Learn through Play - Matching Emotions Game
- One Step Ahead
- Sep 26
- 2 min read
Being able to recognise, name, and manage feelings has a huge impact on a child’s confidence, relationships, and ability to cope with life’s ups and downs. The question is often how to teach these skills in a way that actually sticks.
Worksheets and lectures rarely capture a child’s attention. But when learning feels playful, it suddenly becomes more meaningful-and that’s where games come in. Play is a child’s first language. Through play, they explore the world, experiment with ideas, and practice skills in a safe space. When it comes to emotional learning, games have some real advantages: they make tricky concepts easier to grasp because emotions can feel abstract, but games turn them into something you can see, name, and talk about. They keep children engaged because learning feels fun rather than forced. They bring people together since many games involve taking turns, cooperating, or paying attention to how others are feeling.
They also create natural opportunities to practice! Winning, losing, and waiting your turn all spark real emotions, and the game gives space to manage those feelings safely. Put simply, games don’t just entertain, they open doors to deeper learning.
We’ve created the Feelings Match Game - a simple tool designed to help children build emotional awareness while having fun. It’s suitable for use in therapy sessions, classrooms, or even family game nights. While it’s especially helpful for children who find emotions hard to talk about, it’s also enjoyable and useful for any child.
The resource can be used flexibly depending on the person’s age, confidence, and learning goals. Here are some ways to use it:
1. Matching Game
Place the cards face down.
Players take turns flipping two cards at a time to find matching feelings.
When a match is found, encourage the person to name the emotion and answer one of the linked questions (e.g. “What do you look like when you’re sad?” or “What helps you feel better if you feel sad?”).
2. Conversation Starters
Select one card and use the question prompts to start a discussion.
Example: Hold up the Annoyed card and ask, “What’s something that makes you feel annoyed?”
3. Act It Out
Choose a card and encourage children to act out the emotion with facial expressions, body language, or short role-play.
This builds self-awareness and recognition of body signals.
4. Coping Strategy Builder
After discussing a feeling, brainstorm together what helps when that emotion shows up.
Example: “When you feel worried, what can you do to feel better?”
Record ideas to create a personalised “feelings toolkit.”
Tips for Success
Keep sessions short and playful - don’t force an answer if they’re not ready.
Model your own answers so that they can see that everyone experiences these feelings too.
Use positive reinforcement: celebrate effort, not just correct answers.
Revisit the cards often so that they become more confident at recognising and talking about emotions.
Download your free Emotion Matching Game here:
