top of page

Paper plate emotions craft

  • Writer: Vicki Manning
    Vicki Manning
  • Apr 20, 2020
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 26



We've had some really big emotions to deal with recently, there have been so many changes and so many new adjustments to make. I decided that getting together as a family to create something would be a great opportunity to talk about it.


Teaching children about emotions is so important; because it helps them develop the ability to recognise and manage their own feelings, have better social interactions, and they will be better able to cope with life's challenges.

Paper plates with drawn emotions on sticks, set on a wooden surface. Text: "how we play and learn" and "Paper Plate Emotions Craft".

Contains affiliate links - see our disclosure policy 


Crafting is one of our favourite ways to bond, so even if the boys were unable to vocalise how they were feeling, I wanted to give them them chance to explore their emotions through a bit of creativity.


Not only are these emotions masks super easy to make and fun to play with, but they make the perfect talking point for tackling the tricky subject of feelings.


Paper plate, tape, popsicle sticks, marker, and blue-handled scissors are neatly arranged.

To make these paper plate emotions you will need:


Start by cutting your paper plates in half. Younger children may need a little help with this; drawing a line down the centre might make it easier for them to cut straight.


Then take a marker pen and draw different emotions - we made sad, happy, angry, worried and surprised - ask your little one what emotions they can name or want to create and let them draw their own emotions if they want to.


Popsicle stick taped to a paper plate using masking tape.


Finally, take your lolly sticks and attach them to each plate half using a few pieces of masking tape.


Paper plate masks with drawn faces on sticks. Faces show varied emotions, in black on white.

We gave ours really simple black and white designs but, you can do them however you like, in colour if you want.


You can now hold them up to your face and have fun making your expressions!



Crafting is a great outlet for exploring emotions in a non-verbal way so It's perfect for any age.


Ways that you can extend this activity


Think of other words for the emotions (synonyms), e.g. worried could also be nervous, anxious, unsure, wobbly...


Describe a situation and your partner has to guess how that would make you feel and pick up the corresponding mask.



More ways for children to learn about their emotions:


  • Label emotions

    Actively name emotions you see in your child and others around them, like "You seem happy" or "It looks like you're feeling frustrated." 

  • Read books

    Read picture books that show different emotions and discuss how the characters might be feeling 

  • Share your own feelings

    Talk about your own emotions with your child to normalise talking about feelings

  • Ask open-ended questions:

    Encourage your child to explain how they are feeling by asking questions like "What happened to make you feel that way?" 

  • Play games:

    Engage in activities that involve identifying emotions in others, like these Mindful Games for Kids by Kristina Marcelli-Sargent

  • Validate their feelings:

    Acknowledge your child's emotions without dismissing them: "I know you are feeling >sad< and that's ok.


For more feeling activities, check out my post on helping your child to deal with their emotions.


Have you had any tricky feelings to deal with recently? How did you cope with them? Let me know in the comments!

For more playful and creative learning ideas visit:



51 Comments


yong porenjes
yong porenjes
a day ago

bungtoto

bungtoto

bungtoto

Bungtoto

Bungtoto

Bungtoto  

Bungtoto adalah situs slot gacor berlisensi resmi gampang maxwin hari ini.

Like

yong porenjes
yong porenjes
a day ago

Kalian mencari situs slot online paling gacor? hanya di

gampangtoto

GAMPANGTOTO

gampangtoto

gampangtoto

GAMPANGTOTO

GAMPANGTOTO

gampangtoto anda akan merasakan sensasi mendapatkan hadiah terus menerus.

Like

yong porenjes
yong porenjes
a day ago

solusi taruhan judi online menggunakan dana terpercaya hanya di

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Like

yong porenjes
yong porenjes
a day ago

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto

Winsortoto adalah bandar togel dengan diskon terbesar

Like

yong porenjes
yong porenjes
a day ago

Rasa4d

Rasa4d

Rasa4d

Rasa4d merupakan situs slot paling gacor di asia yang menyediakan berbagai macam pasaran slot gamapng menang dengan deposit rendah

Like
bottom of page