Skill· 4y–5y· 2 min

Emotion Detective

Parent and child look at pictures of people expressing different emotions, discussing what each person might be feeling and why. The agent coaches the parent to observe how the child identifies emotions, connects facial expressions to feelings, and shares personal emotional experiences — building emotional intelligence and empathy.

Start voice activity

Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.

What you'll need

Parent and child sitting comfortably together with a selection of pictures showing clear emotional expressions. Choose images with diverse ages and contexts. Have 4-6 pictures ready.

How it works

  1. 1~30s

    Let's start with one picture. Show your child an image that clearly shows someone feeling sad — maybe a child with a frown, droopy shoulders, or tears. Ask 'your child, what is this person feeling?' Give them a moment to look closely. Watch how your child responds — does they name the emotion? Does they point to facial cues like the mouth or eyes? Tell me what you notice.

    Watch for: Child correctly identifies basic emotions in pictures by naming them or pointing to appropriate facial expressions.

  2. 2~40s

    Now show a picture of someone happy — maybe laughing or smiling widely. Ask 'your child, how can you tell this person is happy? What do you see on their face?' Encourage them to describe specific features: eyes, mouth, eyebrows. Then try something playful: 'Can you make that same happy face?' Watch how your child connects the facial expression to the emotion and whether they can imitate it.

    Watch for: Child explains how facial features show emotions and can imitate those expressions, demonstrating understanding of emotion-expression links.

  3. 3~45s

    Now choose a picture that shows an emotion your child might have experienced — maybe anger or surprise. Ask 'your child, why do you think this person feels {angry/surprised}? Have you ever felt like this? When?' Listen carefully to their response. Does your child share a personal story? Does they show understanding that emotions have causes? This connection between others' feelings and their own experiences builds true empathy.

    Watch for: Child shares personal emotional experiences when prompted, connecting pictured emotions to their own life and showing emerging empathy.

What this develops

Visual example

Coming soon