Mirror face game
1–2 yearsEmotional WellbeingNo materials needed
Sit facing your child and make simple facial expressions like happy, sad, or surprised. Encourage your child to copy you. Then switch and copy their expressions back to them. Use simple words to name each feeling as you make the face. This game takes just a few minutes and helps your child recognize emotions in faces.
Part of the Imprint developmental journey — personalized to your child.
How to Do This Activity
Sit facing your child and make simple facial expressions like happy, sad, or surprised. Encourage your child to copy you. Then switch and copy their expressions back to them. Use simple words to name each feeling as you make the face. This game takes just a few minutes and helps your child recognize emotions in faces.
Why It Works
Toddlers learn through imitation and modeling. This activity builds emotional recognition skills, which are foundational to emotional intelligence. Children with higher emotional intelligence show better relationship satisfaction and mental health in adulthood (Bar-On, 2006). Recognizing emotions in faces is the first step toward empathy.
Tips for Parents
Start with happy and sad, then add more emotions as your child gets comfortable.
Exaggerate your expressions to make them easier to recognize.
Praise your child's attempts, even if the expression is not perfect.
Materials Needed
None
Learning Methods
Language-Rich EnvironmentImitation and ModelingBeginning Symbolic Play
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