Free Printable Feelings Charades Cards | Download PDFs – Feelings charades is a simple, no-prep game that helps kids name emotions, read faces, and practice empathy. If you searched for free printable feelings charades cards, you can download ready-to-cut cards, print them at home, and start playing in minutes.
This page explains what the cards are, how to play, and where to find legitimate free printables for families, classrooms, and homeschool in the United States.
What Are Feelings Charades Cards?
Feelings charades cards (also called emotion charades cards or emotions charades printables) are small prompt cards. Each card shows a feeling word, a face, or both.
A player draws a card in secret, then acts out the emotion using only facial expressions and body language. No talking. Everyone else guesses the feeling.
Common prompts include happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, proud, worried, silly, surprised, embarrassed, and calm. Some sets add harder feelings such as disappointed, jealous, or relieved.
You can use official charades decks or feelings flashcards. Both work as long as kids can see the prompt and keep it hidden from the guessers.
Why This Game Helps Kids?
Acting out a feeling is easier than talking about it. That is why teachers, school counselors, and parents use feelings charades for social-emotional learning (SEL).
The game builds:
- Emotion vocabulary (“I feel worried,” not just “I feel bad”)
- Face and body-language reading
- Empathy and turn-taking
- Self-awareness without a long lecture
It works at family game night, in morning meeting, in small groups, and with kids who need extra practice naming feelings, including many children with autism or speech delays. Keep rounds short and praise effort, not perfect acting.
How to Play Feelings Charades?
You need the printed cards, a bowl or bag, and a timer if you want extra energy.
- Print the cards on U.S. Letter paper (8.5″ x 11″). Cardstock lasts longer than copy paper.
- Cut the cards apart. Laminate them if you will use the set often.
- Place the cards face down in a bowl.
- One player draws a card and acts out the feeling. No words, sounds only if your house rules allow them.
- Others guess. The first correct guess can take the next turn, or rotate in a circle.
- After the guess, pause for one sentence: “When do you feel that way?” That short talk is where a lot of the learning happens.
Suggested times: preschool and kindergarten, 30–60 seconds per turn. Grades 2–5, 45–90 seconds. Skip keeping score with young kids.
Where to Get Free Printable Feelings Charades Cards?
These sources were checked as free at the time of writing. Some need a free account. None of the five links below are paid products.
1. Sago Mini Emotions Charades (color, cut, and play)
Sago Mini’s Emotions Charades printable is built for this exact game. Kids color the cards, cut them on the dotted lines, drop them in a bowl, then act and guess. Feelings on the set include happy, sad, scared, excited, mad, proud, surprised, embarrassed, calm, confused, silly, disgusted, and disappointed.
Download the activity from the official Sago Mini printables page: Sago Mini Emotions Charades.
2. Fun Stuff To Do emotions cards (direct PDF)
This site offers several free charades decks with no email signup. The kids emotions set includes pictures, which helps pre-readers. Print, cut on the borders, and shuffle.
Open the emotions PDF here: Kids Emotion Charades Cards (PDF).
3. ESL Vault feelings charades cards (direct PDF)
ESL Vault’s kids charades pack has a dedicated feelings page. The feelings cards cover easy prompts such as happy, sad, scared, angry, tired, hungry, hot, cold, and funny. Picture support makes this a good first deck for preschool and early elementary.
Download the feelings page here: ESL Vault Feelings Charades PDF.
4. Teachers Pay Teachers free emotion charades cards
U.S. teachers often keep a free TPT account for classroom resources. The Emotion Charades Game Cards FREEBIE by SELTEACHER is listed at $0.00 and includes three pages: basic emotion words, more complex emotion words, and basic emotions with pictures. It is designed for grades K–8.
You will need a free Teachers Pay Teachers login to download: Emotion Charades Game Cards FREEBIE.
5. Photo feelings flashcards you can use as charades cards
If you want a larger set, ESL Vault’s 32 feelings flashcards work well for charades. The photos show real expressions, and the site lists charades as a main activity: a player picks a card and acts it out while the group guesses.
Get the flashcard PDF from: 32 Free Printable Feelings Flashcards.
Skip sites that charge for a “feelings charades” download unless you want extra art or lesson plans. A $3 listing is not a free printable.
Free Printable Feelings Charades Cards | Download PDFs
Printing Tips for U.S. Homes and Classrooms
- Use U.S. Letter paper unless the PDF is clearly marked A4.
- Print in color when the faces matter. Black-and-white is fine for word-only cards.
- Choose “fit to page” so borders do not clip.
- Cardstock (65–110 lb) holds up to little hands. Laminate and store in a zip bag or recipe box.
- Make two copies if you teach a large class: one picture set for young kids and one word-only set for readers.
Easy Ways to Adapt the Game
Preschool: Stick to six to eight basic feelings. An adult can whisper the word if the child cannot read.
Early elementary: Add a “when I felt that” share after each correct guess.
Upper elementary: Mix in complex feelings such as jealous, disappointed, or embarrassed. Try team play with a 60-second timer.
Quiet classrooms: Play seated “face only” rounds so kids act with expressions, not big body movements.
Homeschool or counseling: After the guess, ask what the body needed (a hug, a break, a drink of water). That turns charades into a coping conversation.
You can also make extra cards on index cards: grateful, lonely, frustrated, brave, left out. Keep homemade cards the same size as your printed deck.
Brief FAQ
Are free printable feelings charades cards actually free?
The five resources above are free to download. TPT requires a free account. Always check the product price before you click “download.”
What age is feelings charades for?
Ages 3–4 can play with pictures and an adult helper. Ages 5–10 is the sweet spot. Older kids still enjoy harder emotion words.
Do I need special supplies?
No. Paper, scissors, and a bowl are enough. A timer and lamination are optional.
Can I use regular emotion flashcards?
Yes. Hide the word from the guessers and have the actor use the face on the card as a model.
Is this only for school?
No. Families use it for game night, rainy days, and talking after a hard afternoon.
Start With One Small Deck
You do not need a huge bundle. Print one free printable feelings charades cards set, cut eight to twelve cards, and play for ten minutes. That is enough for kids to practice naming a feeling, showing it on their face, and guessing it in someone else.
When the first deck gets easy, add a second set with new words. Keep the rules the same: act it, guess it, then say when you have felt it too.