Parenting is hard work. I know, because I’m a parent too!
There are so many things to worry about: the kids’ schoolwork, their safety, and even what they do with free time.
If you’re concerned about your child’s social skills during this pandemic and want them to continue to grow and develop whilst socially distancing, this article might be helpful for you.
In this article, we’ll go over five great games that will improve your kid’s social skills while still having fun together as a family.
You don’t need to spend more money on expensive toys (though those can be nice sometimes)!
The good news is that you can play plenty of games with children whilst keeping a safe distance.
How do you play games with social distancing?
The best games for social distancing are those that require some level of thrill-seeking. Games like “I Spy” or “Tag” both work well, as they bring out the competitive streak in kids, which can make them forget about any anxiety they might be feeling inside.
How do you play I spy?
The game “I Spy” is a classic game where a person is given the opportunity to pick out an object in the environment and share clues with the rest of the group.
The goal is for the person to guess what the object is with the fewest guesses possible.
For example: “I spy something red”.
This is a great game for kids to play on their own while social distancing because it encourages creativity and problem-solving skills and gives them the chance to share what they are noticing in the world around them.
So have fun and see what you spy today!
How do you play tag with social distancing?
It’s simple, you don’t touch. Instead of tagging each other, you try and tag their shadow.
For toddlers, show them what a shadow is and slow the game down. Instead of running around, toddlers can pretend to be slow monsters that can only move very, very slowly.
Plodding around instead of running will reduce the risk of scraped knees. It’s still a fun game and a physical activity which will entertain your toddler.
Once a player has their shadow stepped on by the monster, they are then ‘it’ and the game continues.
If monsters are too scary for your child, you could choose a slow animal like an elephant or a large whale!
How do you play the game Simon Says?
The game Simon Says is a simple game that can be played by children.
The game is designed such that there is one person called Simon and the other group of players are the Simon Says players.
Simon lays out rules and what to do for each round first, so that all players know what they are doing in the game.
For example: “Simon says touch your elbows”.
This means that all of the other players should touch their elbows, but it’s only when Simon uses the words ‘Simon says’ before touching their elbows who get points.
If this is too complicated for your toddler, you can just omit this element.
This is a great game to keep kids active whilst also maintaining social distance.
To incorporate math skills, try saying “Simon says find 1 Tennis ball.” or “Simon says find 2 soccer ball.”
Social distancing game
A good way to help children learn how to deal with emotions when they interact socially is to incorporate emotions into games. Here are 2 ideas of games to play that incorporate emotion.
Game of charades
One person acts out an emotional type and the other person guesses what it is.
For example, someone pretends to be grumpy by looking sad and stomping their feet.
When the correct emotion has been guessed, you can ask ‘when was the last time you felt like that?’ to get your child to acknowledge their feelings.
Compliment the social distancing game
Give someone a compliment and have them pass it on to someone else. When you’re playing with a group of children, make sure to compliment character traits like saying “you are kind” or “you are nice”
This game helps kids learn about giving and receiving compliments in social relationships.
Conclusion
Play is integral to children and their development. As they construct an imaginary world from their imagination, it allows them the freedom to play out whatever scenario they choose and create alternatives in a safe environment.
During this pandemic, you still need to get your children interacting with their peers so they can develop and improve their social skills.
