Show, Don't Tell: Emotions Worksheet | Free Printable (KS2)
- Age
- 7–9, 10–12
- School year
- Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- ⭐⭐
- Skills
- description · emotions · vocabulary
- Learning objective
- By the end, your child can show how a character feels through actions and body language, instead of naming the feeling.
“Show, don't tell” is one of the biggest jumps in children's writing. Instead of “Tom was scared”, a strong writer shows it: “Tom's hands trembled and he backed towards the door.”
This activity builds the skill step by step — from noticing the difference, to upgrading sentences, to writing a short piece of their own.
How to use this
- Read each “telling” sentence together and act out what that feeling looks like.
- There's no single right answer — reward vivid, believable details.
She was happy.
She skipped down the path, grinning at everyone she passed.
💡 Actions show the feeling.
He was nervous.
He chewed his lip and read the same line three times without taking it in.
💡 Small details make it believable.
Mission 1🔎 Spot the Difference
For each pair, tick the one that SHOWS the feeling rather than telling it.
- (a) She was angry. (b) She slammed the door so hard the windows rattled.
- (a) He crept forward, holding his breath. (b) He was scared.
- (a) They were excited. (b) They bounced on their toes, unable to stop grinning.
Mission 2⬆️ Upgrade the Telling Sentence
Rewrite each “telling” sentence to SHOW the feeling instead.
- The girl was excited.
- The old man was lonely.
- The class was bored.
- My little brother was proud.
💡 Think: what would someone SEE if they were watching? Faces, hands, movements.
Mission 3🏆 The Hardest Challenge
Write 3–4 sentences about a character who is frightened — WITHOUT ever using the word “scared”, “afraid” or “frightened”.
Success checklist
- ✅ I can tell the difference between showing and telling a feeling.
- ✅ I can show a feeling using actions or body language.
- ✅ I can write about a feeling without naming it directly.
Answer guide (for grown-ups)
- Mission 1: (b), (a), (b) all SHOW the feeling.The 'showing' option describes actions rather than naming the emotion.
- Missions 2–3: Open writing tasks — no fixed answers. Look for actions, body language and precise verbs doing the work instead of a feeling word.
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