Kathy Eugster
January 5, 2026
There are many versions and adaptations of this game since the idea was originally developed by Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor Kevin O’Connor, PhD, as the Color-Your-Life Technique in 1983. He recognized that children’s ability to identify feelings and emotions was important for them to be able to express and talk about these feelings and emotions.
The version of this game I am introducing is an activity that helps your child learn to identify and express feelings by doing a fun colouring activity that involves pairing colours with feelings. Being able to identify and express feelings is a fundamental skill that leads to a child being able to manage and regulate feelings, which is especially important in order to decrease the intensity of strong and overwhelming feelings.
Instructions
Have ready some paper and a selection of different coloured crayons or markers.
Step 1
Help your child match a colour to a feeling. Below are some examples, however, these are just suggestions. Be sure to let your child choose the colour for the feeling. There are no “right” answers. Each child’s colour choices are personal and meaningful. Any number of colours and feelings can be used. Remember to choose both comfortable and uncomfortable feelings.
- Yellow = happy
- Orange = excited
- Pink = relaxed
- Green = proud
- Red = angry
- Blue = sad
- Grey = worried
- Purple = scared
Step 2
Ask your child to draw how they feel by saying something like:
- “Draw me a picture of how you feel right now.”
- “What colour is your body feeling right now?”
- “What colours did you feel today?”
The drawing does not necessarily need to be of something specific; your child may just want to scribble on the paper. The bigger and heavier the area coloured, the stronger the feeling.
Describe what your child is doing by saying, for example:
- “Oh, it looks like you’re drawing lots of angry red and a little bit of sad blue.”
- “Now you’re drawing some happy yellow and a purple scared house.”
- “And you drew an excited orange person too.”
Remember to regulate your own nervous system throughout this activity.
Step 3
When your child is done, you can talk about the picture by saying something like:
- “Tell me about this picture.”
- “What is making the orange person so excited? The purple house so scared?”
- “When was another time you felt lots of angry red? Sad blue? Happy yellow?”
Step 4
Help your child come up with some ideas on how they can decrease their uncomfortable feelings and increase their comfortable feelings by saying, for example:
- “What can you do to make your angry red feelings shrink and your happy yellow feelings get bigger?”
Here’s Another Option
Outline the shape of a body on paper and ask your child to color where they feel each feeling in their body. You can identify some physical sensations as well to go along with the feelings such as:
- Sweaty palms
- Butterflies in tummy
- Lump in throat
- Itchy skin
- Hot face
- Chest or heart warm, full, and content
- Fast breathing
- Floppy muscles
- Feeling jumpy or hyper
Finally
With this game, just a few minutes can help your child feel safer sharing their feelings and help you better understand your child’s inner world too.
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Copyright Kathy Eugster, MA, 2026.
Please feel free to pass on this article to anyone you think might find it useful.
Contact me at: keugster@telus.net