50+ Effective Social Skills Activities For Teens And Kids

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Teens and young children engaging in social skills activities

Image: Shutterstock

Social skills refer to traits a person shows in a social set-up. In this post, we have curated some social skills activities for kids that can help them form healthy relationships and enhance their interpersonal skills in the long run. When children bloom into teenhood, they might show several social changes. They also prefer to speak up less than they did as little kids. So how can you get them to communicate more or make good connections with people? Well, these activities can help teenagers mingle and make friends. Teens must learn to deal with their grumpy moods and maintain a social balance that is healthy for them. Read through this post to learn more about these social skill activities.

In This Article

Key Pointers

  • Social skills development is crucial for children and can impact their future relationships.
  • Activity camps, theater, sports, and educational trips can encourage communication and socialization in children.
  • Eye on the Forehead, Setting the Table, and Space Invader are great activities for toddlers to improve communication.
  • Teaching children social skills is imperative to help them interact with their surroundings.
  • Improvisational storytelling, Freeze It, Manners and More, and Who Has The Peanut are effective activities to develop and implement social skills.

50+ Effective Social Skills Activities For Teens And Kids

Good social skills will always come in handy. No matter what field of work a child chooses for themselves, their social skills will help them move forward in life.

Social Skills Activities For Teens

Teenage is a sensitive time as teenagers experience considerable physical and mental changes that contribute to shaping their personalities. Here are a few social activities that can help develop their social skills and make them feel more comfortable in their own skin.

1. Theater

Theatre is a great activity for teenagers to meet new people and expand their horizons. Visit the local theater groups in your town/city and see if they have open spots for kids. Theater may help your shy kid to open up and help your social kid to thrive in a creative environment. Kids who don’t like the limelight can also consider working in the costume or production department of theater companies. You should also encourage your teen to take part in school plays.

2. Activity Camps

Summer camps offer lots of fun activities for teens and kids. Find a camp that is appropriate for your teenager. Camps are great places to make new friends, interact with strangers, and also work alongside them. One-day or weekend camps are especially effective for teens who lack social skills. A day of interaction with new people and partaking in different activities can help even shy kids learn the skills needed for proper social interactions. There are tons of options for camps such as drama, dance, music, sports, science, etc.

Jud Millar, director at Stone Mountain Adventures, writes about his observations about summer camps. He says, ”Sometimes the beauty of camp is that campers are engaged in “free play.” They’re done with a meal and they just start playing… A gaggle of kids and counselors have started an impromptu game of ultimate frisbee on the lawn with spare flip-flops as goalposts. A couple of campers or staff might be casually observing while engaged in a conversation. All of these examples of free play are beneficial because the kids are in charge. They’re navigating social interaction. Whether they’re physically engaged or casually observing, they’re developing independence and self-reliance (i).”

3. Volunteer Work

Volunteering is a great activity for kids of all age groups. Encourage your teen to volunteer at retirement homes, child welfare centers or animal shelters. They can also offer to teach useful skills to smaller kids or read books to them. Help them understand how they can organize volunteer work to help their neighborhood or community. Your teen can improve his social skills while helping others.

protip_icon Quick fact
A meaningful volunteer job can develop abilities like curiosity, creativity, and empathy in your teen.

4. Sports Participation

There is a reason sports matter so much in life. Beyond entertainment, there is a lot people can learn from sports. Teenagers can learn the value of teamwork, organization, leadership, motivation, fitness and support from playing sports. All these qualities are great for character-building and for improving socialization skills.

5. Art Classes

Help nurture your teen’s artistic talent and get the added benefit of an improvement in social skills through art classes. Not only will your teen interact with instructors and fellow students, he will also get an outlet for creative self-expression. The activity helps shy kids express their views better. Encourage your teens to enroll in any art or craft classes just to test the waters. Painting classes, sketching, fabric art, pottery, sculpting and similar activities help teenagers express themselves to others in a better way.

protip_icon Point to consider
When students create something of their own, it makes them confident. This self-confidence grows manifold when they witness their progress.

6. Bonfire Night

Organize bonfire nights for your teen. Plan events where you can invite your extended family and get to know each other better or reminisce about the good old times. Encourage your teenagers to throw a different kind of birthday party complete with a bonfire night as the perfect backdrop for fun times with friends.

7. Educational Trips

So your teen loves museums, great! Plan activities where he can better his social skills. Visit different neighboring towns and explore all museums. Help your teens further explore this interest by bookstore visits where they can buy books about history. Find out about expert lectures and seminars on the subject and offer to accompany them to the event or pay for your teen to go with a friend.

Educational trips are not only a great way to help teenagers explore their interests, but they also offer ample opportunities to interact with new people. They increase the cultural competence of your teen and teach them a great deal about diversity and inclusion. Even asking a question during the Q & A session of a lecture may require a great deal of guts from a shy kid. Help them break the ice and converse with the museum tour guide or even interact with a stranger.

protip_icon Do remember
Even a short educational trip offers three key outcomes for teens – improved teamwork, enhanced relationships, and a community spirit.

8. Game Nights

Game night during a party or family event is a fun way to help your teenagers open up to others. Make such activities more thrilling by asking people to come up with their games on the spot. Select the best ones through votes and have a blast. The bonding will help your teen develop better socialization skills.

9. Live Events

Watching live events together as a family or with friends can be an amazing experience for your teen. Championship games, dance performances, music recitals, quiz shows, competitions, etc., are live events that teenagers can watch in a social setting. They would be amidst a crowd, a majority of those people would be strangers. It will help your teen shed his inhibitions while he cheers for his favorite team. Live events are a great place to learn about networking and public speaking as well.

10. Bowling Fun

Plan an evening of bowling/roller skating/ice skating fun with your teen. Such visits can be great for developing your teen’s social skills as he will be around many people. As he will bowl or skate while others watch, the activity will help him burst his bubble.

Free Worksheets and Printables for Kids

11. Debate Workshop

A healthy debate can help develop a child’s public speaking skills. They also get first-hand experience in conflict resolution and learn how to lead a team. If your teen is interested in any specific topic, like the preservation of nature or world politics, you can have them enroll in a social group. Your child can interact with other teens and grab the opportunity to express themselves through a good debate.

12. Board Games

The game night mentioned above is open to any kind of games that may or may not involve board games. So, dedicate one night every month to playing a board game that your teen could be interested in. Board games encourage a child to strategize and hone their problem-solving skills. It promotes social skills such as cooperation, patience, and respect for others.

13. Exploring New Culture

Assign one day of the week when the entire family does an activity together. The activity can be cooking or watching a movie of a foreign culture. You may also take your teen to a restaurant that serves foreign cuisine. Encourage your child to learn to have new experiences by walking in someone else’s shoes. It helps them gain empathy and also makes them accept cultural diversity.

14. Cultural Exchange Events

If your child seems interested, enroll them in a cultural exchange program. In such programs, children are in a better position to learn about different cultures and have new experiences. It broadens their horizons and makes them open up to people of different ethnicities and be more accepting of diverse cultures. It also gives them a chance to better understand themselves and develop a confident personality.

15. Expressing Gratitude

Another way to develop empathy in teens is to have them express daily gratitude. When they have reason to be thankful for their life, they learn to be more kind and understanding of others. Ask your child to maintain a gratitude diary and encourage them to fill it as regularly as they can. You can even help them by making them see the good side of life even when the day goes bad.

16. Conversation Cards

Having a one-on-one conversation with a stranger can be unnerving for some teens. Try playing the conversation starter game with your child. On a pack of cards, write different kinds of topics that can be used to start a conversation. Ask your teen to draw any card and make a conversation with you based on that topic. As soon as the topic seems to run its course, ask your child to draw another card and start the next topic to keep the conversation going. This might help them learn to have an engaging and meaningful conversation.

17. The Habit Of Listening

Listening is an important social skill that every teen needs to develop early on. Listening is extremely crucial to have a healthy conversation. A teen should know when to stop and listen in a conversation and when to speak. You may use videos or have a conversation with them to help them learn how to listen and absorb information carefully. Listening and comprehension tasks can also help improve their skills.

18. Reading Body Language

Much is conveyed through body language than through words. And teens need to learn to read between the lines. You may enroll them in a body language class or have them read books on body language. Help them understand how ‘folded arms’ is a defensive stance, while a soft, light punch on the arm is a friendly gesture. You may watch a movie together and ask your teen to observe the character’s body language and try to understand what the character is trying to convey through their body language.

Social Skills Activities For Kindergarten

Your child needs appropriate guidance about adaptability, good communication, etiquette, and behavior. It’s an excellent way to introduce social games for kids and concepts at varying developmental stages for your kindergarten and preschoolers. These activities teach trust-building and goal-setting to the little ones and help in developing their emotional intelligence as well.

19. Eye On The Forehead

Eye on the forehead, social skill activities for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Eye stickers.

How To

  1. Divide the kids into pairs.
  1. Now place an eye sticker on one teammate’s forehead.
  1. Encourage the other child to look at the sticker.
  1. The round will end if the player blinks.
  1. Swap the team-mates and repeat the game.
  1. The game will train your kindergarten to look in the correct direction, in a less intimidating way. This is one of the fun social skills activities for kids.

20. Vocab Building

Build the vocab social skill activity for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • A few objects like a kitchen tool, a toy or a stationary

How To

  1. Hand your child an object and tell him to describe what he thinks about it, according to his perspective. She has to make the object look like something it isn’t. For him, an empty cup can be a duck’s bill or a party hat.
  1. This social skill training for children will develop their vocabulary and story-building skills.

21. Setting The Table

Setting the table social skill activity for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Markers
  • Scissors
  • Double-sided tape.
  • Construction paper in 7 different colors.

How To

  1. Lay out the table for your little toddler to observe and learn.
  1. Now have your kid draw and cut out the following from the construction paper.
  • Dinner fork
  • Salad fork
  • Soupspoon
  • Teaspoon
  • Knife
  • Plate
  • Water glass
  • Napkin

22. Mimic Me

Mimic me, social skill activities for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Nothing

How To

  1. This activity requires kids to mimic you.
  1. If you touch your forehead, tell him to do the same.
  1. If you pinch your nose, tell him to follow.
  1. Box your ears lightly and tell him to do the same.
  1. The activity will help the kids pick up expressions and read them appropriately.
  1. You can make each child take turns in making new expressions and ask others to mimic them. This also teaches leadership skills.

15. Space Invader

Space invader, social skill activities for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Popsicle sticks
  • Pictures of cartoon aliens.
  • Crayons
  • Glue

How To

  1. Tell your child to color the images of the cartoon aliens. Then help them in cutting out.
  1. Stick the alien’s pictures to the popsicle sticks. As you affix the images, explain why they should respect another person’s space and how it is important. You can also introduce him to the concepts of using ‘gentle hands’ to get someone’s attention instead of hitting or shouting.
  1. Further, explain to him that the aliens he has colored are you, and he is space, the invader.
  1. When the child puts up his mark of the space invader, the aliens would require a moment to regroup. Make him do the same.
  1. This way, you can explain the concept of giving people their space to play and also teach them non-violent problem-solving skills.

24. One Question Interview

One question interview social skill activity for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Cards
  • Pen

How To

  1. Write simple questions on the cards like “What’s your favorite food?” or “Do you have a pet”?
  1. Have the kids sit in a circle. Now pass out the cards and tell each of them to read out the question.
  1. Tell the kids to disperse in another room and get into pairs within five minutes.
  1. Now tell the kids to ask each other the questions and listen to the answers.
  1. Now ask every kid individually what they learned about the partner.
  1. The activity will encourage active listening and will let the kids know about each other.

25. Telephone Skills

Telephone social skill activity for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Round number stickers.
  • Card stock paper
  • Small sticky notes.
  • Scissors

How To

  1. Tell your child to make a telephone model of the card stock paper. Cut a rectangular shape from the card stock and replicate the phone’s keys by sticking the round number stickers.
  1. Now give your and your partner’s number to your kid and tell him to practice calling. You can teach him about emergency numbers too.
  1. Now talk to your kid from your phone when he dials your number from his phone. Carry out the conversation just like you would do with any other adult. This way, you can teach your kid about communication skills and ways of interacting with others on the phone.

26. Follow The Feeling

Social skills activities for teens and young children, Follow The Feeling

Image: Midjourney

You will need

  • Pictures of human faces with varied expressions.

How to

  1. Place the pictures of various human faces on the ground.
  1. Ask another person to call out an emotion loudly.
  1. Ask your child to look for the image showing that expression and jump on it.
  1. Whenever they get the expression right, ask them the reason for it, and when they get it wrong, explain how to identify the right image.
  1. The game helps children read and understand facial expressions and human emotions.

27. Sing Song Manners

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Sing Song Manner

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Melodies

How to

  1. Create songs telling your child how to cultivate good manners. For instance, on the tune of ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It,’ create a song that tells the child how to talk to an adult respectfully.
  1. Sing the song with animated gestures and ask your child to follow you. Once you have their attention, tell them how they should practice the message in the song in their daily life.
  1. This way, the child enjoys learning something new and also remembers life lessons easily.

28. Simon Says

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Simon Says

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • Nothing except your child’s full attention

How to

  1. Between you and your child, one person gets to be ‘Simon’ while the other has to follow Simon’s instructions.
  1. So, when you start saying a sentence with ‘Simon says,’ your child has to follow that instruction. You may ask them to do anything, and they cannot refuse Simon. And if they do, they lose the game.
  1. The game is intended to teach a child how to listen and follow instructions.

29. Blocks

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Blocks

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • Building blocks for children

How to

  1. Invite your child’s friend over for a game of building blocks. Or, you may also play with them.
  1. Hand over the set of building blocks to your child with a picture of a structure you would like them to create. The image can be of anything, like a small building or a pyramid.
  1. When your child starts to create something with the blocks with the help of another person, they learn to share and adopt new ideas. They learn to accept opinions and also share their own. Your child can also learn to negotiate and compromise to achieve the common goal.

30. Reading Skills

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Reading Skills

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • Books with lots of colorful pictures

How to

  1. Every night, make your child sit with you and read a story from a book.
  1. If the book has images, point out those images as you read along.
  1. Explain to your child what’s happening in one image, and for the next image, ask them to share their interpretation.
  2. Reading to children from a young age helps develop their interest in reading and also helps them learn to deal with different situations in life. Stories with morals further help them understand the difference between right and wrong deeds.

31. Scavenger Hunt In Nature

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Scavenger Hunt In Nature

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • Natural items such as bird feathers, rounded rocks, leaves, etc

How to

  1. Take your child to a park and show them images of the items they should spot. You may hide the items beforehand or list items you know you will find at any park.
  1. While taking a stroll, ask your child to observe their surroundings and point out the items you asked them to spot.
  1. Each time they spot something on the list, you tick it off.
  1. The activity makes children observant and encourages them to explore their surroundings better. When their knowledge increases, they develop varied interests and have better topics to discuss with other children.

32. Mask Of Emotions

Social skills activities for teens and young children, Mask Of Emotions

Image: Midjourney

You will need

  • White paper plates
  • Black Sharpie

How to

  1. Cut the white paper plates into two halves. Draw a human nose and a mouth showing a particular expression. For instance, a curved line indicates a smile, while a tongue out of the mouth suggests teasing.
  1. Now, share a scenario with your child and ask them to express their feelings by lifting the paper plate that explains their feelings. For instance, ask, ‘How do you feel when mommy makes your favorite cake?’
  1. The activity helps the child understand their own emotions and encourages them to communicate their feelings more openly.

33. Hot Potato Game

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Hot Potato Game

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • A ball or a potato

How to

  1. You can invite your child’s friends to play, or they can play the game with any other family member.
  1. The game is simple; they have to pretend that the ball or potato is hot, and they cannot hold it for too long, so they have to keep passing it to another person. However, they have to ensure that the item being tossed does not fall to the ground. The one who fails to catch it loses the round.
  1. The activity helps children understand the importance of rules and how to follow them diligently.

Social Activities For Young Children

Teaching social skills activities such as time management, critical thinking, and creativity is important for the growth of your child. Here are few such helpful activities for your young and middle school aged children.

34. Emotion Charade

Emotion charade social skill activity for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Bowl

How To

  1. Write down some words related to feelings on small slips of paper. Put all the paper slips in a bowl and shuffle.
  1. Now have the kids take turns at picking out a paper and acting out the feeling written on it. You can also allow the kids to draw the emotion on a black or white board. The other kids have to guess what emotion the player is trying to demonstrate.
  1. Instruct the kids clearly that they cannot talk. Neither can they draw the emotion using a face. They have to express it by drawing the situation and body language that can lead to the feeling. This game is one of the excellent social skills group activities for kids.

35. Improvisational Storytelling

Improvisational storytelling social skill activity for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

Social skills may be delayed in some children, especially those with special needs. This is one such social skills activity for autism. It teaches decision-making also.

You Will Need

  • Pictures of emotions.

How To

  1. Place the images of the emotions face down on the surface.
  1. Now tell the players to think about elements that must appear in the story. It can be anything, from a dog to a banana to a lemur.
  1. Tell the first player to pick a card and start his narration. He is free to take the story in any direction he likes. But the catch is that he must incorporate the emotion on his card.
  1. After he has finished, have another child take his turn at picking a card and making up the story. Kids have to build on each other’s ideas, making use of all the story elements.

36. Swinging

Swinging social skill activity for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Nothing

How To

  1. Take your child to the nearby community park for swinging.
  1. Make eye contact with him as he swings back and forth.
  1. Also, tell him to try to reach for you with his right foot if you are standing on his right and left foot if you are standing on his left.
  1. The activity will help him direct his focus to you and will calm him down.
  1. Kids love to swing and so this can be one of the favorite social activities for children.

37. Freeze It

Freeze It, social skill activities for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

Teen team-building activities are crucial for developing social skills. This activity is one of the best for high school students and teens to improve their team-building skills.

You Will Need

  • Nothing

How To

  1. Assemble the kids in the hall room or garden.
  1. Choose an ‘it’ and ask the other children to line up horizontally.
  1. Now ask the kids to freeze like statues. The ‘it’ now has to try to make the other players laugh.
  1. The first kid to laugh will be the ‘it’ for the next round.
  1. The game will teach kids self-control, patience, and a few essential social skills.

38. Manners And More

Manners And More, social skill activities for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

Social skills activities for middle school students help their personal growth and development. This is one such social development activity for children to help them understand the importance of social skills.

You Will Need

  • Construction paper.
  • Magazine
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Markers
  • Colors

How To

  1. First, talk to your kids about good and bad manners. Tell him that there’s only a thin line between good manners and bad manners. For example, greeting an elder while sitting versus greeting him cordially while standing up.
  1. Now tell him to make a collage on good and bad manners with the magazine cut out.
  1. You can even ask them to make a slogan on the manners.

39. Word Strips

Word Strips, social skill activities for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Double-sided tape.

How To

  1. Draw and cut the words like ‘peace’, ‘clean’, ‘silence’, ‘neat’ and ‘hygiene’.
  1. Now talk to him about the relevant rules like ‘maintaining silence in the library’, staying quiet when someone is on the call,’ ‘keeping the wardrobe clean’ and so on.
  1. Now cut out the strips and tell your child to stick when he thinks it’s appropriate.

40. Who Has The Peanut?

Who Has The Peanut, social skill activities for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • 1 peanut in the shell

How To

  1. The purpose of the game is to find out who has the peanut.
  1. Have the kids sit in a circle, placing their hands behind their back and closing it tightly.
  1. Now select one kid to be the ‘peanut passer’. Holding the peanut in his hand, tell him to go around the circle, sliding his hands through the other kid’s hand until he secretly passes off the peanut. He has to go through the circle one full time before giving the peanut.
  1. As the passer walks around, the other kids have to chant ‘Mr. Peanut where are you? Mr. Peanut come to me.”
  1. Now select a kid and ask him who he thinks has the peanut. Keep asking until you find the actual location of the peanut.
  1. When you’ve found the peanut, the kids have to chant, “we’ve found the peanut! Pass the peanut, but not to me”!
  1. Repeat the game with another peanut passer.

41. Name Game

The name game, social skill activities for preschoolers

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • A ball

How To

  1. Make the kids sit in a circle and give one of them a ball.
  1. Now ask the child with the ball to name a fellow player and roll the ball to him.
  1. The recipient has to do the same thing.
  1. The process will repeat itself throughout the game.

42. Role Play

Role Play

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need

  • A bowl
  • Small chits

How To

  1. Ask each participant to come forward and pick a chit from the bowl.
  1. The chits contain the names of the characters that they will be playing.
  1. The characters can be from one famous story or from different stories. For example, you can have Romeo and Jack Sparrow as characters.
  1. Now, tell them to create a story in which these characters from different stories come together.
  1. Each child will have to tap their creative energy and create funny scenarios.
  1. Every child will get to work with others and learn the importance of effective communication.

43. Human Knot

Social skills activities for teens and young children, Human Knot

Image: Midjourney

You will need

  • NA

How to

  1. Divide the participants into two groups.
  1. Make the teams hold each other’s hand across each other to get entangled like a knot.
  1. The teams have to work together to untie the knot without letting go of their hands.
  1. This game aims to help the children learn to work as a team while learning the importance of communication and cooperation.

44. Blindfold Obstacle Course

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Blindfold Obstacle Course

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • Few blindfolds
  • Small obstacles to create an obstacle course

How to

  1. Divide the players into equal teams.
  1. One player from each team will be selected to start the race. The player will be blindfolded and will have to complete the race by listening to the instructions given by their teammates.
  1. The activity is aimed at teaching children to build trust in others and learn to communicate effectively.

45. Musical Chairs

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Musical Chairs

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • Chairs
  • Music player

How to

  1. Chairs have to be arranged in a circle facing outward. The number of chairs for every round will be one less than the number of participants.
  1. The participants have to stand in a circle around the chair. As soon as the music plays, they have to start moving around the chairs.
  1. When the music stops, they have to grab a seat quickly. The person left standing will be out of the game.
  1. Even though there can be only one winner in the game, every child participating gets to hone their quick-thinking skills and learn how to handle competition.

46. Red Light, Green Light

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Red Light, Green Light

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • NA

How to

  1. Ask all the children to stand in a line.
  1. When you say ‘green light,’ they can start running towards you while your back is to them, and when you say ‘red light,’ they have to freeze in their respective places as you turn to face them.
  1. As a game, it helps children understand and follow instructions and teaches them to control their impulses.

47. Human Tic-Tac-Toe

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Human Tic-Tac-Toe

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • A chalk or sharpie to create a grid

How to

  1. Divide the players into two teams. One team will play as the Xs, and the other will be the human Os.
  1. Taking turns, the team members of the two teams have to run to take a position on the grid as an X or an O.
  1. The game helps the children learn teamwork and coordination while also boosting their strategic planning skills.

48. Mirror Game

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Mirror Game

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • NA

How to

  1. Pair up the participants where one will make the expressions and the other will act as their reflection.
  1. When the game starts, one child in every pair will make some movements that the other child must copy exactly as if they were a mirror reflection.
  1. A game like this helps enhance non-verbal communication and enables them to build a connection with another individual.

49. Newspaper Fashion Show

Social skills activities for teens and young children, Newspaper Fashion Show

Image: Midjourney

You will need

  • Lots of newspaper
  • Pair of scissors
  • Scotch tape

How to

  1. Divide the participants into groups of equal members.
  1. Each team has to design and dress up a member in an outfit made of newspapers.
  1. The activity is aimed at helping children put forth their creativity without hesitation. It promotes teamwork and helps boost their confidence.

50. Human Sculpture

You will need

  • Nothing

How to

  1. Divide the children into two groups.
  1. Give each team a theme according to which they need to create a sculpture with their bodies.
  1. Each person must represent something in the sculpture.
  1. The activity promotes cooperation among children and helps them openly express their artistic views.

51. Mystery Finder

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Mystery Finder

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • NA

How to

  1. The participants will be narrated a mysterious story and given some clues.
  1. Together, they have to discuss and find a way to solve the mystery.
  1. The activity aims to promote role-playing, team-building, and coordination in children.

52. Wheel Of Trivia

Social skill activities for teens and young children, Wheel Of Trivia

Image: Shutterstock

You will need

  • A large cardboard circle
  • A stand with an arrow sign at the side

How to

  1. The Wheel of Trivia contains topics that the participants have to speak on.
  1. Each participant gets a chance to spin the wheel, and the topic on which the arrow stops is the topic they can speak on. They can share interesting trivia that they know or share a personal experience based on that topic.
  1. The activity helps children develop more confidence and improve their public speaking skills. It also helps develop their knowledge on different topics.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are social skills?

Social skills encompass a range of behaviors and abilities that facilitate communication, interaction, and relationship-building. They help teenagers understand social cues, develop empathy, and resolve conflicts.

2. How can teenagers improve their social skills?

Teenagers can improve their social skills by practicing active listening, showing empathy, communicating effectively, developing self-awareness, self-esteem, and assertiveness, managing conflicts, joining clubs, and participating in community events. In addition, finding a mentor can inspire them to communicate better and work towards a goal. It is also vital for teenagers today to balance their online and offline social life (1).

3. What social skills do teenagers need?

Social skills such as listening, interpersonal, problem-solving, cooperation, and conflict resolution are essential for teens to socialize and engage with their community (2).

4. What types of activities can help teens practice empathy and understanding?

You can engage your child in role-playing scenarios, volunteering activities, and thoughtful group discussions to make them understand empathy and understanding. Labeled feelings, photo books, and board games are other activities that make children empathetic as they know each other’s feelings. These activities also allow them to forge strong and deeper connections.

5. What games or activities can help teens learn to cooperate with others?

Caterpillar tag, board games, and constructing things like a hut with objects like hula hoops make teens learn the importance of cooperation. Painting in teams or with a partner and obstacle course help develop social skills and help teens learn collaboration. These activities do not focus on defeating players.

6. How can I implement social skill activities for teens?

Start by choosing age-appropriate activities that suit your teen’s interests to keep them engaged. Discuss the observations after each round or session, and provide constructive feedback to help your child reflect on their experiences.

Social skills activities for teens help them interact and connect with others. This also enhances their communication and social skills to fit into society. Theater, activity camps, volunteer work, sports, arts, bonfire nights, and educational trips are some of the fun social activities for teenagers. Game nights, bowling, and live events can also help teens spend more quality time with their peers outside of school. You may let your teen participate in these outdoor activities with peers to achieve social skills. Younger children can develop social skills through plays such as one-question interviews, phone skills, and storytelling.

Infographic: Fascinating Social Activities For Young Children

Social skills are vital for a child’s socio-emotional growth. Understanding these skills will benefit them in interacting with the people around them. Check out the infographic below to explore social skills activities that can help your child become a well-rounded individual.

interesting social activities for children to try (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Top 26 Social Skills Activities For Teens And Young Children

Social Skills Activities For Teens_illustration

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Watch this video to learn about fun ways to build social skills in teens. Improve communication, make friends, and gain confidence in social situations.

Personal Experience: Source

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.
  1. How To Improve Social Skills in Teens; Boys and Girls Clubs of America
    https://www.bgca.org/news-stories/2022/September/how-to-improve-social-skills-in-teens
  2. The Importance of Social Skills: Raising a Socially Intelligent Child; Good Therapy
    https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/importance-of-social-skills-raising-socially-intelligent-child-0102184
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