Step Into Their Shoes: Helping Little Ones Learn Empathy

When your toddler slips on your oversized shoes and tries to walk around, you probably can’t help but smile. But did you know that this simple moment can also be a powerful lesson in empathy?

Empathy is a value that children often develop with time and practice, and as it grows, it helps them form lasting friendships, appreciate others’ perspectives, and show care and consideration for the world around them.

At Tiny Souls, we love turning everyday play into meaningful learning. This activity, “Step Into Their Shoes,” invites your child to quite literally experience life from someone else’s perspective — one small step toward big emotional growth.

In this activity, your child will “step into someone else’s shoes” by standing on traced footprints and trying to imagine how that person may feel, offering a fun way to build empathy skills. Research shows that young children develop empathy when they recognize another person’s feelings and understand their situation, and this game can give your child a chance to practice both (1).

What You’ll Need

• A pair of your shoes

• A large sheet of paper (construction or poster paper)

• Markers, crayons, or pencils

• Stickers or decorations

• Child-safe tape

Step 1: Get Ready

Find a quiet, open space where your child can move safely. Place your shoes on the floor — these will become their starting point for the game.

You can introduce the activity by saying:

“Today we’re going to pretend to be me and see how I might feel. Let’s put on my shoes!”

Step 2: Trace and Decorate

Once your child has had a turn walking or standing in your shoes, lay a big sheet of paper on the ground and trace around the shoes. Then invite your child to decorate the shoeprints however they like — with colors, stickers, or doodles. This helps them take ownership of the space where they’ll “step into” your perspective.

Step 3: Explore Feelings

Explain that you’ll give them a few situations that might happen in real life. Each time, they’ll stand on the footprints and think about how you might feel in that situation.

Try examples like:

• “I didn’t eat breakfast.”

• “I get to see my friend today!”

If they need help, offer choices:

“Do you think I’d feel happy or upset when I don’t eat breakfast?”

Step 4: Practice Kind Responses

After they guess the feeling, ask what they could do to help or show care.

“When someone feels hungry, what could we do?”
“Could we say ‘Have fun!’ to someone who’s seeing a friend?”

These little exchanges help children connect emotions with compassionate action.

Step 5: Level It Up

Invite your child to show how strong a feeling might be — using hand gestures (“small” or “big”) or facial expressions. This helps them understand that emotions can vary in intensity, even when they’re the same kind.

Step 6: Reflect and Celebrate

When you’re finished, have your child “step out” of your shoes and celebrate their effort. Acknowledge their curiosity and kindness — even if their guesses weren’t perfect.

Why It Matters

Research shows that children begin developing empathy when they can recognize another person’s feelings and imagine their experience (1).  Activities like this one give toddlers a fun, physical way to practice those early perspective-taking skills.

At Tiny Souls, we believe that small, playful moments like these nurture lifelong emotional intelligence.

Try More Empathy Activities in the Tiny Souls App

Explore more ways to help your child grow their empathy, kindness, and understanding — from Zip and the Tiny Sprouts episodes to hands-on games and songs — in the Tiny Souls App.

Research Represented:

1. Hinnant, J. B., & O'Brien, M. (2007). Cognitive and emotional control and perspective taking and their relations to empathy in 5-year-old children. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 168(3), 301–322.