There are different songs that refer to different emotions and feelings. Some of these songs, including “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” help toddlers develop motor skills by combining actions with the words while teaching about feelings. Other songs that reference emotions include “You Are My Sunshine” and “Hush Little Baby, Don’t You Cry." These songs help show kids what the different emotions look like as they watch others perform and act out the emotions with the lyrics.
Create a classroom check-in board that will not only tell you which students have arrived, but also let you know what mood your students are in. Clip out different facial expressions for each emotion and paste them in separate boxes on a poster board. When each student arrives, have him place a clothespin with his name on it near the emotion he is feeling. Ask students to update their chosen emotions throughout the day, such as after lunch or after nap time.
Help the toddler go through some magazines and cut out photos that represent different emotions. When cutting out each photo, talk to her about the emotion, including why someone may feel that way. Also talk about the facial expression as it relates to the emotion.
Have the toddler make different facial expressions using felt pieces that can be rearranged for each emotion. Cut out a large circle that can be used for the head and cut out smaller felt pieces for the eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth. Talk to the toddler about different emotions and have him put together a facial expression using the felt pieces for each emotion.