The 'Art' of Noticing: 5 Creative Art Activities to Help Kids Express Emotions Without Words

When Words Cannot Be Expressed

I’ve worked with children whose behaviors were so intense that nearly every adult in their life had started to give up or burn out. These were kids who broke things often, pushed people away quickly, and struggled deeply with emotional and physical regulation. At times, their distress led to dangerous situations requiring hospitalization, both for their own safety and for those around them. What many labeled as “defiance” or “bad behavior,” I began to see as something else entirely: a desperate attempt at self-preservation.

One afternoon, a child on my caseload created a sand tray scene filled with fences. There were dozens of them, stacked high and pressed closely together. Fences are truly fascinating in a child's play: they are designed to keep things out, and they also keep what’s inside protected. As we explored the scene, we didn’t talk explicitly about his behavior. We didn’t need to. Creative play gave him a way to communicate what felt too risky to say aloud—and it gave us a way to begin connecting.

In my work as a child and family therapist, I’ve learned that creative work can open emotional doors that conversation alone cannot. When a child feels overwhelmed, shut down, or unreachable, art becomes the bridge. In this article, I’ll share five creative art-based activities you can use to engage with your child, whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or helping professional. These practices don’t require any artistic skill; just a willingness to be present, curious, and playful. Whether it’s through drawing, storytelling, or symbolic play, these approaches offer children a safe way to express themselves, build emotional awareness, and strengthen your relationship, without the pressure of having to “find the right words.”

Here is an example of the safe place activity detailed further in the article. What does safety look like in this picture? How does it feel for you?

1. Squiggle Game: Playful Co-Creation for Emotional Bonding

   
   

This one is simple: one person draws a squiggle, anything messy, random, or abstract, and the other person turns it into a picture. You can take turns or work together on the same page or create squiggles for each other and then switching papers.

This playful, low-pressure activity fosters connection by allowing you and your child to co-create without expectations. It encourages flexibility, shared attention, and creativity, all while reinforcing that being together can be joyful and pressure-free. As the parent or caregiver, your role isn’t to interpret the art but to notice your child and get curious about their creative process: “Tell me about your drawing.” “That’s so creative. How did you come up with that?”

Carving out time to be silly and present with your child sends a powerful relational message: “I see you. I enjoy spending time with you. We don’t have to talk it all out; you’re safe with me just as you are.”

2. Family Feelings Quilt: Building Emotional Connection Through Shared Expression

   
   

For this activity, each family member decorates a small square of paper with colors, symbols, or drawings that represent how they’ve been feeling lately. There’s no right or wrong way to do it; some might draw a scene, others may use shapes or words. When everyone is finished, tape the squares together to form a “quilt” and hang it somewhere visible in a common space of your home.

This activity fosters group connectedness by creating a visual symbol of emotional presence and mutual respect while also encouraging individual expression within the safety of a shared space. It allows each member to reflect on their emotional landscape while also honoring the feelings of others. In families where tension or distance has crept in, this quiet act of creative collaboration can gently begin to rebuild trust and emotional closeness, even when some moments feel incredibly disconnecting and tough.

This activity isn’t just a one-time art project. It can become a living, growing reflection of your family's emotional world. Try revisiting it weekly or monthly by adding new squares or updating old ones. You might prompt the family with questions like:

• “What’s one new feeling you’ve had this week?”

• “Is there something you want to share that’s hard to say out loud?”

• “Do any of your feelings from last time still fit?”

  
  

Each addition becomes a chance to check in emotionally, without pressure or long conversations. Over time, the quilt becomes a visual timeline of growth, resilience, and connection, helping each family member feel known, valued, and included. It reminds everyone: We’re in this together, and I care about how you feel.

3. Draw to the Music: Using Rhythm and Color to Regulate Emotion

In this activity, choose a few songs with different moods or tempos (for example, something upbeat, something calm, and maybe something instrumental). Give your child a large piece of paper and some crayons or markers. As each song plays, invite them to move their hand across the page in a way that feels like the music. They might make big sweeping shapes, fast zigzags, or slow, circular motions. There’s no goal to make a recognizable picture, just to see where movement, rhythm, and color are created.

This kind of expressive, movement-based art taps into the body’s natural urge to release and regulate emotion. It’s especially helpful for kids who are stuck in their heads or overwhelmed by big feelings they can’t name. The combination of sensory input, movement, and creative expression helps calm the nervous system and restore a sense of agency.

Relationally, this activity allows you to co-regulate with, to match and mirror, your child’s energy in a playful, nonverbal way. You can participate by drawing alongside them or mindfully narrating what you notice: “Wow, that part got really bold when the music picked up. What did that feel like in your body?” 

These moments tell your child, “I’m with you. I see you. Your feelings are safe here, even when they’re loud, messy, or unclear.”

4. Sand Play: Symbolic Expression and Connection Through Story

Playing in and with sand offers children a way to build, explore, and express their inner world with a safe amount of distance. Using a shallow tray filled with sand and a collection of small figures (animals, people, vehicles, nature objects), you can invite your child to create scenes that reflect how they feel or what they’ve experienced. There are no rules and imagination can take a stronghold here. The important thing is that when your child leads, you follow with curiosity.

What makes sand play so powerful is that it allows for symbolic expression without needing direct conversation. For example, a buried figure might represent a hidden fear or a tall wall might signal a need for protection. Often, children will tell you stories about their world through their play stories and sometimes, they won’t. That’s okay. The process itself offers you and your child an opportunity to connect with low pressure through a fun, sensory-filled, and expressive medium.

From a relational lens, sand play invites adults to observe without interpreting, to witness without fixing. Simply sitting beside a child while they create lets speaks (without words): “You don’t have to explain it all. I’m seeing what you're wanting to show me.” When invited gently, you might ask, “Tell me about your world,” or “Where would you place yourself in this scene?”

Over time, sand play can reduce emotional overwhelm, support processing of confusing or traumatic events, and build a sense of internal order. But more than anything, it offers a safe space for children to be the authors of their story, even if they’re not ready to speak it yet.

5. Safe Place: Imagining Calm and Protection

   
   

For children who have experienced trauma, overwhelming emotions, or environmental chaos, having a sense of internal safety is essential, although not always accessible in their immediate environment. The “Safe Place” activity invites children to imagine and create a space that feels calm, protected, and just for them. This might be a cozy fort, a treehouse, a magical island, or even a familiar room filled with comforting things.

Begin by gently asking:“If you could be anywhere in the world where you felt safe, where would it be?”Then offer paper, crayons, or any creative tools and invite them to draw it. Encourage details: colors, smells, who or what is there, and most importantly, what makes it feel safe.

This activity isn’t just about creativity; it’s about helping children access regulation, self-soothing, and felt safety in their bodies. The safe place becomes a mental anchor they can return to when things feel hard, whether in therapy, at school, or at home.

This exercise gives you a window into what helps your child feel grounded. When a child shares their safe place with you, they’re offering a glimpse into their most vulnerable self, as well as how they wish to be protected and supported. You might say, “Thank you for letting me see this. I’ll remember it when things feel tough.”

Over time, the safe place can become more than a drawing. It becomes a co-created inner resource, a place the child can imagine returning to during stress, with you helping guide them there.

Creative Art Activities

Play is the Language of Children and Art is a Bridge

At their core, children are wired for play and play is their most natural language, especially when life feels uncertain, unsteady, or unsafe. Through art, movement, and imaginative expression, kids can show us what they feel, need, and hope for, often without saying a word. These moments of creative connection are more than just activities; they are opportunities to build bridges to safety, understanding, and relationship together. As a caregiver, choosing to step into their world with openness and curiosity, speaking their language, is the essence of meeting them where they are.

If you’re a parent or caregiver looking for more tools to connect with your child, or if your child is struggling with emotional overwhelm or behavioral challenges, I’d be honored to support you. Reach out today to learn more about how expressive and relational therapy can help your family heal and grow.