EmpathyFeeling with others

You need: A small mirror, or a calm face-to-face spot

1. Sit with your toddler in front of a mirror, or face to face.
2. Make a happy face. Say “happy” and smile together.
3. Make a sad face, then a tired face with a big yawn. Let your toddler copy you.
4. End with a happy face and a hug.

“Look, your face is happy. My face is happy too.”

You need: A soft toy

1. Let Teddy “fall over” and cry a little.
2. Say gently, “Oh, Teddy is sad.” Wait to see what your toddler does.
3. If they reach out, say, “You are helping Teddy.” If not, show a gentle pat yourself.
4. Make Teddy feel better and say, “Teddy is happy again.”

“Teddy is sad. You gave him a cuddle. Now he is happy.”

You need: Nothing, just a walk or the park

1. Walk slowly and look for people’s faces together.
2. Quietly name what you see: “That baby is laughing. That child looks tired.”
3. Point to a smile and wave if the person is happy to be waved at.
4. Talk about it as you go home: “We saw a happy baby today.”

“I see a happy face. I see a tired face. People feel different things.”

You need: Nothing

1. Take turns acting out one of the Five Feelings with your face and body.
2. The others guess: happy, sad, angry, scared or tired.
3. Ask, “How can you tell?” (eyes, mouth, shoulders).
4. Finish with a group hug if everyone would like one.

“How can you tell it is sad? What do you notice?”

You need: Two puppets, socks or soft toys, and one toy

1. Let two puppets want the same toy.
2. Pause and ask, “How does each puppet feel?”
3. Ask the child, “What could they do?” and try out their idea.
4. Cheer when both puppets are okay again.

“How does the puppet feel? What would help?”

You need: Paper and a crayon

1. Trace your child’s hand on paper.
2. On each finger, draw or write one kind thing they could do for someone.
3. Pick one finger to try today.
4. Tomorrow, ask, “Which kind thing did you do?”

“Five kind things. Which one will you try?”

You need: A short story or picture book

1. Read a story and stop at a moment when a character has a feeling.
2. Ask: “How does she feel? How can you tell? What might she need?”
3. Let two or three children share ideas.
4. Read on, and notice whether the story matches what they guessed.

“How might she feel? What might she need right now?”

You need: A simple game with a winner

1. Play a short game in pairs. One child wins, one does not.
2. After, each says how they felt, using the Five Feelings.
3. Talk about how two people can feel differently about the same game.
4. Ask, “What could the winner do to be kind?”

“You both played the same game. Did you both feel the same?”

You need: Paper and pencils

1. Each child draws a name from a bag.
2. In secret, they write a kind note to that person: something they noticed and liked.
3. Deliver the notes quietly.
4. Ask, “How did it feel to get one? To write one?”

“Write one true, kind thing you noticed about this person.”

You need: Paper and pens

1. Choose a small disagreement from a story or a made-up school moment.
2. Draw two columns. Write how each person might feel and what each one needs.
3. Underline anything the two sides share.
4. Talk about one kind way forward.

“What does each person need? What do they share?”

You need: Groups of three

1. One person is the speaker, one the listener, one the observer.
2. The speaker tells a short story about something that mattered to them (three minutes).
3. The listener says back what they heard and how the speaker might have felt. The speaker says if it was right.
4. The observer shares what they noticed. Swap roles.

“What I heard you say was… Did I get that right?”

You need: Pairs, paper and pens

1. Pairs ask each other three questions: What is something you are proud of? Something you find hard? Something that makes a day better?
2. Each person writes a few words about their partner.
3. Share one thing you learned that surprised you.
4. Say thank you to your partner.

“Tell me about something that makes a day better for you.”

You need: Paper and pens

1. Write a real or made-up situation (a group chat conflict, a team selection, a family rule).
2. Draw circles for each person involved. Write what each might feel and need.
3. Mark where their needs overlap and where they pull apart.
4. Choose one thing you could say or do that respects more than one circle.

“Whose needs are on this map? Who might be missing?”

You need: A phone or device, if you like, or just paper

1. Pick a message or post you might send (or imagine one).
2. Read it as the person who receives it.
3. Write down three feelings they might have and one thing you could change.
4. Decide whether to send, edit or talk in person instead.

“How might this feel to read? Is it kind and true?”

You need: Pairs

1. One person talks for two minutes about something on their mind.
2. The listener only says back what they heard, with no advice, then asks, “Did I get that right?”
3. Swap. Then talk about what was hard about not fixing.
4. Agree on one way you will listen better this week.

“It sounds like… Is that right?”