Feelings and regulation

Emotional Regulation and Feelings Games for Kids

Social Spark has nine emotional regulation scenarios (anger bubbling up, feeling overwhelmed at a party, losing it after losing) where the child names the feeling and picks a calm, helpful next step. For naming feelings first, Social Scenes' picture scenes and the Feelings & Social Scenes deck ask how a person feels and point to the clues.

7 days free • No card needed • Then $9.99/month or $79.99/year

  • Name the feeling, then choose what to do
  • Feedback that acknowledges the feeling, not just the answer
  • Eight core feelings in the deck, from scared to calm
  • Short enough for a check-in at the start of a session
Social Spark scenario: when anger bubbles up
When Anger Bubbles Up
Social Spark scenario: too much at once
Too Much at Once
Social Scenes illustration: losing a game
Losing a game
Feelings & Social Scenes deck cover
Feelings deck

Feelings practice, from naming to choosing

The deck for naming feelings; Social Spark for what to do with them.

Social Spark social skills game

Game · ages 6–13

Social Spark

Short animated scenarios about real social moments: a change of plans, a joke that stings, being asked to pick sides. The child watches, talks about it, then picks the most helpful thing to think or say.

  • 51 scenarios, each an 8-second animated clip
  • Six skill areas: flexible thinking, social skills, perspective taking, emotional regulation, kindness, conflict resolution
  • A "Let's Talk About It" prompt on every scenario
  • Every choice has its own feedback; a less helpful one is explained, never called wrong, and the child can try again
See Social Spark
Feelings & Social Scenes deck cover

Ready-made deck · K–3rd grade

Feelings & Social Scenes

A 15-card Magic Studio deck: eight short scenes where the child names how the character feels, then picks a kind thing to say.

  • Eight feelings: sad, surprised, happy, angry, scared, excited, confused, calm
  • Three what-could-you-say cards, a situation-to-feeling match and a kind/unkind word sort
  • Share it with a student by PIN; they need no account
See the deck
Social Scenes conversation practice game

Game · ages 6–13

Social Scenes

Illustrated conversations the child builds one turn at a time: hear what the other person says, pick the best reply, then record their own part and play the whole conversation back.

  • 57 conversations and 50 picture scenes
  • Six topics: Friends, Family, School, Feelings, Out & About, Helping Others
  • A not-best reply is explained, then the child tries again
  • Record your own lines and hear them back; picture scenes give clues and an example response
See Social Scenes

Naming the feeling comes first

A child who cannot yet name a big feeling has a hard time choosing what to do with it. The Feelings & Social Scenes deck works on that step: eight short scenes (a dropped cupcake, a surprise party, a big dog barking), each asking how the character feels, across sad, surprised, happy, angry, scared, excited, confused and calm.

Social Scenes' picture scenes do the same with illustrated moments: a girl with a scraped knee, a boy before the big show. The child works out what the person is feeling, with clues such as "she is smiling" if they need them.

Then choosing the next step

Social Spark's emotional regulation scenarios include When Anger Bubbles Up, Too Much at Once, Overwhelmed at the Party, Seeing It on Their Stories, Corrected in Front of Everyone, Losing It After Losing and Two Minutes Before You Present. The child picks what would help, and the feedback on a less helpful choice often begins by acknowledging the feeling (“It makes sense to feel let down”).

Talk about the scenario before the questions: "what did your body feel like the last time that happened? what helped?" That is what Social Spark's discussion prompt asks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good emotional regulation games for kids?
Ones that ask the child to name the feeling first and then choose a helpful next step, with feedback that accepts the feeling. Social Spark has nine emotional regulation scenarios built that way, and the Feelings & Social Scenes deck practises naming eight feelings.
Is this for school counsellors as well as SLPs?
Yes. Social Spark fits counselling sessions, social skills groups and SEL time as well as speech therapy.
Will these games help my child manage their emotions?
They give a child structured practice in naming feelings and choosing a response, which an adult can then build on in real moments. We do not claim that the games on their own change how a child manages emotions.
How much does it cost?
Every account starts with a 7-day free trial of everything, with no card needed. After that it is $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year, and you can cancel anytime.

Start with one feeling today

Social Spark, Social Scenes and every other game are in the 7-day free trial. No card needed.

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7 days free • No card needed • Then $9.99/month or $79.99/year