Exploring Emotions Through Music and Creative Play in Preschool and Kindergarten
- Christine
- Mar 29
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Helping preschool and kindergarten children explore emotions through music and play is a powerful way to support social-emotional learning (SEL). By incorporating songs, movement, and creative activities, young children can learn to identify, express, and regulate emotions in a playful and engaging way!
In this post, I’ll share some of my favourite interactive emotion activities for preschool and kindergarten, incorporating music, movement, and play-based learning.
1. If You’re Happy and You Know It – Emotion Edition
🎶 This classic song is a great way to introduce and explore different emotions!
I like to start by going through some of the emotion flashcards (happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, etc.). Holding up a card one at a time, encourage children to identify the emotion and practice making the corresponding facial expressions.
Sing If You’re Happy and You Know It, switching out "happy" for different emotions and adding actions that reflect each feeling:
If you’re sad and you know it, have a cry.
If you’re angry and you know it, stomp your feet.
If you’re excited and you know it, jump up high.
Hold up an emotion card before each verse. Children can also choose different actions.
Another engaging and interactive option is to use an emotion wheel for children to spin and select emotions to sing about.
Extend the activity with coping strategies:
One way I love using this song is by incorporating simple coping strategies:
If you’re sad and you know it, give yourself a hug.
If you’re angry and you know it, take a deep breath.
This small tweak turns the song into a great tool for emotional regulation!
2. Feelings on the Ground – A Musical Emotion Game
🎶 This game helps children recognize emotions and connect them with body language!
How to Play:
Spread the Emotion Flashcards on the floor.
Sing this simple chant to the tune of Farmer in the Dell:
"Feelings on the ground, feelings on the ground, Can you find the (happy) face? Have a look around!"
A child moves to find the matching emotion card and then acts out the feeling with their face and body.
Alternative Version with a Group: Heart Friend Match-Up
After passing out Heart Emotion Cards, make sure each child has a matching partner. Half of the group will receive a different emotion card, and the other half will receive one that matches.
🎶 Chant or sing to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star:
"Who is my heart friend, who could it be? I'll have a look around and see!"
We sing the song together, and when it ends, the children find their matching heart friend and sit together. Once paired, each group shares their emotion and practices making the corresponding facial expression. When I played this game with the kids, they enjoyed it so much that they asked to play a few times in a row! 😊 I love how this activity encourages connection while helping develop emotional awareness.
3. Move Like a Feeling/ Musical Mirroring
🎶 Music and Movement is a great way for children to embody emotions and musical mirroring (following the movements of another) fosters empathy.
How to Play:
Hold up an Emotion Flashcard and say, "We are going to dance like this feeling while the music plays!"
Play music that reflects that mood (or let children interpret it freely).
Children dance or move in a way that matches the feeling. Add in dancing scarves for flowing or expressive movements.
For a partner variation, one child mirrors the movements of their partner’s emotion.
✨ Using the Monster Emotion Pack: In this pack, I’ve included song recommendations that pair well with different emotions! Children can pretend to be monsters with different feelings as they dance. Another playful monster emotion activities are also included in the pack!
4. Feelings Freeze Dance
🎶 A fun way to help preschoolers practice recognizing emotions through movement and play!
How to Play:
Play music and let children dance freely.
When the music stops, hold up an Emotion Flashcard.
Children freeze and make the matching facial expression.
5. Playdough Feelings – Creative Emotion Exploration
🎶 A hands-on way to help children express and explore emotions creatively.
How to Play:
Play a song that explores different feelings (a few of my favourites: Come Out Feelings by Miss Katie Sings, Let it Flow by Little Ripples).
Children choose an Emotion Flashcard and use playdough to create a face that expresses that feeling.
Ask: "What can we do when we feel this way?" to encourage discussion about coping skills.
Emotion Cards and Playdough
6. In My Heart – Musical Storytelling
🎶 Books and music together create a wonderful, multisensory way to explore emotions!
One of my favorites is In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek. I love bringing instruments into the story to accompany the different feelings. Try using a small drum or xylophone to reflect each emotion as you read:
Slowly and quietly for calm or sad.
Bouncy and quick for happy or silly.
Loud for angry.
Fast for scared.
Children can take turns playing instruments in a way that matches different emotions.
7. Instrument Feelings – Exploring Sound and Emotion
🎶 Another option is to use different instruments to represent emotions through sound!
Instrument Ideas for Each Feeling:
Happy – Chimes, tambourine, bells.
Angry – Drum (loud beats), thunder tube.
Sad – Soft drum taps, low-pitched xylophone notes, rainstick (tears falling).
Scared – Shaky maracas.
Calm – Chimes, rainstick.
Excited/Silly – Fast-paced boomwhackers, kazoo.
Final Thoughts: Bringing Music and Emotions Together
Music, movement, and creative activities provide a safe, playful space for children to explore emotions. By incorporating singing, dancing, and hands-on activities, we can nurture emotional awareness and expression in a fun and meaningful way.
🎶 Want More Song Suggestions to Support Emotional Well-Being?
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