Growing Social Skills with Play
Building Social Skills Through Group Play Activities
Group play isn’t just fun—it’s an essential way for kids to develop social skills like sharing, turn-taking, and teamwork. These skills are critical for forming friendships and navigating social situations throughout life.
How Group Play Builds Social Skills
When kids play together, they learn how to:
Communicate their needs and ideas.
Group play creates natural opportunities for children to express themselves. For example:
During pretend play, a child might say, “I’ll be the doctor, and you can be the patient!” This helps them practice clear communication.
When building something together, kids explain their ideas, such as, “Let’s put this block here to make the tower taller.”
Encouraging this type of verbal interaction during play lays the groundwork for effective communication in school, relationships, and future teamwork. Parents or educators can support this by gently prompting questions like, “What’s your idea for the game?”
Negotiate roles and solve conflicts.:
Conflict is a natural part of group play—and an excellent learning opportunity. When two children want to be the same character in a pretend scenario or both want the same toy, they must negotiate and compromise.
In a game like playing “store,” kids decide who will be the cashier and who will shop.
If two children grab the same toy, they may need to figure out how to share or take turns.
You can help guide this process by modeling problem-solving language, such as:
“How about you take a turn for two minutes, then switch?”
“What if we find another way for both of you to be part of the story?”
Over time, kids learn to navigate these situations independently, building resilience and collaboration skills.
Empathize with others.
Group play allows children to step into another person’s shoes—both literally and figuratively. Pretend play scenarios, like playing “house” or “veterinarian,” let kids practice caring for others and considering different perspectives.
A child pretending to be a doctor might say, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you feel better!”
During cooperative games, they might comfort a friend who feels left out by saying, “You can be on my team!”
Through these experiences, children learn to recognize and respond to the emotions of their peers. This is a powerful way to develop empathy, an essential skill for healthy relationships and emotional intelligence.
3 Group Play Ideas to Try at Home
Collaborative Building Projects: Provide kids with LEGO or blocks and challenge them to build a tower together.
Pretend Play Scenarios: Set up a “grocery store” or “post office” and assign roles.
Classic Games: Duck Duck Goose, Red Light Green Light, or simple relay races teach turn-taking and following rules.
Recommended Toys for Group Play
By encouraging group play, you’re helping children build the social and emotional skills they’ll need for school, friendships, and beyond.
