Feelings & Emotions Activities for Kids: A Simple Worksheet for Teens and Preteens
I’m a clinical psychologist working with young people who have emotional or behavioural challenges. I know that when teenagers can name and understand their emotions, everything changes.
Yet emotional awareness is something we don’t always teach directly in schools. We expect kids to navigate complex feelings without giving them the tools to do so.
That’s why I’ve created this simple free two-page emotions worksheet, a practical resource for exploring emotions in students aged 11-18. It works beautifully in classrooms, small groups, or one-on-one (at school or at home).
Why Teaching Emotions and Emotional Skills Matter for Teenagers
Adolescence is a time of intense emotional development.
Young people who learn about identifying emotions and understanding emotions early on are better equipped to handle relationships, academic pressure, and life’s challenges.
Research consistently shows that emotional skills are just as important as academic skills for long-term wellbeing and success.
How To Identify Emotions: How This Worksheet Works
Page 1: Personal Reflection About Feelings
The first page provides a space for kids to explore their own emotional world. Students reflect on four core types of emotions, joy, fear, sadness, and anger, and identify what triggers each one.
Page 2: Critical Thinking: Managing Emotions vs Suppressing Emotions
The second page takes learning how to understand your feelings to the next level with practical questions:
- Do you think it’s ever healthy to hide your emotions?
- Is it okay to show anger?
- How do emotions affect decision-making?
- Are all emotions useful?
These questions help students think about managing emotions versus suppressing emotions, an important area that many teenagers find confusing. They’re perfect for class discussions where students can learn from each other’s perspectives.
TAKE THE QUIZ!
Practical Ways to Use This Resource: How To Process Feelings
In the classroom: Use Page 1 as a quiet individual activity, then facilitate a group discussion using Page 2’s questions. This combination helps students process feelings privately before sharing some of their reflections in a safe group setting.
In counseling or pastoral support: The worksheet provides an easy starting point for one-on-one conversations about how to identify emotions and how to process feelings, without feeling too formal or overwhelming.
Feelings Worksheets & Activities: The Bottom Line
Emotional awareness isn’t a soft skill, it’s essential for mental health. This simple worksheet gives young people permission to pause, reflect, and develop the self-knowledge that will serve them throughout their lives.
Grab your free copy below and start building emotional skills with your young people.
My emotions worksheet is free for personal and classroom use. Please do not redistribute or sell the file. If you enjoy these pages, share the link with fellow teachers or friends so they can grab their own copy.
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Dr Lucy Russell is a UK clinical psychologist who works with children and families. Her work involves both therapeutic support and autism assessments. She is the Clinical Director of Everlief Child Psychology, and also worked in the National Health Service for many years. In 2019 Lucy launched They Are The Future, a support website for parents of school-aged children.
Through TATF Lucy is passionate about giving practical, manageable strategies to parents and children who may otherwise struggle to find the support they need.
Lucy is a mum to two teenage children. She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband, children, rescue dog and three rescue cats. She enjoys caravanning and outdoor living, singing and musical theatre.
