18/03/2020 Social-Emotional Activities for Children

Games & skillbuilders

5 Social-Emotional Learning
Games to Play With Your
Child
By Kate Kelly

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At a Glance
Kids can learn to manage their emotions and work on social skills.

You can help your child with social-emotional learning (SEL) by playing fun games at home.

There are lots of simple games you can play during everyday activities.

Looking for ways to help your child with social-emotional

learning (SEL)? Many schools have started teaching kids
how to do things like cope with feelings, set goals, and get
along with others. You can help your child work on these
skills at home, too.

Here are a handful of social-emotional learning activities

that can help your child manage emotions and work on
social skills—and have some fun with you along the way.
These social-emotional learning games are very low-tech.
And all are designed to fit easily into daily routines.

1. Starfish and Tornadoes

The goal: To help kids notice how much energy they’re
feeling inside. When they know they have too much energy,
they can either use their own calming skills or ask for help
from a trusted adult.

How to play: Make a picture of a thermometer. Draw a

starfish at the bottom and a tornado at the top. Ask if your
child feels calm and peaceful like a starfish or revved up
like a tornado. When your child is feeling over-energized,
brainstorm together about ways to feel more like a starfish.
For example, bouncing a ball to help release some of that
energy.

Try playing this game at different times of the day and help

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your child describe the energy levels. For example, if you

play first thing in the morning, you can say, “You like to
snuggle and watch cartoons.” Or, “I bet you could run up
and down the stairs five times before I finish making
breakfast!”

Keep in mind: Self-awareness can help kids build a skill

called self-regulation. Self-regulation is about managing
your internal energy. It helps kids manage their emotions
and their body movements during tough situations. It also
helps them pay attention and learn. (Watch this video for
more information about this game.)

2. Turtle Time
The goal: To help kids practice observing what’s going on
around them. Picking up on social cues helps kids get their
needs met and understand the perspective of others.

How to play: When you and your child get to the

playground and other places, look around like a turtle in a
slow, exaggerated fashion. Take turns sharing details about
what you see: “All the swings are taken.” “There’s a short
line for the slide.”

Help your child connect these observations with choosing

how to behave. For example, when the swings are crowded,
your child may decide to go on the slide first.

Keep in mind: You don’t have to pretend to be turtles. You

could pull out your pretend binoculars or a special pair of
glasses to help you see better. You could also play “I spy
with my little eye.” You and your child can take turns
spotting social interactions and describing them until the
other player finds what you’re looking at.

3. “Who Am I Right Now?”

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The goal: To build self-awareness and help identify your

child’s strengths. These skills can also help with decision
making and understanding the perspective of others.

How to play: Get some index cards. Use them to draw

pictures of your child doing something positive, like being a
good helper or being a good teacher. Brainstorm about
other cards your child could make.

To help your child come up with ideas, comment whenever

you notice your child’s positive behaviors: “You just offered
to teach your sister a nursery rhyme. Let’s talk for a second
about what kind of person you’re being right now.”

Keep in mind: Many families try to teach social-emotional

skills by commenting on negative behavior. But don’t forget
to catch your child doing something good. Praising good
behavior often leads to more of it.

Also, you can buy these kinds of cards or find templates

online. But kids might like making the cards themselves.

4. Let’s Make a Deal

The goal: To help kids learn to compromise. Practicing how
to see things from another person’s perspective can help
your child consider other people’s needs.

How to play: When you and your child can’t agree, use the
tune of “This Old Man” to sing these lines: “You want this. I
want that. How can we both get what we want?” Then
brainstorm solutions and choose the best idea for right
now. For example, if your child is demanding to bake
cookies at 8 a.m., the best solution might be to wait two
hours so you can bake when the baby is napping.

Keep in mind: Your child may have trouble letting go of an

idea. Together you can pick the best of the runner-up ideas
and put them in a special container. The next time you have
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a conflict, read through all of these ideas to help find the

best solution for right now.

5. Taking Turns Taking Charge

The goal: To help develop self-awareness, make decisions,
and see other people’s perspective.

How to play: Start a tradition where one night a week you

and your child (or the whole family) take turns planning a
fun night. You could stick to a theme, like choosing which
food to eat, movie to watch, or game to play. Or leave
things wide open, and let the person in charge pick.

Keep in mind: It might help to make a chart with categories

like “Waiting my turn” and “Staying calm when doing
something I don’t like.” After the activity, get everyone to
rate themselves. Then talk about what’s been working well
and what they want to improve on.

Ready to learn more about social-emotional development?

Find out which social-emotional skills to expect at
different ages. You can also watch this video for more
ideas.

Social-Emotional Learning Activities You Can Try …

Key Takeaways
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Simple, fun games can help kids learn to cope with feelings, set goals, and get along with
others.

Self-regulation helps kids manage their emotions and their body movements.

Praising good behavior often leads to more of it.

Share

About the Author

Kate Kelly has been writing and editing for more than 20 years,
with a focus on parenting.

Reviewed by

Lynne Kenney, PsyD is a Harvard-trained pediatric psychologist

and international educator in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Did you find this

helpful? Yes No

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