In this guide, you'll learn:
- How emotional development evolves between birth and the age of six.
- Which emotions tend to emerge at each stage.
- How to respond calmly to fear, frustration and tantrums.
- How games that explore emotions and shared play support emotional learning.
- Simple strategies to support your child while respecting their individual pace.
Emotions are present from birth and are an integral part of every child's development. Children use them to express their needs, connect with others and discover the world around them. The first six years lay important foundations for the development of self-esteem, empathy and social skills.
Learning to recognise, understand and express emotions is a gradual process. Just as children learn to read, write or discover numbers, each skill develops at its own pace. The same applies to emotional learning.
Managing emotions involves learning to identify what we feel, put emotions into words and find appropriate ways to express them.
The good news is that many of these skills can develop through play, conversations, everyday experiences and age-appropriate games that explore emotions.
Expert tip
There is no exact age at which children learn to manage their emotions. Every child develops at their own pace and needs adults who can support them throughout the process with calmness and confidence.
From birth to 1 year: How emotional development begins in babies
During the first few months, babies mainly express feelings of comfort and discomfort. They smile when they feel safe, seek contact with their attachment figures and show signs of distress when they are hungry, tired or have another unmet need.
Between six and twelve months, emotions such as fear, sadness and surprise begin to emerge. Babies may experience anxiety when separated from their attachment figures or become wary of unfamiliar people. These are expected responses and form part of healthy emotional development.
At this stage, providing support means offering security and being available. You don't need to resolve everything immediately; often, simply being present is enough.
How can we support babies at this stage?
- Providing a sense of security and being available.
- Responding calmly to their needs.
- Remembering that sometimes, simply being present is enough.
Key message
Supporting a child doesn't mean resolving everything for them. In many situations, the calm presence of an adult is enough.
From 1 to 2 years: Independence and managing emotions
Between the ages of one and two, children's curiosity about their surroundings grows. They also begin trying to do things independently.
They start using the word “no”, expressing preferences and reacting strongly when things don't go the way they want. Fears related to darkness, certain noises or unfamiliar situations may also emerge.
Although children begin to understand simple rules, they don't yet have the skills needed to control their impulses or manage complex emotions. That's why they need clear boundaries, a sense of security and patient adults who can support them.
The brain continues to develop throughout childhood. The areas responsible for self-control and emotional regulation mature gradually. This explains why a child may understand a rule but still struggle to follow it consistently.
At this stage, children need:
- Clear boundaries.
- Routines that provide a sense of security.
- Patient adults who understand their stage of development.
From 2 to 3 years: Tantrums at age 2 – What should you do?
Children begin to discover that they are independent individuals, and phrases such as “I do it myself”, “I can do it” and “It's mine” start to appear.
Frustration becomes more common because their desires and abilities don't always match. As a result, tantrums may occur. Many families then wonder what to do. Rather than following a specific technique, what matters most is the adult's attitude: staying calm during a tantrum is already a way of supporting the child.
Tantrums are part of learning. They are rarely a form of manipulation; instead, they are an expression of emotions that children don't yet know how to regulate. Tiredness, hunger, overstimulation, frustration and difficulties communicating can all trigger them.
At this stage, helping children put their feelings into words becomes particularly important. Phrases such as “I can see that you're angry”, “It looks like you're sad” or “That frightened you” help children recognise what they are feeling and gradually expand their emotional vocabulary.
This learning can also be reinforced through educational games for children and simple activities at home, where talking about emotions is part of the game rather than a test.
Expert tip
Validating an emotion doesn't mean accepting every behaviour. First, acknowledge what the child is feeling; then help them find an appropriate way to express it.
From 3 to 4 years: Putting emotions into words
Between the ages of three and four, children begin to recognise basic emotions in themselves and others. They can identify facial expressions and explain how they feel in simple words.
Conflicts related to the following may also arise:
- Frustration.
- The need for approval.
- Jealousy.
- Fears that are common at this age.
At this stage, many families discover that games designed to explore emotions can help start conversations about what's happening without the need for lengthy explanations.
From 4 to 5 years: Empathy and emotional learning in children
From the age of four onwards, empathy begins to develop more noticeably. Gradually, children become able to comfort a friend, show concern for someone else or think about the consequences of their actions.
At this stage, emotional learning activities, stories and certain educational games for children can help them continue developing these skills naturally.
From 5 to 6 years: Understanding their feelings
Between the ages of five and six, children become better able to reflect on their emotions and talk about them. They can gradually resolve some conflicts more independently.
Tantrums tend to become less frequent, and children begin to develop a more stable sense of self. The way adults listen to them, support them and respond to their needs can influence their self-esteem.
Ultimately, emotional development is an ongoing process. Just as children learn through play, discover letters and develop new skills, emotions also require time, practice and support. Having adults who are present, respect each child's pace and trust in their ability to learn makes a significant difference.
Games that explore emotions: Connecting children's world with our toys
When learning is a fun experience, it becomes easier to talk about what's happening in a child's inner world.
Jumbo offers a range of educational toys that help young children explore emotions in a simple and enjoyable way. Toy collections such as Moodies and The Colour Monster help children recognise, identify and begin to manage their emotions from an early age.
The Moodies collection supports children during moments when they need to pause, relax or regain their calm. With Calmy, a breathing toy for children, they can practise simple breathing and relaxation exercises with guidance. With Huggy, a comforting toy, they can cope with sadness and feel better by listening to the sound of a heartbeat.
Meanwhile, the collection inspired by The Colour Monster introduces emotional learning through play. Products such as *I Discover Emotions* and *The Emotion Doctor's First Aid Kit* encourage children to recognise emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger and fear, observe facial expressions, talk about their feelings and expand their emotional vocabulary while playing.
These educational toys allow children to learn through curiosity, participation and shared conversations. They provide a practical way for families to support their children's emotional learning without needing specialised knowledge.
Beyond play itself, what really matters is the time spent together. Listening, asking questions and talking about how children feel helps them understand that all emotions have a place.
Managing children's emotions: Practical strategies for parents
The period from birth to age six is particularly important for emotional development. Parents play a fundamental role during these first six years, when children have not yet developed the maturity needed to regulate, express and understand many of the emotions they experience.
Children learn through their relationships with the adults who support them. What are the key things to bear in mind at this stage?
- Children learn to regulate their emotions through relationships with adults. When we respond calmly, we provide a model that they will gradually learn to adopt themselves.
- Being available doesn't mean intervening constantly. Often, it's enough to observe, wait and give children space to find their own solutions.
- Talking about emotions is part of learning. You could ask where they feel anger in their body, what colour happiness might be or what fear reminds them of. These small conversations help children identify their emotions.
- Validating emotions means understanding and accepting what a child feels without judging them. Phrases such as “I understand that you're angry” or “I can see that you're sad” help create a safe environment in which children can express their emotions.
- Adults are children's main role models. The way we resolve conflicts, apologise or express frustration also forms part of their learning.
- Boundaries provide security. They help children understand how we live alongside others and allow them to develop skills such as patience, waiting and frustration tolerance. Explaining boundaries respectfully is usually more helpful than imposing them out of anger.
- When helping a child reflect on a situation, also give them tools to deal with similar situations in the future. You could imagine a similar scenario together and practise how to handle it. They probably won't get it right the first time, but that's fine: learning and practising is an ongoing process.
- Supporting children doesn't mean making decisions for them or solving their problems to show them how it's done. Encourage their emotional independence by giving them opportunities to make decisions, make mistakes, build confidence and develop their own strategies.
Key principles for supporting emotional development
- Children don't need perfect adults; they need adults who are present.
- Children learn more from what they observe than from what they hear.
- Tantrums are best managed calmly, not through confrontation. Offering support, waiting, comforting and talking are all part of the process.
- Apologising is also a way of teaching.
- Empathy, listening and respect foster emotional connection.
- Emotional learning requires time, consistency and support.
There are no magic formulas. Understanding the emotional needs associated with each developmental stage helps us adjust our expectations and better support children as they grow. As the metaphor of “roots and wings” suggests, children need roots to feel secure and wings to explore the world with confidence.
Frequently asked questions about managing children's emotions
At what age do children learn to manage their emotions?
There is no exact age. Between two and three years, children begin to put their feelings into words. By around five or six, they can reflect on their emotions and resolve some conflicts more independently.
Tantrums at age 2: What should you do?
Offer support calmly rather than confronting the child: wait, comfort them and talk afterwards. Validating their feelings doesn't mean accepting every behaviour.
What is emotional learning in children?
It means identifying what they feel, putting those feelings into words and finding appropriate ways to express them, with adults who support the process calmly and confidently.
Do games that explore emotions help?
They can help by opening up conversations. What matters most is still the time spent together: listening, asking questions and talking about how children feel.
