My Mood Memo: Teaching Toddlers to Name Their Feelings

By PlanToys USA: Sustainable Wooden Toys for Child ... | Published: 2026-10-14

Category: Tips & Care

Use My Mood Memo to turn toddler emotions into a daily game. Follow six practical steps to build emotional literacy through play, with tips to avoid common mistakes.

Quick answer

My Mood Memo is a memory game with 24 wooden tiles showing 12 different emotions. To teach toddlers to name feelings, play it face-up first and narrate each emotion as you match pairs. Then add the color wheel to group similar feelings and build vocabulary. Keep sessions short, follow your child's interest, and model naming your own emotions during play.

Why a memory game works for emotional vocabulary

Toddlers learn best when a new idea is attached to something they already enjoy. My Mood Memo uses the familiar mechanics of matching pairs, so the focus stays on the emotion on each tile rather than on winning. The set includes 24 wooden tiles representing 12 different emotions, which gives you a natural way to repeat feeling words many times in a single game. The included Emotion Color Wheel helps you visually group feelings and practice emotion vocabulary, turning a simple matching task into a conversation starter.

Set up a calm, low-pressure play space

Before you introduce the tiles, choose a time when your toddler is fed and rested. Sit on the floor at eye level with a small tray or basket to hold the tiles. Keep the color wheel nearby but not in the center of play at first; you can bring it in after a few rounds. The goal is to make the game feel like a shared activity, not a test. If your child is easily distracted, start with just six tiles (three pairs) and add more as attention grows.

Model naming feelings without correcting

When you turn over a tile, say the emotion word clearly and connect it to a simple body cue or situation. For example, 'This face looks surprised—like when the dog barks!' If your child names a different feeling, accept it and expand: 'You said happy. It could also be excited. Both are big feelings.' Avoid saying 'no, that's wrong.' The aim is to build a safe space for talking about emotions, not to drill correct answers. Over time, your child will borrow your words.

6 steps to teach feelings with My Mood Memo

Start face-up with three pairs: Place six tiles face-up and ask your child to find the matching emotions. Name each emotion as they pick it up. Common mistake: starting with all 24 tiles, which overwhelms a toddler and shifts focus to memory rather than feelings. Checkpoint: your child can point to or say at least two emotion words before you add more tiles.
Add the color wheel for sorting: Once your child knows a few faces, bring in the Emotion Color Wheel. Group tiles by color family and talk about how some feelings are similar (like calm and sleepy). This builds flexible thinking about emotions. Checkpoint: your child can place a tile near a matching color group without help.
Turn tiles face-down for a memory round: Play a standard memory game, but when a pair is found, pause and ask, 'When do you feel this way?' Share your own example first to model. Common mistake: rushing through matches to finish the game. Checkpoint: your child volunteers a simple story or gesture for one emotion.
Connect emotions to daily routines: After the game, refer back to the tiles during real moments: 'You look frustrated, like the red face we saw.' Keep the tiles visible on a low shelf so your child can bring them to you when feelings run high. Checkpoint: your child uses an emotion word during a non-play moment within a week.
Keep sessions short and end on a high note: Aim for 5–10 minutes, or until interest fades. Put the tiles away together and say, 'We can play again tomorrow.' Common mistake: pushing for one more round after your child loses focus, which creates negative associations. Checkpoint: your child willingly helps clean up and asks to play again another day.
Model your own emotional literacy: Narrate your feelings during the day: 'I feel proud that we cleaned up.' Use the same vocabulary from the game. Children learn more from what we do than what we drill. Checkpoint: you catch yourself naming an emotion aloud at least once a day.

Product facts

My Mood Memo: The set consists of 24 wooden tiles with 12 different emotions. Children can learn how to match two identical emotions with this fun memory game. Skills include learning about the relationship of colors and emotions. Emotion Color Wheel can help visually group feeling and practice emotion vocabulary. The 12 emotions give you a ready-made vocabulary list, and the color wheel turns abstract feelings into a visual sorting activity that supports word recall.
Chair: This chair is perfect for little bodies. The sleek, contouring bent wood design and sturdiness allows for a child to sit comfortably. Suitable for children ages 3 to 6 years old. Max weight is 170 lbs / 79 kgs. Supports concentration ability and gives little ones their very own space to work or play in partnership with a... A comfortable, child-sized chair can make floor play or table play more focused, especially if you use the mood tiles during a quiet afternoon routine.
Play Gym - Orchard: Give your baby a workout with this activity gym that includes 2 suspended toys which help stimulate your child’s curiosity. Items can be detached for later stages of development. The structure is designed with four legs to prevent rocking and to optimize child safety. Comes with a rocket and planet toy that is detachable from the top support... For younger siblings, a safe activity gym keeps them engaged nearby while you play the mood game with an older toddler, making emotional learning part of family time.