Young children often know they feel something long before they have a word for it. Friendly animal faces make it easier to spot a feeling, give it a name and talk about it, without the chat feeling too big.
This free set has four emotions colouring pages: a puppy, a kitten, a bear cub and a squirrel. Each page shows the same six everyday feelings, happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised and calm, with big outline words children can colour too.
Use them at the kitchen table, in a calm corner, at circle time or as a quiet activity after a busy day.
What’s inside this free printable
- 4 colouring pages: a puppy, a kitten, a bear cub and a squirrel
- 6 feelings on every page: happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised and calm
- Big bubble-letter feeling words to colour or trace with a finger
- A4 and US Letter PDFs, ready to print at home or school
How to use it
- Print one animal or all four on plain paper or thin card, and set out crayons or pencils.
- Let your child choose which animal to start with.
- Point to each face and ask, ‘How do you think this puppy feels? How can you tell?’
- Look for the clues together: eyebrows, eyes, mouth and body. A scared animal curls up small, an angry one stands stiff and tall.
- Read the feeling word together, then colour the animal and the word.
- Finish by asking, ‘Which one is most like you today?’ and draw a circle round it.
Tips for little ones
- Make the faces together in a mirror first. Pulling a ‘surprised’ face is a fun way to feel what it looks like.
- There is no right colour for a feeling. If your child colours ‘angry’ purple, ask them why.
- Turn it into a matching game: cut out the boxes from two animals and pair up the same feelings.
- Save ‘calm’ for last and take a slow breath together, just like the calm animal.
- For more ways to help with big feelings, read our guide how to help a 3-year-old calm down.
Questions parents ask
What age are these animal emotions coloring pages for?
They suit children of about 3–8. Younger children can colour and point to the faces. Older children can read the feeling words and tell you about a time they felt that way.
Can I use the pages in a classroom?
Yes. They work for circle time, a calm corner, early finisher time or PSHE and social and emotional learning sessions. Print as many copies as you need for your own class or family.
Which feelings are included?
Every page shows the same six feelings: happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised and calm. Using the same six across four animals helps children see that everyone has the same feelings.
Is the download really free?
Yes. Pop in your email on the download page and the A4 and US Letter PDFs appear straight away.
Get your free printable
Download the PDF (A4 and US Letter) from our free printables page. It only takes your email.
Want the full set?
Ready for more feelings words after the colouring? Our Feelings Flashcards for Kids Ages 3–7, a set of 32 printable emotion monster cards, make a lovely next step.