Emotions Chart Ideas: 10 Visual Templates You Can Use

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Psychotherapist Kelli Miller, LCSW, MSW explains the importance of using these tools to name emotions

Co-authored by Kelli Miller, LCSW, MSW and Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: June 4, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Feeling Chart Templates
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• What is a feelings chart?
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• What are the benefits?

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We can all struggle to communicate our feelings from time to time, especially when they feel big, intense, or overwhelming. Fortunately, “feelings charts” are available as tools for kids, adults, teachers, parents, and anyone who needs them. If this is your first time learning about feelings charts, we’ll walk you through 10 popular types and templates, as well as how to use them and why they’re so beneficial and helpful for emotional well-being. We’ve also interviewed experts in psychology and speech-language pathology for their insights on different feeling charts and their benefits.

What is an example of a feelings chart?

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Psychotherapist Kelli Miller, LCSW, MSW says a feelings chart is a visual tool that helps to identify emotions through words, pictures, and other strategies. The most popular formats include a chart of emojis with labeled emotions, a feelings thermometer, and the Wheel of Emotions.

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Section 1 of 3:

10 Feelings Chart Templates & How to Use Them

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   Emoji Feelings Chart An emoji feelings chart is one of the simplest but still effective options! Miller says it's a really popular format. The chart shows several emojis (usually about 12-20) that showcase different emotions. Each emoji is labeled with the emotion that it represents. The chart should include basic emotions (e.g., “happy,” “sad,” “angry”) as well as more complex ones, like “disappointed,” “frustrated,” or “guilt.” The emojis can also be swapped out for other things, like animal faces, illustrated human faces, or even real photos.

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • Ask your child or student to point out which emoji best matches the emotion they’re feeling. They can base their answer on the color of the emoji, the facial expression of the emoji, or the labeled word underneath the emoji. This will help them to better understand and explicitly name the emotion they’re feeling.
     • Then, you can work together to help them regulate their emotions and decide on a next step.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Kelli Miller, LCSW, MSW is a psychotherapist based in Los Angeles, California. She is also a best-selling author; her latest book is entitled Love Hacks: Simple Solutions to Your Most Common Relationship Issues.

   Ashley Smith, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, the co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, and the author of The Way I See It: A Psychologist’s Guide to a Happier Life.

   Iddo DeVries, MA-SLP, is a family speech-language pathologist who specializes in family training and speech therapy for disabilities and delays, including autism, late-talkers, and specific language impairments.

   Chloe Carmichael, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 12 years of psychological consulting experience and a specialization in relationship issues, stress management, self-esteem, and career coaching.
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   Feelings Alphabet Chart The alphabet chart is similar to the basic emoji feelings chart, but it spells out the alphabet and assigns a feelings-related vocabulary word to each one. For example, “A” is for “Agitated,” “B” is for “Bored,” “C” is for “Confident,” etc. Not only can this be used to help a child identify their emotions as they’re experiencing them, but it can also be taught to them ahead of time so they have more words to communicate their feelings in the future.

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • This chart is best for young kids and learners, but it could be used for anybody! You can use this chart in the moment, when a child is having an emotional reaction, but we highly recommend teaching it ahead of time, as soon as your child or student is familiar with the alphabet.
     • Teach them the different emotion words attached to each letter of the alphabet, and point to the pictures to help them understand the meaning behind each word. Be sure to include both simple and complex vocabulary for their feelings.
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   Wheel of Emotions A Wheel of Emotions is a more complex type of feeling chart, but it can be super helpful for both adults and kids “to find a more precise word for their emotions,” says licensed clinical psychologist Ashley Smith, PhD. Essentially, you have a wheel broken up into (typically) about 3-4 rings. In the innermost ring, there are basic emotion words like “Angry,” “Happy,” and “Sad.” In the next ring, each basic emotion gets split into more complex and specific versions of that feeling. With “Angry,” for instance, the second ring includes emotions like “Insulted,” “Frustrated,” “Mad,” and “Aggressive.” In the next ring, each of the emotions in the second ring splits into at least two feelings that may come about next—e.g., “Aggressive” leads to “Spiteful” and “Hostile,” while “Mad” leads to “Furious” and “Enraged.”

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • This chart can be used to really narrow down what you (or someone else) is feeling. It can be used to help kids and students understand the precise word for their emotion, but it’s also super common to use this wheel for adults. Therapists often recommend it to their adult patients.
     • Whether you’re using it on yourself or with another person, start in the center and identify an emotion, then follow the wheel outward to pin down the precise feeling that’s coming up.
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   Feelings Thermometer A feelings thermometer shows a visual of a thermometer, with green at the bottom, red at the top, and yellow and orange in between. The green section at the bottom of the thermometer suggests a happy, calm, and positive mood. The red section at the top represents anger or frustration, and the orange and yellow sections represent a spectrum of emotions like anxiety, worry, upset, and the beginning stages of anger. Basically, the thermometer’s range shows the progression of a mood from content to very angry.

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • Explain the different levels of the thermometer to the child, student, or person you’re working with (which could be yourself!).
     • Then, ask them to point out or mark the place on the thermometer that matches how they feel. After they do that, make a plan to help move back toward the green zone.
     • You could also have them mark their current spot on the thermometer with a clothespin or paperclip, then continue to check in throughout the day and have them move the clip accordingly.
   • “Anything that’s visual, where the child can point to something to express how they’re feeling today or right now, that’s a lot easier than verbally expressing,” affirms family speech-language pathologist Iddo DeVries, MA-SLP.
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   Feelings Check-In Emotional check-in charts are physical, printed handouts that ask you to identify how you’re feeling in a variety of ways. While there are several ways to design this type of worksheet, they usually contain a box filled with emojis and matching emotion words. The sheet will ask you to circle the emotion you’re feeling. There may also be follow-up questions about how “big” the feeling is, where it's felt in the body, and any other thoughts that are currently taking up space in the mind.

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • This chart is usually used as a physical worksheet in classrooms, hospitals, and similar environments.
     • You can use them as a daily check-in at the start of every class or session, or you can use them as a reflective piece when someone’s having an emotional reaction or experience. Either way, make sure to preview the sheet and how to complete it ahead of time.
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   Feelings Word List This feelings chart looks something like a vocab list, but it’s really just a long list of emotion-related words that are categorized under the “basic” emotion they belong to. Under “Scared,” for instance, you’ll see words like “Panic,” “Tense,” “Insecure,” “Weak,” “Overwhelmed,” “Frozen,” and “Frantic.” The words can also be sorted and categorized with colors and other visuals, adds licensed clinical psychologist Chloe Carmichael, PhD.

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • Using this type of feelings chart can help children (and adults!) to expand their emotional vocabulary, which can make it easier for them to understand, manage, and communicate their emotions.
     • You can use this list in an emotional moment and ask the person to identify words that feel relatable to how they’re feeling. Or, you can use this list ahead of time as the basis for a vocabulary lesson or activity.
   • Dr. Smith recommends this type of chart for adults, as it’s important to “learn to name your feelings or emotions” at any age. Just “Google and download the list of emotions,” instructs Dr. Smith, “and every time you start feeling something, give it a name.”
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   Zones of Regulation Chart This color-based visual is usually referred to as a “Zones of Regulation” chart, which can come in a variety of styles, designs, and levels of complexity. A basic version will show four different zones: blue, green, yellow, and red. Each zone has visuals and labels to represent the emotions that belong to it. For instance, the blue zone might be “sad,” “hurt,” “sick,” and “tired,” the green zone is often “happy,” “focused,” “calm,” and “excited,” the yellow zone may include “surprised,” “confused,” “worried,” and “silly,” and the red zone usually contains “angry,” “raging,” terrified,” and “annoyed.”

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • If you’re using this with a child or in a classroom, be sure to pre-teach each zone and its meaning when the child is emotionally regulated.
     • Then, you can use the Zones of Regulation like a regular check-in and have the child point to or place a paper clip on the zone they’re currently in.
     • You can also use the chart during a particularly emotional or challenging moment, and have the child describe the zone they're in and how they’re feeling. For example, “I’m in the yellow zone because I feel nervous.”
   • This chart is especially great for teachers, adds DeVries, since it can be used to determine whether the child is or isn’t ready for a lesson.
   • “The teachers can teach the child to let them know what zone they’re in,” explains DeVries, “and if you’re in the green zone, you’re ready for learning. If you’re in the yellow zone, you might need to do some other things to get yourself ready. Utilizing those visuals to be able to express feelings in that moment is really helpful.”
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   Graffiti Feelings Chart This chart is a “cooler” take on the classic feelings chart. Instead of using emojis to represent each emotion, the feelings are written out in a word art design that represents how they feel and what we associate with them. For instance, the word “Frustrated” might be scrawled out with some scribbles around it—visually signifying how it feels to be frustrated. The end result is a sheet of paper or poster that looks like a collection of street art tags…except they’re all feeling words.

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • This chart is best for older kids, adolescents, and even adults, as it uses fewer obvious visuals and requires reading comprehension.
     • Just like any emotions chart, you can present them with the sheet and ask them to identify how they’re feeling. They can point to or verbalize the words that they’re drawn to, and you can then dig deeper into those emotions and what may be causing them.
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   Weekly Feelings Chart This chart isn’t for just one moment or day—it’s for a whole week! While you can design your mood chart however you like, one way to do it is to create a table with nine columns and eight rows. In the leftmost column, start in the second row from the top and write a day of the week in each row. Then, in the top row, start in the second column from the left and write an emotion (with an accompanying emoji) in each box. For example, you might include “calm,” “happy,” “sad,” “angry,” “disappointed,” “worried,” “scared,” and “frustrated.”

   • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
     • Mood trackers are great for kids, teens, and even adults (although you may want to vary the complexity based on your audience).
     • Whether you’re tracking your own mood or someone else’s, sit down toward the end of each day and reflect on the overall emotions of the day.
     • Then, make a mark in your chart to represent the correct day of the week and the dominant feeling of that day.
     • Revisit the chart at the end of each week to reflect on how things went and what can be worked on for next week.
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    Body Feelings Chart Rather than explicitly asking about emotions, a body chart relies on the sensations that a person feels as a result of their emotions. Most body charts show a cartoonish outline of a human body. A simple variation of this chart will ask users to draw anything they’re feeling onto their body—it may also give them icons to copy onto different parts of the outline, such as a tornado, butterflies, ocean waves, or a rock. A more in-depth variation may ask more complex and specific questions that are mapped onto the body, like the body’s battery level, the speed of one’s thoughts, the steadiness or volume of one’s voice, or how the hands, heart, stomach, and lungs feel.

    • How to Use This Feelings Chart:
      • In most cases (but not all!), this chart is best used as an independent worksheet for a person to fill out. Then, they can discuss it with their teacher, parent, psychologist, or whoever has given it to them.
      • This guiding person can help them work through the different sensations in their body and clarify what types of emotions or feelings these sensations may be stemming from.
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Section 2 of 3:

What is a feelings chart?

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1. 
   A feelings chart is a visual tool that helps people identify their feelings. In most cases, feelings charts will show several emotions with written labels and visual aids. They’re often used in classrooms, healthcare settings, and therapy environments so that kids and adults can better understand and communicate their feelings. Feelings charts for adults are usually more complex (like the Wheel of Emotions), while feelings charts for kids are often simplified and limited to 10 or fewer emotions.

   • How does a feelings chart work? In general, feelings charts are pre-taught to the person who’s going to use them—it’s best to do this when the person is fully regulated and in a relatively content mood. They should understand how it's used and what the different emotion words on the chart mean. From then on, the chart can be used as a regular check-in or as a tool to communicate when emotions are running high.

Section 3 of 3:

What are the benefits of using a feelings chart?

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1. 
   Feelings charts can help anyone be aware of, communicate, and regulate their emotions. According to Miller, a feelings chart can help people understand what emotions they’re experiencing and feel less isolated once they realize a certain emotion they’re experiencing is common. Plus, using a feelings chart requires someone to be thinking and processing their emotions, leading to more self-awareness. Perhaps most importantly, however, understanding one’s emotions can lead to an increased ability to self-regulate and deal with those emotions, even after the feelings chart is no longer being used.

   • The chart can also help people anticipate feelings and pinpoint what emotion they’re feeling when they're too overwhelmed figure it out on their own, says Miller. “I don't believe there is a right or wrong way to use one,” she explains.
   • In the long run, using a feelings chart can lead to enhanced emotional intelligence, stronger relationships, lessened reactivity and inflexibility, healthier coping mechanisms, and an overall improvement in physical and mental well-being.
   • While feelings charts are often targeted toward kids, they can be hugely useful to any person of any age. Especially if an adult didn’t get explicit instruction about emotional regulation as a child, it’s never too late to learn!
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