Practicing Social Skills: Activity Ideas for Preschoolers

Social skills, such as learning how to play with others, playing pretend and working together, begin to develop at a young age. Coaching and interaction from caring adults help children learn these skills, and it takes time and practice.

Social and emotional skills help children understand others and develop relationships, and there are a lot of ways you can help. Teaching actions and words to use with others can help your child better communicate their needs, wants and emotions. Establishing daily routines helps children feel safe and secure as they try new things.

Children begin to learn important social and emotional skills at a young age. Here are ideas to help preschoolers from 3 to 5 years develop these skills.

• Act out a well-known story like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, exaggerating the emotions while you or your child tell it or act it out. Gather stuffed toy animals, bowls and spoons, three chairs, and towels or blankets for the beds.
• Read or tell stories to your child often throughout the day. Have her select books she is interested in. Include books that introduce or enhance learning activities, and connect to real-life experiences.
• Play games like “I Spy.” Identify an object in the room. Describe it to your child providing one hint at a time until he guesses the right object. Say something like, “I spy something that is round. Red. Hot. On the stove.” It’s the pan of spaghetti cooking. Or play the game “I’m thinking of an animal. It has four legs, a long neck, and is yellow with brown spots. What is it?” (Answer: a giraffe!)
• Look at photos and talk about the activities and people in the photos. Older preschool children may enjoy taking photos of each other and talking about what the person was doing in the photo.
• Encourage lots of pretend play. During pretend play, switch roles: let your child pretend to be the grownup and you be the child. Or pretend to go to the pizza or coffee shop. Children can be the cook or the waitstaff and “write” down your order.
• Play a card game such as Go Fish, Old Maid, or Concentration. Simple board games, like Candyland, are fun for preschoolers. Games help preschool-age children learn to take turns.
• Make up stories together where you and your child take turns determining what happens next. You can offer suggestions like “Do they next go to the park, the beach or a movie?” Make up stories about toys or stuffed animals that you have placed or hidden around the house.
• Practice taking turns solving social problems by playing a word game where you ask, “What might happen next?” For example, what might happen next if you bring a snowball in the house or you build a tower taller than you?
• Create a scavenger hunt to complete as a team. Set up a collection basket for what you find, and take turns adding items to the basket. Give your child hints as they search for items, or have your child help you find items on the list by pointing or directing you to them. Ideas for objects are things with different textures like smooth or bumpy; geometric shapes like circles, squares and rectangles; or natural objects like rocks, pinecones, etc. You can also place your child’s toys around the house for them to find, or create a list of things to look for on a walk.

For more information on how to encourage and support a child’s development, visit the Social and Emotional Milestones page. 

Source: Fun Activities Families Can Do with Their Children: Ideas for Families with Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers, Spring 2020, Minnesota Department of Education (PDF download)