Feelings Chart for Kids: Printable Faces, Emoji Charts and How to Use Them

A feelings chart gives a child a way to communicate an internal state without needing the vocabulary to describe it. They point. That is the whole mechanism, and it can make a brief check-in easier when words are hard to find.

A useful chart is simple enough to scan and placed where the child can reach it. Here is what to use, at what age, and where to put it.

Types of feelings chart

Feeling faces chart

A grid of drawn faces, each labelled with one emotion. A useful starting format for many younger children. Begin with a small set of familiar feelings, then add labels when the child is ready.

Emoji feelings chart

The same idea using emoji instead of illustrated faces. Emoji-style faces may feel familiar to some children, but ask the child what each face means rather than assuming everyone reads it the same way.

Colour or zone chart

Groups emotions into colour bands rather than naming each one. Lower resolution, but far lower effort for the child — useful when a child is already escalated and cannot manage a specific label. See our guide to Zones of Regulation printables for the full framework.

Intensity scale

Not “which feeling” but “how strong”, usually 1 to 5. Best used alongside a faces chart rather than instead of one. Our 5 Point Superhero Scale uses a superhero power-level metaphor, which gets far better engagement than a numbered thermometer.

Feelings wheel

A circle of emotion words in rings — broad in the middle, precise on the outside. It builds vocabulary rather than just recording a state, but it needs reading and comparison, so it suits ages seven and up. See our guide to the feelings wheel for kids for how to use one and how to make your own.

Free chart or print-ready pack?

Start with the nine-face example above: point together at a calm moment, let the child choose a face, and ask whether they want to say more. You can print this page without buying a product. If you need a separate file for a wall or repeatable check-ins, choose by the number of feelings and the activity you will actually use:

• Emoji Feelings Chart Pack: a six-feeling wall chart, six cut-out cards, a morning-and-afternoon check-in sheet, and adult prompts. Made for ages 3–8 in US Letter and A4.
• Feelings Poster and Check-In Pack: a 12-feeling poster, low-ink version, check-in page, and Notice–Name–Choose next-step plan. Four-page PDFs in US Letter and A4.

Both are optional digital downloads. See each product page for its current price, preview, printing details and license; the free chart here remains available.

Which emotions to include

Start with the six that cover most of what a young child experiences: happy, sad, angry, scared, tired, calm. Once those are used reliably, add the more precise ones — frustrated, embarrassed, jealous, disappointed, nervous, proud, lonely, overwhelmed.

That second list is where the real value sits. A child who can distinguish “frustrated” from “angry” has a much better chance of responding proportionately, because the two call for different responses.

By age

• Ages 2–4: four to six large faces. No text needed. Point and name it for them out loud.
• Ages 5–7: eight to twelve faces with single-word labels. Introduce a daily check-in routine.
• Ages 8–11: emoji format, more nuanced emotions, plus an intensity scale.
• Ages 12+: drop the chart on the wall. Use a journal or a phone note instead — the privacy matters more than the visual at this age.

How to actually use it

The chart is not the intervention. The routine around it is.

• Check in at fixed times — after school and before bed are the two highest-yield moments. Do it whether or not anything is wrong.
• Model it yourself. Point at your own feeling first. “I am at frustrated today, because work was hard.” This does more than any prompting.
• Never argue with the answer. If a child says angry and you say “you are not really angry”, the chart is finished as a tool.
• Follow with one question, not five. “What would help right now?” is usually enough.
• Have an answer ready. “What would help” only works if the child has options. Build a shortlist from a list of coping skills for kids on a calm day.
• Accept pointing without talking. Silent use is still success.

Where to put it

At child eye level, in a high-traffic spot — the fridge, the back of the front door, the end of the bed. Not in a room that is only used at bedtime. If you have set up a calm down corner, put a second copy there, because that is where it will be needed most.

Beyond the chart

A chart builds recognition. Turning recognition into conversation usually needs something with lower social pressure — which is where games work. Pass It or Keep It gives children a structured, low-stakes way to share a feeling, and Emotion Chess builds discussion into an ordinary board game, which suits children who shut down when asked directly.

For more playful ways to practise naming feelings, see our Feelings Games for Kids guide.

Frequently asked questions

My child always points at the same face. Is it working?

Often yes — young children default to the first or the happiest face for weeks before the responses differentiate. Keep going and keep modelling. If it persists past a month, the chart may have too many options; cut it down.

Should I laminate it?

Yes, if you want a dry-wipe marker or a movable peg. A chart the child can physically move a marker on gets used considerably more than one they only look at.

Do feelings charts work for autistic children?

Some autistic children find a visual choice easier than a spoken question, while others may prefer words, photographs or another format. Ask the child what is clear to them, allow pointing or no response, and adapt the chart rather than assuming one format suits everyone. A feelings chart is not a substitute for individual support.

Printable tools to use with this guide

If you want a ready-to-print way to practise daily emotion check-ins, compare the Emoji Feelings Chart Pack and the Feelings Poster and Check-In Pack. Both are designed for simple, repeatable use at home or in a classroom.