Author of this article:

Maria Costa, AIJU
In the last few years, we have seen the topic of “feelings” flourishing in the children's world, from toys and games to all sorts of educational materials. But, how can the toy industry design toys that foster Emotional Intelligence? Well, it is more complex than teaching the names of emotions.

Feelings are important, the main principles of emotional intelligence

Parents and educators consider control and management of emotions as absolutely relevant to the kids’ success in life. Some researchers even point out that Emotional Intelligence is at least as important as Cognitive Intelligence. There are three main concepts related to Emotional Intelligence that spark off ideas for designing innovative toys or games: self-awareness, self-regulation and social skills.

Playing while learning to be conscious of your own emotions

Self-awareness is key to achieving a healthy emotional intelligence. It is the skill that allows us to recognize and understand our own moods and emotions, as well as the effect they have on others.

One of the main factors in learning and improving self-awareness is to know the words that express each emotion. Analyzing the market, it is clear that most toys and games related to Emotional Intelligence are focused on teaching words and concepts related to basic emotions such as sadness, happiness, anger or fear. However, for older children it is necessary to go a step further to broaden their vocabulary on feelings. Don’t underestimate kids’ capacity to learn an extensive range of emotions through play.

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