Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Emotions Faces Cards: Free Printable Card Set for Reception

  • ForReception
  • StageEarly Years
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Emotions Faces Cards is a free printable card set for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children talk about feelings and show them with their face. A grown up reads each feeling word, the child makes the face, and they say when they last felt that way. It takes about 15 minutes and needs only paper and scissors.

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. Print both pages. Page 1 is the activity for your child. Keep page 2 for the grown up. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

This is a set of cards to cut out and use. The feelings include happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, tired, proud and worried. A grown up reads each word aloud. The child makes the face that matches the feeling and says when they last felt that way. There are no right or wrong answers. All feelings are okay, and the aim is to talk.

  • Happy
  • Sad
  • Angry
  • Scared
  • Excited
  • Tired
  • Proud
  • Worried

Why talk about feelings in Reception?

Young children often feel big things before they have the words for them. Naming a feeling is a first step towards handling it. When a child can say "I feel worried" or "I feel proud", a grown up can listen, help and celebrate. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, learning about feelings sits within personal, social and emotional development.

Faces are a good starting point because children can see and copy them. Making a face with a mirror or a friend turns an idea into something real. Linking a feeling to a real moment, such as a day at the park or a bedtime, helps children see that feelings come and go. Every feeling is normal, including the hard ones.

Fun facts about feelings

  • Everyone has feelings, including grown ups, babies and animals that live with us.
  • Feelings can change quickly. You can feel excited in the morning and tired by bedtime.
  • Your face can show a feeling, but your body can too. Shoulders, hands and voice all give clues.
  • Two people can feel different things about the same event.
  • Feelings are never naughty. What we do when we feel them is what we can learn to choose.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Naming feelings
  • Speaking and listening
  • Empathy
  • Facial expression
  • Sharing experiences

Ideas for the grown up helping

  • Join inMake the faces too. Children copy what they see, and it feels safer when a grown up takes part.
  • Listen firstWhen a child shares a memory, listen and say it back. Try "That sounds like it felt big."
  • Share your ownSay when you last felt a feeling. It shows that grown ups have feelings too.
  • Keep it lightLaughing at silly faces is fine. Keep a calm, kind tone for the harder feelings.

Key words

  • FeelingWhat you notice inside when something happens, such as happy or sad.
  • EmotionAnother word for a feeling.
  • ExpressionThe look on your face that can show how you feel.
  • EmpathyUnderstanding how someone else feels.
  • CalmFeeling quiet and steady inside.
  • CharadesA game where you act something out without speaking.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Cut out the cards from page 1. Keep page 2 for the grown up.
  2. Pick a card. The grown up reads the feeling word aloud. The child makes the face for that feeling.
  3. Ask, "When did you last feel like this?" Let the child answer in their own way, with words, actions or a drawing.
  4. Remind your child that all feelings are okay. Listen without correcting, and share a moment of your own.
  5. Come back to the cards another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Start with four feelings: happy, sad, angry and scared. Use a mirror so your child can watch their face change. Make the face together first, then let them try alone. Come back to the other feelings on another day, one or two at a time.

To stretch confident children

Ask your child to say what helps when they feel worried or angry. They might choose calm breathing, a hug or a quiet moment. Talk about why that helps. Then ask what they could do to help a friend who feels that way.

Make it a game

Play feelings charades. Pick a card without showing it and act out the feeling for a grown up to guess. Then swap, so the child guesses while the grown up acts. Use your face and body, but no words.

Talk about it

  • What makes you feel happy at home?
  • What does your face do when you feel sad?
  • What can you do when you feel angry?
  • Who can you tell when you feel scared or worried?
  • What makes you feel proud?
  • How can you tell when a friend feels tired?

Take it off the page

Mirror faces

Stand at a mirror and make a feeling face each. Take turns copying one another. Say the feeling out loud.

Feelings story

Read a favourite picture book together. Pause on a page and ask how a character might feel, and why.

Feelings drawing

Draw a face on paper plates or paper circles. Colour the one that matches your day, then explain why.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Keep it short and playful. Share your own feelings too, and say that every feeling is okay.

Teachers

Use it as a circle time starter, a PSHE lesson opener or a small group activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.

Home educators

Pair the cards with picture books, outdoor play and everyday chat. Use them again for brothers and sisters. Short, regular sessions of about 15 minutes work well.

Where this fits in learning

Before this, children usually learn simple feeling words through stories, songs and daily talk. They notice how others look and sound when they are happy or upset. Playing with faces and mirrors is a good early step.

After this, children can talk about why they feel a certain way and what helps. They can begin to think about how their actions affect others. Later PSHE work builds on this with friendships, kindness and managing bigger feelings.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Emotions Faces Cards for?

It is written for Reception, children aged 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children may enjoy it with lots of help. Older children can use the stretch idea on page 2.

What will children practise?

Children practise naming common feelings, showing them with their face and talking about them. They also practise listening to others and begin to build empathy, which is understanding how someone else feels.

How do I use it?

A grown up reads each feeling word aloud. The child makes the face and says when they last felt that way. All feelings are okay. It takes about 15 minutes, and you can stop and return another day.

What if it feels too hard?

Start with four cards: happy, sad, angry and scared. Use a mirror so your child can see their face change. Make the faces together first, then add the other feelings over several days.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another class, whenever you need it.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. It works as a circle time starter, a PSHE activity or a table task. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting out the cards. Page 2 gives help and stretch ideas for mixed groups.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can colour the cards if they like, but the activity works without it.

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.

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