Emoji can turn familiar games, art projects, and storytelling into playful ways for children to express ideas and work together. These ten activities suit home, classrooms, rainy afternoons, and parties, with options ranging from quiet drawing to energetic guessing games. Most use ordinary supplies such as paper, markers, cards, and craft materials, so you can adapt them to the children’s interests and the space you have.
1. Make an Emoji Face Collage
Give each child paper, washable markers, glue, and a stack of colored paper circles or paper plates, then invite them to build faces showing different moods. They can add eyebrows, mouths, tears, hearts, or other details with cut paper, and give each creation a name such as sleepy, puzzled, proud, or delighted. The craft is more than decoration: comparing how a curved mouth or raised eyebrows changes a face gives children a concrete way to talk about expression and interpretation.
Ask children to make a face that shows a feeling without using words, then let a family member or classmate guess what it might mean. There is no single right answer, which makes the activity useful for discussing how people can read the same expression differently. To keep the project manageable, offer pre-cut shapes for younger children and let older children design their own emoji-inspired characters.
2. Set Up an Emoji Scavenger Hunt
Draw or print a small set of emoji clues, then hide them around a room or a safe outdoor area. Each clue can point to an object by association: a book beside a book emoji, a toy boat near a water symbol, or a paper star tucked by a window. Children search for the pictures in order, collect them, and explain how each symbol helped them work out where to look.
Make the hunt cooperative by asking everyone to solve clues together, or give pairs a different starting clue so they explore separate parts of the space. Keep hiding places visible and reachable, and avoid spots near stairs, appliances, or fragile objects. For a quieter version, lay the clue cards on a table and have children match each one to a picture or object rather than searching the room.
3. Play Emoji Memory Match
Create pairs of cards with matching emoji drawings, using simple faces, animals, foods, or weather symbols that children can recognize. Mix the cards face down on a table, then take turns turning over a pair and trying to remember where matching images appeared. A child who finds a pair keeps it, and the game continues until the cards are matched or everyone has had enough turns.
Making the cards together adds an art element and lets children choose a theme, while drawing the same symbol twice gives them practice noticing details. For a beginner-friendly version, use fewer pairs and distinct pictures; for a harder round, include similar faces whose mouths or eyebrows differ. Children can also describe their memory strategy aloud, such as remembering that the laughing face was near the corner.
4. Act Out Emoji Charades
Write or draw familiar emoji on slips of paper, fold them, and place them in a bowl. A player picks one and acts out its idea without speaking, while the others guess; a laughing face might prompt a giggle, while a sleepy face could lead to a slow yawn and drooping shoulders. Choose symbols with actions or clear expressions so children can communicate them with gestures rather than needing to explain a complicated reference.
Let children take turns performing and guessing, and allow a player to pass if they do not want to act. For mixed ages, pair a younger child with an older one, or let the group offer guesses together instead of keeping score. After each round, ask what clues made the emoji recognizable, which encourages careful observation and helps shy players join the conversation even when they are not performing.
5. Build a Group Emoji Story
Choose a handful of emoji cards and place them where everyone can see them, then invite the group to make up a story that includes each picture. A cat, a moon, and a key might become a tale about a pet that discovers a mysterious door after dark; children can decide what happens next and how the characters feel. One person can begin with a sentence, with each participant adding a new part until the group reaches an ending.
The pictures provide prompts without dictating the plot, so children can practice sequencing, listening, and adding details to someone else’s idea. If a group gets stuck, ask a focused question such as what the main character wants or what obstacle appears next. An adult can write down the children’s words, and the group can illustrate the finished story with its own emoji-style drawings.
6. Draw Emoji Pixel Art
Give children graph paper and colored pencils or markers, and show them how to fill small squares to create a blocky face or symbol. A simple smile can be made with a colored background, two eye squares, and a curved row of darker squares for the mouth. The grid turns a familiar image into a small design challenge, encouraging children to plan the shape before coloring and to notice how a few marks can communicate an expression.
Children can copy a symbol from a picture or invent one, then trade drawings and see whether a partner can identify the expression. If graph paper is unavailable, draw a loose grid on plain paper or use square sticky notes as pixels. Keep the focus on experimentation rather than perfect likeness: changing the position of the eyes or mouth can create a noticeably different character.
7. Make an Emoji Feelings Spinner
Draw a circle on sturdy paper and divide it into sections, each with a different emoji-inspired expression and a word for the feeling, such as calm, worried, excited, or frustrated. Attach a paper arrow at the center with a split pin, or use a pencil held lightly in place as a pointer. When the arrow lands on a section, the child can name a situation that might bring up that feeling, or describe a helpful way to respond.
This is a conversation prompt, not a test of whether a child feels the expected emotion. Invite children to suggest their own labels and point out that people can experience more than one feeling about the same event. Keep the discussion low-pressure: a child may talk about a made-up character instead of sharing a personal story, and passing should always be an acceptable choice.
8. Try an Emoji Drawing Relay
Divide children into small teams and give each team paper and a marker. Show the first player a secret emoji-inspired prompt, such as a grinning face with sunglasses, then have that player draw it for the next teammate without saying what it is; the next person studies the drawing and adds a detail or passes along a written guess. At the end, compare the original prompt with the final drawing and enjoy the differences rather than treating them as mistakes.
Use a calm pace and a clear turn-taking rule so the activity stays friendly, especially when players have different drawing skills. Prompts can be objects, expressions, or combinations, and a simple face is a good starting point before trying more detailed scenes. The relay gives children practice observing, communicating, and adapting an idea as it moves from one person to another.
9. Decorate Emoji-Inspired Treats
With an adult handling any oven or sharp kitchen tools, children can decorate cooled, round cookies or plain cupcakes with icing and edible decorations to make expressive faces. Set out a few icing colors and small toppings such as candies or sprinkles, and let each child decide whether to create a smile, a surprised face, or an entirely invented character. The decorating turns snack preparation into a hands-on art activity, and children can describe the expression they made before enjoying or sharing the treats.
Check ingredient labels and ask caregivers about allergies or dietary needs before serving anything, and keep small toppings away from children who may not be ready to eat them safely. You can make the activity non-food by decorating paper circles with craft materials instead. Either way, invite children to plan their face first, then choose colors and features that make the intended expression easy to recognize.
10. Decode an Emoji Message
Write a short message using a mix of emoji drawings and ordinary words, then ask children to work out what the symbols stand for. A sun, a house, and a book might suggest a sunny day spent reading at home, while a face beside a picture of a ball could signal excitement about a game. Children can use the surrounding words as clues, discuss more than one possible interpretation, and then create a message for someone else to solve.
This activity introduces the idea that symbols can stand for objects, actions, or feelings, but their meaning depends on context. Keep the first messages straightforward and let children explain their reasoning rather than requiring one exact answer. For an extra creative step, have children draw a tiny comic strip in which the emoji symbols appear as characters and the written words fill in the missing parts of the story.
How to Choose
Start with the group’s mood and setting. If children need a calm activity, the collage, pixel art, memory match, or message puzzle gives them a place to focus without much movement. For a party or a group that wants to move around, charades, the scavenger hunt, and the drawing relay add interaction. Consider the available space, how many children can take part comfortably, and whether you can supervise the activity from beginning to end.
Think about the skills and materials involved, too. A child who enjoys drawing may gravitate toward pixel art, while a child who likes making up stories may prefer the group tale or decoded message. For mixed ages or abilities, offer simpler choices alongside more challenging ones, such as using a few memory cards before adding more pairs. Pre-cut paper shapes, picture prompts, and cooperative rules can make activities easier to join without removing the creative choices.
Finally, decide whether the goal is making something, talking about feelings, or simply having fun together. The feelings spinner works best when children can choose how much to share, and the treat activity requires adult oversight and attention to food allergies. Avoid making guessing games feel like a contest if that would discourage participants; shared discovery is often more enjoyable than keeping score. A good choice is one children can understand, adapt, and leave feeling included.
Frequently Asked Questions
What supplies do most of these activities need?
Paper, markers, and a few cards cover many of the ideas. Glue, graph paper, craft materials, or edible decorations are optional for particular projects.
Can younger children take part?
Yes. Simplify the rules, use recognizable pictures, and offer help with cutting or writing when needed. Let children participate by pointing, choosing, or guessing.
How can I adapt an activity for a group?
Use pairs or small teams, make turns clear, and choose cooperative play when competition might leave someone out. Give each child a role, such as drawing, guessing, or arranging cards.
Do children need to use a phone or tablet?
No. Every activity can use hand-drawn symbols or printed pictures. Screen-based emoji may look different across devices, so paper drawings keep the visuals consistent.
How do I make the feelings activity comfortable?
Use open-ended prompts, accept different interpretations, and let children pass or talk about an imaginary character. Avoid treating an emoji as a diagnosis of how someone feels.
Final Thoughts
Emoji activities can be as simple as drawing a face or as collaborative as building a story from symbols. Choose a project that fits the group, keep room for children’s own interpretations, and adapt the rules when needed. With ordinary supplies and a little curiosity, familiar icons become prompts for creativity, conversation, and shared play.