As we have mentioned in one of our previous blog posts (which you can find HERE), exposing your kids to all kinds of social situations early on can be of great help when it comes to them developing people skills.

 

 

And that’s great. Because we all want to equip our kids with as much as we can, right?

 

Now, as not every parent is a natural born life coach, we’ve gathered an interesting list of activities you can use when teaching social skills to your kid, or better, any group of kids.

 

Following “head to toe” analogy, we’ll start with a simple activity which main focus are facial expressions.

 

Face to face

 

 

This one is great because it requires no additional material or any other kind of special preparation. Plus, you can do it almost anywhere and even with very young kids.

 

Basically, the activity comes down to them imitating your facial expressions. Ask them to repeat everything that you do. Frown, stare, blink repetitively, smile, wink, pout your lips… You can get creative and even use your hands: You can put them behind your ears or cover your eyes.

 

The kids just need to follow your lead.

 

Even though this activity doesn’t seem like much at first, it can be of great help when teaching social skills: It will keep your kid entirely focused which, as you probably know, is a success on its own. In addition to that, it will trigger them to read your expressions and understand them better.

 

Save the Gem

 

Apart from being great for teaching social skills, this activity has lots to do with coordination, too.

 

It’s more suited for a group of kids or for a whole family. You’ll also need a ball or a plush (something convenient for throwing). One child (or you) should act as a villain trying to steal the toy and the rest of the kids should throw it among each other and not let the “villain” catch it.

 

The purpose of this activity is helping kids get the feeling of what it’s like to join efforts with others to complete the goal. It’s a great way to expose them to the experience of working as a team while keeping them physically active.

 

Rabbit Hole

 

 

This one is great for smaller groups of children. You can find a detailed description of the activity HERE. Creators of this skill have also shown different ways you can upgrade it depending on what you want to achieve.

 

What we especially love about this game (and we think you will, too), is that it’s a great way to introduce children to the concept of personal space. And if you have kids, you know how challenging that can be.

 

 

As a parent, you are aware of the fact that each day comes along with a new set of worries and challenges you have to overcome. Making sure your kid grows into a healthy, happy person with a well-formed set of people skills is, in that case, just one of your goals.

 

So take one step at a time. Introduce them to activities that are both fun and useful. And what’s more important: Enjoy watching them as they learn and grow thanks to you.