If you are a school counselor, therapist, or other professional working with children, targeting social skills is almost always part of your therapy practice. As a school psychologist, I love helping kids improve social skills because I know how important these skills are for not only school success, but success in life. And while children with Autism are my own typical clients, ALL kids can benefit from improving their Social Skills.
There are so many social situations in school, work and life that people have to navigate every day. That’s why it’s so important for children to learn important skills, such as communication, conflict resolution, cooperation, and showing others respect and kindness. With the increases in use of technology, kids are just getting less practice in these important skills. That’s why learning and practicing social skills with fun games can be a real help.
Here are 20 games that you can play, including “Video-Games” with your class, counseling students, or even your own children. Some are FREE, but most are printable games under $5!!!
KIND vs. UNKIND Dice Game for Counseling; Bullying, Social Skills, Behavior K-8
This easy and fun dice game is for students who are getting counseling support or SEL for Social Skills, including Bullying behaviors, conflict resolution, and KINDNESS. Easy prep and play.
To Play: •Use ONE die and your own or provided (assemble) game pieces. •First, have each player pick a color. And roll the dice to decide who goes first (highest is first). The, move counter-clockwise for play after that. •When the player rolls the die, read the behavior in the number box, starting at the top of the game card. Starting from the top of each game card and use a pencil or dry erase (if laminated)h to mark off which prompts have been used. •If the square has prompt is “UNKIND”, move back one square. If the square has a “KIND” behavior, move up one square. •Play until all players reach their finish square!
SEL & Counseling Board Game for CONFLICT RESOLUTION! Grades 1-6
Work with your students on improving their ability to understand how to resolve conflicts with their peers with this fun and easy board game. Questions and prompts are designed to help facilitate discussions related to making good choices and resolving conflicts without aggression or other negative or unexpected behaviors at school. Great for activity for Social Skills groups, SEL, anger management groups, or behavior-related counseling.
FUN Social Skills Game UNO; For Grades 1-9; Includes 7 VIDEO Lesson Links
Help students learn and practice Social Skills in school while playing UNO! Social skills prompts and questions related to a variety of skills including:
- Manners
- Showing others respect
- Personal space
- Emotional regulation
- Expected Behaviors in the classroom
- Compromising with others, and more!
This game makes it easy to facilitate discussions and review skills that your students are struggling with.
The game also includes an additional 7 video YouTube links that you can also use in different counseling sessions leading up to playing the game or after. Some videos are games themselves and can be used individually in your sessions and as part of your social skills group.
Candy Land SOCIAL SKILLS Game; Printable Gameboard Included! Grades K-5
Teach students about Social Skills and have them practice different skills, such as complimenting others, introductions, asking questions, showing good sportsmanship, and more with this fun Candy Land Board game!
Social Skills addressed include friendship making skills, giving others personal space, greetings, manners, being helpful, showing empathy, sportsmanship, respectful behaviors, and listening to others.
This game is a fun and easy way to work on teaching your counseling students skills for making and keeping friends and getting along with others that will help them to have better days at school by learning how to play and make friends. Prompts help you, the counselor or teacher, to facilitate discussions about a variety of social skills needed at school.
****Also Included… A Printable “Color Land” gameboard for if you do not own your own Candy Land!!!***
Rapport Building CANDYLAND Game for Elementary School Counseling
Turn your regular Candyland Gameboard into a Counseling Rapport Building Game with this easy to use game. The game cards include 4 questions for each type of card that your students may pull. Prompts and questions are fun and can help you build rapport and get to know your student(s).
Social Skills JENGA or Beach Ball Game + 12 Videos for Small Group Counseling
Help kids learn a variety of Social Skills with these 12 Videos and Game that can be played with a JENGA or Beach Ball. 2 of the Video links are video games from the counseling fanny pack of fun YouTube channel and the others are different lessons on a variety of social skills, including conversation skills, manners, showing empathy, personal space, and conflict resolution.
For the JENGA and/or Beach Ball Game, number a JENGA or Beach Ball 1-30. Then print out the prompts and questions for either game activity. Works for either individual or small group counseling.
Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behaviors UNO Counseling Game; Grades K-8
Provide counseling that focuses on BEHAVIORS for your students with poor emotional regulation, anger management, inappropriate behaviors, and defiance towards their teacher.
Directions: Play UNO as you normally would, or just have students draw cards and facilitate discussion on their behavioral concerns with a variety of questions and prompts. Makes counseling fun and engaging for students! There are also 4 video links to videos that I use with my counseling students for working on improving behaviors at school.
Kindness Candyland Counseling Game; Social Skills & Friendship Tk-5th Grades
Teach students about Kind vs. Unkind BEHAVIORS with the fun game of Candy Land! This game will help facilitate discussions during your counseling sessions and build important social skills.
- To Play:
- First, Print and laminate (optional) gameboard, cards, flags, and breathing tools as needed.
- If using your own Candyland Gameboard, just print game cards and breathing strategies pages.
FREE 3 Games in ONE for RAPPORT BUILDING with your Counseling Students
This is 3 games in one for a variety of Rapport Building activities that you can use whichever way that you want with your Small Groups, Individual, or even Classroom SEL and/or Counseling. Games are super easy and use the same deck of Rapport Building Cards to play. Some questions are silly and fun, while others address areas of social skills and emotional regulation. Cards will help your students feel at ease with beginning to talk about themselves and their emotions with you! Good for grades K-8!
CONFLICT RESOLUTION Role Play Game for grades 2-8
Work on building social skills, including conflict resolution skills, with your counseling students through this fun role play activity. Role play is a great way to engage students who are working on public speaking, turn taking, learning compromise, and other social skills for school.
Directions: Cut out the various scenarios and put in a hat or small box. You can either have students just answer what they would do…or have some fun and have 1-3 students act out the scenario and them answer or act out how they would resolve the conflict appropriately. Use costumes, such as silly hats, button shirts, or glasses to add to the fun and engagement of the role play activity.
EMPATHY Counseling Game for Small Group or Classroom SEL Activity
This Empathy themed Counseling activity is for Elementary or Middle School students who are working on understanding and thinking about the feelings of others. Empathy is an important Social Skill for helping children build and maintain positive relationships with others.
Help students to learn to think about how others, including their teacher, may feel when they do or say things that may be hurtful, annoying, or frustrating to others. There are 45 scenario cards with both positive and negative scenarios to help students learn what to do or say, and not just what not to do or say.
Appropriate vs. Inappropriate BEHAVIORS Card Game for Counseling Sessions
Work on Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behaviors in your Counseling sessions with this easy to play, low-prep card game. Just print and cut out the cards and start the game. Great for facilitating discussions in counseling about which behaviors are appropriate in school and which are not. Can help with a variety of students who struggle with social skills, emotional regulation, and behavior. Good for both individual and small group counseling.
To Play: Shuffle all Situation and Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behavior Cards and place the Stressful Situation Cards face down in the middle of the table.
Then deal out all of the Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behavior Response Cards face down in front of all players. For each round, flip one situation card and read it to the students. The students will then flip over the card on the top of the pile and read it (or the counselor can read it) aloud. Have the student share if the behavior is “Appropriate” or “Inappropriate”.
The MANNERS GAME!!! for TEACHING MANNERS in Counseling Students Grades K-8
Work with your counseling students on learning manners in school. This game is supper easy to play and comes with a short lesson comparing good vs. bad manners to use before starting the game. Best for grades K-6. Just print out the game board and cards to play. Laminate the board and attach together for multiple uses.
Click HERE to see a video on exactly how to play the game!
Expected vs. Unexpected Behaviors BOARDGAME; Small Group Counseling
Have fun while teaching students in small group counseling about Expected vs. Unexpected Behaviors. Perfect for kids with poor emotional regulation, difficulty managing emotions, and poor self-regulation. Works on helping kids think about their own behavioral challenges and teaches them the language of “Expected vs. Unexpected Behaviors” to help them better label their own behaviors and make better choices when experiencing elevated emotions.
To Play: Have students roll one die at a time. Youngest player starts first and goes clockwise for all other players.
Looking to save $$, check out these Social Skills BUNDLES! Just click on the pic!
