You can often tell how someone else is feeling by looking at their face, listening to their voice, and watching their body. A frown might mean someone is sad. Crossed arms might mean someone is angry. Noticing how others feel is the first step in being a good friend.
Look at pictures of faces showing different emotions and guess the feeling. Play a feelings guessing game where one child acts out an emotion and others identify it. During story time, pause and ask 'How do you think this character is feeling? How can you tell?'
Recognizing feelings in others means noticing the clues that show how someone else is feeling inside. You can look at their face — a smile, a frown, or a worried expression tells a story. You can listen to their voice — is it loud and angry, or soft and sad? You can watch their body — are they standing tall, or slouched, or with their arms crossed? All of these things give you clues about how someone feels.
A frown might mean someone is sad, angry, or upset. Wide eyes might mean someone is surprised or scared. Crossed arms might mean someone is angry or wants to be left alone. A shaking voice might mean someone is sad or scared. When you start noticing these clues, you understand people better, and you can be a better friend.
But here is something important: you might not always guess exactly right. Sometimes people hide their feelings. Sometimes what you think you see is not what is really happening inside them. That is why it is good to ask! If you notice a friend looking sad, you can ask "Are you OK?" and they can tell you exactly how they feel. Noticing the clue and then asking is being a wonderful friend.
Another important thing: not everyone shows feelings the same way. Some people cry when they are sad. Other people get very quiet when they are sad. Some people get loud when they are angry. Others get calm and still. Some people smile when they are nervous. Others show it differently. Every person has their own way of showing feelings, and that is perfect.
One more special thing: a smile does not always mean someone is happy. Sometimes people smile because they are trying to be polite. Sometimes they smile because they are nervous. Sometimes they smile to hide how they really feel. So while a smile is often a good sign, remember that it does not always tell the whole story. Keep noticing, keep asking, keep caring about how people really feel inside.