Draw the Feeling Faces: Free Printable Worksheet for Ages 2 to 4
- ForAges 2 to 4
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Draw the Feeling Faces is a free printable art worksheet for ages 2 to 4, in Early Years. Children hear a short moment, such as a loud bang of thunder, and draw a face to show how they would feel. The grown up then writes the child's feeling word on the line.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. It is two A4 pages. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children listen as a grown up reads a short moment aloud, such as a birthday cake or a loud bang of thunder. They draw a face in a box to show how they would feel. Then they say what the face is feeling, and the grown up writes that word on the line. There are no right or wrong drawings. The aim is to draw, talk and find first feeling words.
- 1. Your birthday cake
- 2. Your ice cream falls on the floor
- 3. You cannot find your teddy
- 4. A loud bang of thunder
Ways to build on the sheet
Mirror faces
Sit side by side at a mirror. Make a face and ask your child to copy it. Point out what your eyes and mouth are doing. Then swap, and let your child lead.
Name it in the moment
During the day, give feelings a simple name when they appear. You might say, "You are frowning. Are you feeling cross?" Short, calm words help children learn them.
Add a new moment
Think up your own moment together, such as a trip to the park or a visit from a friend. Draw the face on a spare piece of paper and write the word beneath it.
Look in picture books
Choose a favourite book and look at the faces on each page. Ask what each character might be feeling and what in the picture tells you.
Why draw feelings at this age?
Young children often feel big things before they have the words for them. Drawing gives them another way to show what is in their heads. A circle with two dots and a curved line is a real step. The child is choosing which marks stand for a feeling, and that is thoughtful work.
Talking about the picture is where the learning grows. When a child tells you what their face is feeling, you can write the word down and say it back. Over time they link the word, the face and the feeling. This links to the Early Years areas of expressive arts and design, and personal, social and emotional development.
Feeling faces facts
- People show feelings with their faces, but also with their voices and their bodies.
- Eyes, eyebrows and mouths all change shape when we feel different things.
- Every person has feelings, including grown ups.
- Feelings can change quickly, and one feeling can pass and another can arrive.
- Two people can feel different things about the same moment, and that is fine.
Skills and curriculum link
- Drawing faces
- Feeling words
- Mark making
- Listening to a short story
- Talking about pictures
- Early pencil control
Helping your child talk about feelings
- Use simple wordsStart with a few common feeling words. Say them often and clearly. Add new ones slowly, as your child shows they are ready.
- Accept every drawingA scribble or a single circle still counts. Ask your child to tell you about it rather than judging how it looks.
- Say what you seeDescribe the face rather than correcting it. For example, "I can see a big round mouth." This keeps the talk friendly and open.
- Let feelings differYour child might feel something you did not expect. Ask, "Tell me about that one." Their own answer is worth listening to.
Key words
- FeelingWhat you notice inside you, like being happy or sad.
- FaceThe front of your head, with eyes, a nose and a mouth.
- EyesThe parts of the face we see with. They change shape when we feel different things.
- MouthThe part of the face we eat and talk with. It can curve up, curve down or open wide.
- DrawMake a picture with a pencil or crayon.
- MomentA short bit of time when something happens.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2 for yourself, as it has the notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
- Read the first moment aloud in a clear voice. Give your child time to think about how they would feel.
- Let your child draw freely in the box. Ask what the face is feeling, then write their word on the line.
- Do the same for each moment, taking your time. Stop if your child loses interest and come back later.
- Look at the faces together afterwards and check the notes on page 2. Come back on another day, because repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Show your own face making each feeling in a mirror first. Then point out the eyes and mouth together. Let your child copy you before they draw. Try just one moment at a time, and offer to draw the first circle together.
To stretch confident children
Ask why the face feels that way, or what might help. Invite your child to think up a new moment of their own and draw its face. You could also ask them to draw two faces that feel different about the same moment.
Make it a game
Take turns making a feeling face for one of the moments. Your grown up guesses the feeling. Then swap roles. Afterwards, draw the face you made. Keep it light and silly, and laugh together when a guess is wrong.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child scribbles over the box and says it is finished.
Try thisAccept it as mark making. Ask, "Can you show me where the eyes might go?" and point to a spare space to try again.
Watch forA child gives a feeling word that is different from the one you expected.
Try thisAsk them to tell you about it. Feelings are personal, and their answer may make sense once they explain it.
Watch forA child says they do not know the feeling word.
Try thisOffer two choices, such as cross or sad. Or make the face yourself and ask them to guess how you feel.
Take it off the page
Paper plate faces
Give your child a paper plate and a pencil or crayons. Draw a face on it together, then change the eyes and mouth on a second plate to show a different feeling.
Feelings in a mirror
Take turns making a face while the other guesses. Then look in a mirror and notice what changed in the eyes and mouth.
Feelings hunt in books
Choose a picture book and look for faces that show a feeling. Point to each one and say the feeling word together.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child and let them lead. Keep it short and stop while it is still fun. Write down the words they choose, and praise their effort and thinking rather than how the faces look.
Teachers
Use it as a carpet time follow up, a table activity or a quiet choosing task. It supports talk about feelings and early mark making. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed groups, and the sheet needs no preparation beyond printing.
Home educators
Pair it with picture books, mirror play and everyday talk about how people feel. Because it is free and printable, you can use it again with brothers and sisters, or come back to it a few weeks later.
Where this fits in learning
Before this sheet, children enjoy scribbling, making marks and looking at faces in books and in real life. They begin to point at pictures and hear simple feeling words in stories, songs and daily routines.
After this sheet, children can start to say why they feel a certain way, draw people with more detail, and use more feeling words. They can also begin to tell short stories about what happened and how someone felt.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Draw the Feeling Faces for?
It is written for ages 2 to 4, in Early Years. Younger children may need a grown up to do most of the talking, while older children may draw more detail and use more words.
- What will my child practise?
Children practise drawing eyes and mouths to show feelings, and they build first feeling words. They also listen to a short moment, think about how it would feel and talk about their picture.
- What if my child will not draw?
Do not push. Try the mirror game first, or draw one face yourself and ask your child to add the eyes. You can always come back on another day. Short, relaxed sessions work best.
- Do the drawings have to look like faces?
No. A circle with a few marks is a good start. What matters is that your child chooses marks to show a feeling and tells you about it. You then write their word on the line.
- Is it free to print?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or use it again on another day with the same child.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a table activity, a quiet task or a follow up to circle time. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas.
- Is it a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Printing in black and white on plain A4 paper works well.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.