Feelings Mini Posters: Teaching Emotion Words at Home
By The Autism Community Store | Published: 2026-11-02
Category: How-to Guides
A step-by-step routine for using Feelings mini posters to build emotion vocabulary, from naming feelings to everyday check-ins.
Quick answer
Start with one Feelings mini poster and one emotion word per day, model the word for your child, and link it to a real moment. Keep the poster visible and practice in calm moments before you need it during a hard one.
Why real photos help more than cartoon faces
Many children, especially autistic kids, read faces more easily when the expression looks like a real person rather than a drawing. The Feelings mini posters use pictures of actual children acting out emotions, which gives your child a closer match to the faces they see at home and school.
That realism is useful, but it is not a full curriculum. The posters show expressions; they do not explain what caused the feeling or what to do next. You still need to connect each picture to your child's own experiences.
Fit the posters to your child's age and attention span
The product lists an age option, so choose the setting that matches your child's developmental level rather than only their birthday. Younger children may need one poster at a time, while older children can handle a small set and a short discussion.
If your child is not yet pointing or speaking, use the posters as a receptive vocabulary tool: you point and name the feeling, and your child does not have to answer. That is still teaching emotions to kids, just without the pressure to perform.
When to pause or change approach
If your child becomes frustrated or starts avoiding the posters, stop the session and return to it another day. A short, positive interaction is more useful than a long one that ends in distress.
Also watch for signs that your child is simply matching the picture to a word without understanding the feeling. If that happens, go back to real-life moments and point out the emotion as it happens, using the poster only as a reference afterward.
A step-by-step routine for teaching emotion words
- Choose one poster and one feeling word: Pick a single poster, such as happy or sad, and place it where your child can see it during a calm part of the day. Say the feeling word clearly and point to the face. Common mistake: putting up all 12 posters at once, which can overwhelm a child who is still learning one word. Keep the first week to one or two posters.
- Model the word with your own face and voice: Make the expression yourself and say the word in a natural sentence, such as 'I feel happy when we read.' Then pause and give your child time to look at the poster. Common mistake: asking 'What is this?' before your child has heard the word enough times to know it. Aim for several short models before you ask your child to respond.
- Link the poster to a real moment: When the feeling comes up naturally, point to the poster and name it: 'You look frustrated. That face looks like this one.' Keep it brief and neutral. Common mistake: using the poster only during meltdowns, which can make the posters feel like a punishment or a warning. Practice with positive feelings first, such as happy or excited.
- Add a second poster after a week: Once your child consistently looks at or repeats the first word, add a contrasting feeling, such as happy and sad, or calm and frustrated. Put the two posters side by side and name both during the day. Common mistake: adding a new word before the first one is familiar, which slows learning for many children. Two posters are enough until your child can point to the right one when you name it.
- Build a simple check-in routine: At the same time each day, ask your child to point to the poster that matches how they feel. Accept any answer without correcting it at first, then name the feeling back: 'You picked frustrated. Thanks for telling me.' Common mistake: turning the check-in into a test or requiring a spoken answer. A point or a glance is a valid answer.
- Use the posters to prepare for hard moments: Before a known challenge, such as a doctor visit or a transition, look at the relevant posters together and name what might come up. Keep it short and matter-of-fact. Common mistake: over-rehearsing and making the event feel bigger than it is. One or two sentences is enough for most children.
Product facts
- Feelings - 12 Mini Posters 4" X 6": The set includes 12 mini posters, each measuring 4 x 6 inches, and uses pictures of real children showing different emotions. The small size makes it easy to keep one or two posters on a desk or wall without taking over the room, and the real photos give your child a concrete face to match to a word.
Feelings - 12 Mini Posters 4" X 6"
