Toddler Activities Ages 1-3: Feelings
Feeling Fun: 3 Days of Activities to Help Your Toddler Express and Understand Emotions
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What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned since becoming a parent or caregiver?
I would answer this question by saying: “I never expected to learn so much about myself and regulating my own emotions, reactions, and feelings in any given situation.”
While I am not quick to react to something, I do know that 13 years spent in a middle school classroom has made my default responses to things sarcastic and short. Now that we have a little one, I want to make sure she is raised understanding her feelings matter and are validated no matter what.
Feelings are a huge topic of conversation in all aspects of parenting. You will find this type of work almost everywhere in the multiverse that is mom blogging. This next week of activities focuses on a theme that holds immense importance in every conversation I have had so far that talks about motherhood– 'All About Feelings' activities for our little ones. From joyful giggles to big tears, this week will be about helping toddlers understand, express, and embrace their emotions. While some of the toddler tantrums are indeed “terrible,” some of the best words I have heard are that it isn’t a tantrum; they are not able to regulate their bodies, emotions, thoughts, or feelings. This idea of regulation made so much more sense to me because when we are upset, angry, or sad, often our own adult bodies seem like they are struggling for stability. Enter into the chat a 2-year-old with a limited vocabulary, shorter attention span, and increased need for control.
So, how do we help regulation?
I think the first step is by talking about what those feelings are and being able to label them as they come up. This post outlines some introduction activities you can use to start talking about feelings, labeling emotions, and making some ridiculous faces along the way.
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Toddler Activities Ages 1-3: All About Me & Affirmations
Work from Home Mama and Toddler Learning Routines
Books for Storytime
We read in the morning, around naptime, and at bedtime. I want to make sure that books that are surrounding this week’s theme are in the rotation. Here are some that I love:
Our favorites that stay in the rotation are I Am Bat and Please, Baby, Please. Both of these books don’t deal with emotions and feelings directly, but they create situations where the characters have lots of feelings.
Two Activities for Feelings
Two additional activities for the week include a Busy Book and some felt faces that are great for tiny hands that want to be in charge of moving items. The Busy Book has tons of pages that are all velcro stickers and movable pieces. I feel like we will come back to this busy book quite a bit as many of the different themes from our learning routines are found in this book. I also got a little zip carrier bag to keep it and all the parts together when we are in a clean-up rush.
The Feelings Felt activity kit is something that was recommended by Indie Learning Co and Sensory Laine. This activity set is great for talking about emotions and feelings. Our little one loves to make different face combinations (Think a flat Mr. Potato Head), and I can see how the cards with different coping skills for each emotion will become even more beneficial the older she gets and can use the different strategies.
Feeling Faces Felt Pieces | 9 Emotional Learning Cards | Indie Learning Co Affiliate Link
Letters of the Week
Letter B
Letter C
Monday
Letters B & C-Watch videos, create posters, and post on the refrigerator
Felt Faces- Introduction to feelings! We are going to use these felt faces and feelings cards to talk about what we can do when we are feeling emotions. Grab these using the Indie Learning Co’s link here.
Plastic Egg Faces- Grab a sharpie and make some faces on eggs! We are going to rotate faces and label feelings
Tuesday
Sensory Table
Paper Plates Faces- Following up on Monday’s work, we are going to draw on some paper plates and label the faces on the back. I also saw this activity done where the paper plates were cut in half so that just the mouth was showing emotion. I think this would be fun with acting out feelings as well.
Storytime-Let’s review and apply what we have learned so far with the books from the week.
Wednesday
Mama and Me Yoga
Magna Tiles Stickers Emotions/Scavenger Hunt- Our little one loves magnet tiles! I got some emotions stickers, and we are going to read some books with her favorite characters (Like Bluey and Peppa Pig) and see if we can find some emotions and feelings in books we already love.
Storytime-Revisit some of the feelings books from yesterday.
