Emotion Photo Cards — Printable Feelings Set for Toddlers & Young Children

Toddlers learn emotions best when they can see real faces — not just cartoons.

The Emotion Photo Cards set uses real children’s photos to help little ones recognize and name 8 core emotions: Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Surprised, Silly, Tired, and Frustrated. Each card includes a fill-in sentence (“I feel ___ when”) that builds both emotional vocabulary and language skills.

Designed by an early childhood educator and mom, this pack keeps it simple, playful, and completely accessible — no background in child development required to use it.

What’s Inside:

• 8 Emotion Photo Cards — real kids’ faces + “I feel ___ when”

• 4 Blank customizable cards — add your own emotions

• How Are You Feeling? reference sheet — all 8 emotions together

• Feeling Matchup Activity — 2 pages, match face to feeling word

File Details:

PDF • 8 pages • US Letter (8.5×11”) • Print-ready • Instant digital download

Print in color and laminate for best results. Works great as a card set, posted on the fridge, or kept in a calm-down corner.

Who This Is For:

Parents • Grandparents • Daycare & preschool teachers • Speech-language pathologists • Pediatric therapists • Anyone supporting toddler emotional development

Want to go deeper? Pair this with the DBT-Lite Feeling Framework — a complete toddler regulation toolkit also available in the shop.