If there’s ever a good time to do an activity with your little one that teaches them about feelings and builds their emotional intelligence, it’s Valentine’s Day! All the feelings-filled messages - and yes, all the hearts - offer a unique opportunity to talk about, understand, and normalize our feelings and emotions. (Remember: if your little one understands their feelings, they’re WAY more likely to handle them constructively!)

This is a super-simple, super-effective, hands-on DIY activity you can do with your little one. It invites them to actively participate, so you might actually get a few minutes to drink your coffee while it’s still hot! We call this activity “Hearts with Feelings” ❤️

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There are two different variations:

1. For little kids who can’t quite name their own feelings yet, use the PDF that already has the facial expression included in the hearts. Simply have them color in their feelings and talk about them as you go.

“This heart is feeling happy! What color would you like to color the happy heart?”

“This heart is feeling sad. Sometimes we all feel sad. What color do you want to color the sad heart today?”

2. For older kids who can name their feelings, use the PDF that doesn’t have the facial expression on the hearts, and have your kid draw the faces.

“Here’s a happy heart. Can you put a happy face on that heart?”

“This is the mad heart. Can you draw a mad face? What is something that made you feel mad today?”

You can do this activity any time - not just Valentine’s Day! Enjoy ❤️

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE PDFs