Last Updated: October 26, 2026
Quick Summary
The best social emotional learning resources in 2026 combine feelings books, games and soft toy characters that help children name emotions through play. Start with one naming tool, one story and one game, then add a whole-setting programme once daily practice is steady.
- The Early Years Edition book costs £9.99 and introduces emotions through colourful characters and simple activities.
- The Card Games set (£10.99) offers visual characters that support non-readers and adaptable rules.
- A childminder can start under £25 with the Card Games or a single book.
- The Bronze Package (£745.00) includes a 90-minute staff CPD session and an emotional literacy resource pack.
- Keep one emotional vocabulary observation per week for each child to evidence progress over a term.
Table of Contents
- What Makes a Social Emotional Learning Resource Worth Using in 2026
- Social Emotional Learning Books for Children: Stories That Name Feelings
- Feelings Games for Children That Open Up Conversations
- Emotional Literacy Activities for Early Years Settings
- Social Emotional Learning Activities for Children at Home and in Class
- Whole-Setting Programmes for Schools and Childminders
- Matching Resources to Ages, Needs and Budgets
- Building Your Emotional Literacy Toolkit
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes a Social Emotional Learning Resource Worth Using in 2026
A social emotional learning resource earns its place when children actually reach for it. At The Mood Munchers, books and soft toy characters are built around a simple idea: feelings are visitors, and children can learn to name them.
Social emotional learning is the process through which children build self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. Resources either support that process or get in its way.
The UK context matters here. Ofsted's education inspection framework places personal development and behaviour at the heart of its judgements, Ofsted's education inspection framework, which means emotional literacy is no longer a nice extra for schools and early years settings. It sits inside everyday practice.
How We Chose and Compared These Resources
Each resource can be considered using five practical questions:
- Does it help a child name a feeling without pressure?
- Can an adult use it with a group, a pair or one child?
- Does it suit the ages it claims to?
- Is it durable enough for daily handling?
- Does it earn its cost against free alternatives?
Social Emotional Learning Books for Children: Stories That Name Feelings
Books can be an emotional literacy tool. Social emotional learning books for children can pair a feeling with what it feels like in the body and what a child might do with it.
The Early Years Edition (£9.99) introduces children to emotions through colourful characters and offers simple activities using play, movement and drawing.
For settings wanting a creative activity, Colour Your Feelings with the Mood Munchers (£10.79) lets children colour their way through characters like Blaze the Anger Mood Muncher and Blue the Sadness Mood Muncher. It is suitable for children aged 3 to 10.
You can browse the children's book collection to match titles to your age group.
Feelings Games for Children That Open Up Conversations
Feelings games for children can open up conversations. Consider whether the rules are simple enough for a four-year-old and open enough for a nine-year-old.
The Card Games set (£10.99) comes with different game ideas for school or home and is described as an introduction to the emotions represented by the Mood Munchers.
After reading about feelings games, many practitioners want to see the games that put these conversations into practice.
Emotional Literacy Activities for Early Years Settings
Early years practice lives or dies on routine, so emotional literacy activities for early years work best when they slot into what already happens: snack time, tidy-up, story time. The Department for Education's early years foundation stage statutory framework sets out personal, social and emotional development as a prime area of learning, EYFS statutory framework, which gives you a legitimate reason to build these activities into the day rather than bolt them on.
Three activities that need almost nothing:
- Feelings check-in at circle time. Children point to a character and say one word. No explanation required.
- Story and prop pairing. Read a page, then pass the matching soft toy around so each child holds the feeling for a moment.
- Colour and name. A colouring page per emotion gives quiet regulation time while the vocabulary settles.
You could ask, "which one is angry?" or "which one visited you today?"
Adapting Activities for Neurodiverse Children and Additional Needs
Visual supports help all children, not just those with identified needs. A feelings board with the Mood Muncher characters at child height lets a child indicate a feeling without speaking, and a "what happens next" strip of three pictures reduces anxiety for children who need predictability. These low-cost adaptations fit the EYFS requirement for inclusive practice.
Measuring Whether It's Working
You do not need formal assessment to know if these activities are making a difference. Look for small, observable changes: a child who previously flopped to the floor now points to the frustrated character; a child who snatched a toy now says "I'm angry" before grabbing. Keep a simple notes page for each child, recording one emotional vocabulary observation per week. Over a term, this gives you evidence for progress checks and conversations with parents. The Education Endowment Foundation's guidance on social and emotional learning emphasises that short, regular, embedded practice outperforms occasional workshops, EEF social and emotional learning guidance, which matches what early years practitioners see daily.
Silver Package - Emotional Literacy Programme for Schools →
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
For childminders working alone, these activities need no extra adult. For nursery rooms with higher ratios, a teaching assistant can run the colour-and-name table while the lead practitioner does the story. The key is consistency: the same characters, the same phrases, the same routine, every day.
Social Emotional Learning Activities for Children at Home and in Class
Social emotional learning activities for children can be chosen with the adult's available preparation time in mind.
The Set 20: One Set of Mood Muncher Toys (£195.00) includes fifteen Mood Muncher toys for use with children to name, acknowledge, allow and accept emotions. It is described as an ideal set for schools and as a resource for ELSAs and teachers introducing emotions in a child-friendly way.
Whole-Setting Programmes for Schools and Childminders
The Bronze Package (£745.00) includes a 90-minute staff CPD session and an emotional literacy resource pack with Mood Muncher stories and activities. The Silver Package (£1,745.00) includes a full resource library of lessons, activities and assemblies, two staff training sessions and a parent workshop online or in person. The Gold Package (£2,745.00) includes the Silver package benefits, an on-site launch day with assemblies and class workshops, and ongoing termly support sessions for staff.
| Package | Price | Staff Training | Parent Workshop | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | £745.00 | 90-minute CPD session | No | Settings testing the water |
| Silver | £1,745.00 | Two sessions | Yes | Schools ready to embed it |
| Gold | £2,745.00 | Two sessions plus termly support | Yes | Schools wanting a launch day |
Leaders ready to adopt a whole-setting approach can evaluate the emotional literacy programme for schools.
Matching Resources to Ages, Needs and Budgets
Age-appropriateness is one consideration when choosing a resource. The table below compares core resources across several dimensions.
| Resource | Age Range | Setting | Format | Cost | Accessibility Notes | Implementation Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Years Edition book | 3-5 | Home, nursery, childminder | Paperback | £9.99 | Large illustrations, simple text; good for shared reading | Low, read aloud, no prep |
| Key Stage 2 book | 8-12 | School, home | Paperback | £9.99 | Age-appropriate language for independent readers | Low, can be read alone or guided |
| Calm Down Anx | 5-9 | Home, school | Paperback | £9.99 | Story format normalises anxiety; useful for worried children | Low, read together, discuss |
| Colour Your Feelings | 3-10 | Home, school, childminder | Colouring book | £10.79 | Fine motor practice; quiet regulation activity | Low, needs colouring pens |
| Card Games | 4-11 | Home, school, childminder | Card set | £10.99 | Visual characters support non-readers; adaptable rules | Low, explain once, play many times |
| Games set | 5-12 | School, home | Digital file (email) | £24.99 | Printable; can be enlarged for visual needs | Medium, requires printing and preparation |
| Set 20: Mood Muncher Toys | 3-11 | School, ELSA, childminder | Soft toy set | £195.00 | Tactile; supports children who need sensory input | Medium, introduce gradually, train staff |
| Bronze Package | Whole setting | School, nursery | CPD + resource pack | £745.00 | Staff training ensures consistent language | High, requires staff release time |
| Silver Package | Whole setting | School | CPD + library + parent workshop | £1,745.00 | Embeds across classes and home | High, termly planning needed |
| Gold Package | Whole setting | School | Full programme + launch day + support | £2,745.00 | Whole-community approach | High, leadership commitment required |
Choosing by Age and Developmental Stage
- Ages 3 to 5: Start with the Early Years Edition book (£9.99) and the colouring book (£10.79). Add the Card Games (£10.99) once children know the character names. For children with speech delays, the cards work as a pointing system before spoken words arrive.
- Ages 5 to 8: The Card Games plus a small selection of toys (three or four characters) bridge play and conversation. The Key Stage 2 book is too advanced here; stick with the Early Years Edition for reading aloud.
- Ages 8 to 12: The Key Stage 2 book (£9.99) respects their independence without talking down. Pair it with the Games set (£24.99) for group work. Children who resist "baby" resources often accept the toys if introduced as tools for younger peers, a leadership angle.
- Mixed-age settings: The full toy set (£195.00) plus both book editions covers the widest range. Childminders with siblings across ages find the toys scale up and down easily.
Adapting for Disabilities and Additional Support Needs
For children with significant communication differences, the characters can be used as a choice board: two toys held up, child reaches for one. This is a valid form of emotional expression and should be honoured as such.
Budget Planning for Different Settings
A childminder can start under £25 with the Card Games or a single book. A primary school building a whole-setting programme should compare the Bronze package against the cost of releasing staff for training separately, which usually makes the package the simpler route. For a school with many children on the SEN register, the Silver package's parent workshop is often the deciding factor, it brings the same language home, which is where generalisation happens.
Evidence and Outcomes: What to Look For
Childminders weighing options for their specific setting can read practical, budget-conscious picks for childminders.
Building Your Emotional Literacy Toolkit
A toolkit is not a shopping list, it is a small, consistent set of resources you know well enough to reach for without thinking.
Start with one naming tool, one story and one game. Add a whole-setting programme only once the daily practice is steady.
For those working with vulnerable children, going deeper into trauma-informed practice is worth the time. Our guide to social emotional learning for trauma-informed classrooms covers how to adapt the same resources for children who need a slower, safer pace.
The Mood Munchers combines soft toy characters with storybooks. The resources were created by a conscious parenting coach and teacher and are designed to help children understand, express and regulate their emotions. Explore the books, games and whole-setting programmes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best social emotional learning resources for children?
Social emotional learning resources can be selected with the child's age and setting in mind. The Early Years Edition is for Early Years children, and the Key Stage 2 book is suitable for ages 8 to 12. The Mood Munchers offers books, soft toy characters, games and whole-setting programmes. Consider whether a resource names emotions clearly, invites conversation without pressure, and can be used again.
What are some examples of social emotional learning activities for children?
Activities can include a feelings check-in at breakfast or circle time, colouring while talking about feelings, and card games with children at home or school. The Mood Munchers card games include different game ideas.
What books help children understand their feelings?
The Early Years Edition introduces children to emotions and their names, and the Key Stage 2 edition is suitable for ages 8 to 12. Calm Down Anx follows a girl called Ellie and explores worry as a visiting Mood Muncher. Colour Your Feelings lets children colour characters representing different emotions.
What is the difference between social emotional learning and emotional literacy?
Emotional literacy is the ability to recognise, name and express feelings. Social emotional learning is the wider framework that includes emotional literacy alongside self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. Emotional literacy can include recognising, naming and expressing feelings. Social emotional learning also includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.
How can childminders support emotional literacy with mixed-age groups?
The Early Years Edition is intended for Early Years children, and the Key Stage 2 book is suitable for ages 8 to 12. The Mood Munchers also offers soft toy characters and card games. Choose resources with the ages of the children in mind.
