Teddy’s Deck of Emotions

• Designed with Children.
• Grounded in Science.
• Made for Emotions

Teddy’s Deck of Emotions is a carefully created set of 32 cards - featuring 16 pairs of the most commonly experienced emotions in young children, including a much-requested family favourite: Hangry.

Developed by Clinical Psychologist Dr Louise Mansell, the deck is designed to support children, families, educators, and professionals in gently exploring and naming emotions - at home, in schools, in care settings and one-one sessions.

This is a warm, accessible resource to help children feel more comfortable recognising and talking about how they feel - something we know is key to emotional development.

What does it do?

Teddy’s Deck encourages emotional conversations through three playful activity ideas included in every pack:

1) Pair Emotions- A matching activity where players find and pair cards with the same emotion. This can help children become more familiar with emotion words, and to name and recognise them visually.

2) Declare Emotions - A turn-taking activity where players request cards from others by stating emotion words aloud. This game gently encourages children to say words for different emotions, listen to others, and engage in turn taking.

3) Share Emotions- A movement-based game where players pick a card and act out that emotion while others guess what it is. It’s a fun and expressive way to explore what feelings look and feel like - without needing the right words straight away.

These flexible activities allow for repeated, child-led use. Children can choose the activity that best fits their mood or setting, and the gentle nature of the games encourages participation at their own pace.

Each activity also includes tiered levels so adults can adapt them to the child’s stage of development - offering just the right balance of support and stretch. As a child grows, so can the conversations.