Making friends can be challenging for kids, especially after they’ve had to stay at home for so long.
But there are several things you can do to help them out. Make socializing less stressful with social skills activities for kids.
Games to Improve Kids’ Social Skills
Looking for a fun way to motivate your child to come out of their shell? Here are six fun social skills games for kids to try.
The Name Game
This simple game helps break the ice among kids and be more familiar with one another. The name game’s great because kids can do it anywhere, whether at home or on the playground.
It only requires children to call out each other’s names as a ball is rolled or tossed. This encourages them to be more observant of others, which is one step toward getting to know them.
Staring Contest
Maintaining eye contact is an important social skill that some kids find hard to do. Teaching kids this social skill is crucial because it helps them become more attentive toward the people they’re speaking to.
A staring contest is played by having your kid stare into another person’s eyes for as long as possible. The first person to blink loses.
If your child feels uncomfortable, start small by placing a sticker on their partner’s forehead to focus on. From there, encourage them to start a conversation with the other person while trying not to blink.
21 Questions
Asking questions is an excellent way to improve a kid’s social skills and stimulate curiosity about the world around them.
The 21 Questions game is a popular party activity for a small group. The classic way to play this game is by choosing someone to play first, or they can volunteer themselves.
The group will then ask the chosen person up to 21 questions. Once they’ve answered everything, they’ll nominate another person to answer the next set of questions.
This activity helps your child become more comfortable about starting conversations. It also breaks the ice and allows them to get closer to people.
Emotion Charades
Teaching children about emotions allows them to understand what they are and how to deal with them in a healthy manner.
In fact, a child’s social and emotional skills in kindergarten could be the biggest predictor of success in adulthood, based on a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
The game of emotion charades is played by having people use their facial expressions and body language to communicate a specific word or idea.
Since they aren’t allowed to speak, the game pushes them to think about, for instance, what “happy” looks like and what they feel when they experience this emotion.
Simon Says
Simon Says is a children’s game played with three or more people. One person takes the role of “Simon” and commands others to perform certain actions.
The rest of the group must follow these instructions, but only if the command is prefaced with “Simon says.”
This is a great social skills game for kids as it improves their impulse control and listening skills by requiring them to follow instructions and copy other people’s movements.
It’s a fun way to help them learn about boundaries and how to listen and get along with other kids.
Pretend Play
Imagination-driven play is vital to a kid’s developmental skills. It helps them learn how to respond to different situations and flex their creative muscles.
For this reason, Pretend Play is a great way to allow your kid to experiment with social and emotional roles. This way, they can empathize with others by imagining themselves in their shoes.
To play, have your kid make up a scenario and pretend to be someone or something. For example, they can pretend to be a cashier serving customers in a grocery store.
Build Your Kids’ Social Skills The Fun Way
It’s never too early to nurture your kids’ social skills. With these social skills games for kids, making friends and getting along with others will get easier over time.
Learn more about improving your child’s social and emotional learning by checking out the Rayito de Sol blog today.
