Mount Feeling poster and flashcards to help students vocalise how they are feeling using a visual aid.
Feelings Chart for Kids
How often have you asked a student how they’re feeling, only to be met with a shrug and an “I’m okay”? Or perhaps you have a student who regularly complains of a sore tummy, but nothing seems physically wrong. More often than not, these students aren’t quite okay. They just don’t yet have the language to explain how they’re feeling or why. Feelings such as nervousness or anxiety can be especially difficult for young children to identify and express.
This is where visual supports, like feelings charts, can be incredibly helpful. Traditional feelings charts often rely on facial expressions—happy, sad, scared, or nervous—which can be a useful starting point when introducing emotions. However, not all feelings are easily shown on a face, and this can sometimes make it confusing for children to match how they feel on the inside with what they see on the chart.
Our feelings charts and matching flashcards offer a different approach. Instead of focusing solely on facial expressions, students use visual scenes to help interpret and communicate their thoughts, feelings and emotions. This encourages deeper discussion and understanding, moving beyond one-word responses like “I’m sad” to more meaningful conversations about what they’re experiencing.
How to Use This Feelings Chart in the Classroom
Begin by exploring the chart together as a class. Discuss what each character is doing on the mountain and how they might be feeling. You may notice students using different words to describe similar emotions. Encourage this, as it helps them develop their own emotional vocabulary.
Once students are familiar with the image, you can use it as a daily check-in by asking them which character they feel most like and why. The matching flashcards can be used in a variety of supportive ways, such as creating individual flipbooks for students to keep on their desks during independent work, helping you quickly identify who may need extra support. You can also create a class display where students indicate how they’re feeling as they enter the classroom, promoting emotional awareness and open communication from the start of the day.
Download Your Set Today
These feeling charts and flashcards come in both colour and black-and-white. Use the dropdown arrow located on the Download to choose the version that works best for you. Both download as an easy-to-print PDF.
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