Are you on the lookout for engaging and fun ways to foster social-emotional learning (SEL) skills in your students? Well, you're in the right place! Whether you're a seasoned teacher or a fresh-faced educator, I've included a treasure trove of games that will transform your classroom into a hub of self-awareness, self-management, relationship building, social awareness, and responsible decision-making. These games are not only a breeze to implement, but are sure to have your students begging for more. These activities aren't just about learning; they're about making SEL skills an integral part of your classroom culture. So, let the games begin! Self-Awareness: Game 1: Empathy Chairs This game is similar to musical chairs, but it has a social-emotional learning twist. Start the music as students rotate around a circle of chairs with emotion cards on the seats. When the music stops, they'll need to grab a seat. Based on the card at their seats, students will share experiences that they have had related to that emotion. For ready-made cards and detailed directions, click here. Game 2: Feelings Charades Get ready to break the ice with a classic game of charades, but with a twist! Instead of acting out movie titles or animals, students will express various emotions using only their facial expressions and body language. This not only hones their emotional awareness but also creates a safe space for open communication about feelings. Game 3: Emotion Journaling Equip your students with journals and encourage them to express their daily emotions through words, drawings, or a combination of both. This simple yet effective exercise fosters self-awareness by helping students identify and reflect on their emotions. Bonus: It's a fantastic tool for tracking emotional trends over time. Find my favorite journal prompts for building self-awareness here. Self-Management: Game 4: Mindful Minute Challenge Kick off each class or session with a mindful minute challenge. Set a timer for 60 seconds and guide students through a brief mindfulness exercise, such as deep breathing or visualization. This routine cultivates self-management skills by teaching students to center themselves, promoting focus and emotional regulation. You can also practice mindfulness with these FREE finger labyrinths. Game 5: Goal-Setting Bingo Turn goal-setting into a game! Create bingo cards with various self-management goals (e.g., completing homework on time, staying organized, managing time effectively). As students achieve each goal, they mark it off their bingo card. The first to get a bingo enjoys a small reward. It's a playful way to instill discipline and responsibility. Or turn goal-setting into a group bulletin board. Grab the FREE goal-setting materials here. Game 6: Popcorn Game Play a game called "Popcorn." Have students get into a circle. Explain that the goal is for them to each take a turn popping into the air and clapping at the same time. The only catch is that they must go in a random order. If they "pop" up at the same time as a classmate, they should all start again. This is great way to promote impulse control. Grab detailed directions to play this game and four others here. Relationship Skills: Game 7: Collaborative Storytelling Fuel creativity and teamwork by having students work together to create a story. Each student contributes a sentence, building on the narrative created by their peers. This not only strengthens relationships but also enhances communication and cooperation skills. Plus, it's a blast to see where the story takes unexpected twists and turns! (These reading passages based on SEL learning skills are fun, too!) Game 8: Group Challenges Help students develop their relationship skills as they complete a series of fun challenges as a team. Have teams of students work together to solve 5 different challenges that focus on teamwork, collaboration, and leveraging individual strengths to emphasize the power of working together. Make planning these challenges easy with these ready-made stations. Game 9: Peer Appreciation Circle Form a circle and have students take turns expressing appreciation for the person on their right. This simple yet powerful exercise builds positive relationships within the class and reinforces the importance of acknowledging each other's strengths and contributions. Social Awareness: Game 10: Perspective Puzzles Print or draw pictures of various situations and scenarios. Have students work in pairs to discuss and understand the emotions and perspectives of the people in the pictures. This game sharpens social awareness by encouraging students to consider different viewpoints and practice empathy. I've created a set of cards for this game here. Game 11: Community Connections Scavenger Hunt Create a list of community-related items or tasks that students can complete outside of the classroom, fostering a sense of connection to the broader community. This activity enhances social awareness by encouraging students to explore and appreciate the world beyond their immediate surroundings. Responsible Decision-Making: Game 12: Decision Dilemmas Present students with real-life scenarios that require responsible decision-making. Engage them in thoughtful discussions about the potential outcomes of each choice. This game equips students with the skills to analyze situations, consider consequences, and make informed decisions—a crucial aspect of responsible decision-making. Need some scenario cards to share with students? Grab them here. Game 13: Consequence Connect Four Create a Connect Four game board with spaces featuring different consequences of actions. As students play, discuss the potential outcomes associated with each move. This visually engaging activity reinforces the concept that every decision has consequences and helps students develop a sense of responsibility. Game 14: Decision Making Prompts Get students thinking about how they might respond to situations with targeted writing prompts. Share prompts that challenges students to make a decision. Then, give them opportunity to write how they might respond. Let students share their responses with peers or small groups. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- And there you have it, a bunch of games designed to infuse your classroom with social-emotional learning! These activities are not just about learning; they're about creating an environment where students flourish emotionally, socially, and academically. So, why wait? Dive into the world of SEL games and watch your students grow into self-aware, emotionally intelligent, and socially adept individuals. Your classroom is about to become the epicenter of SEL success—game on! Wishing you lots of fun in your classroom, Mary Beth P.S. Find 15 MORE social-emotional learning activities HERE.
Friendship-building activities help children in K-3 develop strong social skills. When relationships are an important factor in education, kids succeed in school and life.
Behavior : Good or Bad choices (right or wrong) This worksheet activity for the students in your group as well as students who have a hard time making good choices. (Decision Making right, wrong, good or bad worksheet,activity, social skill kids) Which students behave as good students and which ones aren’t? The students can color the smiley face for Yes or the sad face for No. Enjoy and If you like the this worksheet Please follow my store Thank you so much. (Educa Studio by AJP)
It can be rather tricky to teach kids about emotions. You'll find over 30 printables, activities, and books all about emotions for kids here. These hands-on learning activities will help your child learn about her emotions while playing.
Trying to teach flexible thinking? Check out these engaging flexible thinking exercises that are sure to get your students on the right track.
The DBT skill TIPP is an effective short-term strategy to help kids and teens learn how to quickly regulate their emotions and behavior. The purpose of distress tolerance skills is to assist clients in coping with emotional distress temporarily, and replace dysfunctional behaviors that could harm them. When practiced regularly, these skills improve over time and can be particularly helpful during highly stressful situations. The DBT TIPP Skills Worksheet asks clients to identify at least one TIPP skill to practice for the week in preparation for a crisis and reflect on their emotional triggers afterward. Furthermore, it asks them to write down the actual skills they used and rate the intensity of their emotions. This worksheet helps kids and teens to be mindful of their emotions over the week and helps them focus on a task or a situation without being overwhelmed. Caring adults can use this tool to help kids and teens focus on identifying and labeling emotions and help them clarify what they are feeling. It pairs nicely with our DBT TIPP Skills handout. *This item is an instant digital download. A link to download your files will be emailed to you once payment is confirmed. Want more resources like this? Check out our full catalog of DBT worksheets and handouts. References: Linehan, M. M. (2014). DBT skills training handouts and worksheets. Guilford Publications. Weinberg, E. (2021). Good Psychiatric Management and Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Integration and Stepped Care. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 74(1), 46–47. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200059
Let your students explore emotional body language with these fun and easy to use Emotions Poster Activity Sheets. Students will use their observation skills to determine the type of emotion on each activity sheet as well as the body language clues they are displaying that helped them come to that conclusion. They make a great classroom display afterwards as well!
Teaching growth mindset can be done with read-alouds! Rosie's Glasses is a great book for this. Get ideas for using this book to teach being positive.
Worksheets are an effective and practical tool for individuals seeking to enhance their understanding of certain subjects or entities. Specifically designed to guide and stimulate personal discovery, worksheets offer a structured approach to organizing thoughts and exploring specific topics. If you are interested in exploring deep-rooted beliefs, emotions, and behaviors, worksheets can provide a valuable avenue to delve into the principles of Rational Emotive Therapy (RET).
Cold Mother Syndrome is where one's maternal figure is emotionally absent. Emotionally cold mothers put a psychological distance between themselves and their children. Cold mothers may not appear happy, fulfilled, or excited by their children's growth and accomplishments. This coldness leaves a lasting effect on children with respect to psychological and emotional well-being later in
feature art Emotion Sensation Wheel: A new kind of feeling wheel. A therapist-designed resource designed to help make connections between our brains and bodies. Unlike a traditional feelings wheel (first published in 1982 by Gloria
Social Skills Uno is a dynamic and interactive card game designed to foster emotional intelligence, enhance communication, and strengthen interpersonal relationships among players. Each card in this unique version of Uno is not only colorful and engaging but also serves as a prompt for players to explore and express their emotions, share personal experiences, and deepen their understanding of one another.Key Benefits:1. Emotion Recognition: Each card in Social Skills Uno features prompts that en
I am so excited to share this new product with you all. Recently, I’ve really gotten into making social-emotional games like my Social Skills Land and Social Superstar Games. My students love playing them all and I’ve found that they’ve been so much more effective than more “traditional” social-emotional lessons because the kids feel engaged ...
Teach kids self-regulation in the classroom and beyond with this collection of super fun Zones of Regulation activities, games, worksheets, and lesson plans!
When a person feels that they are being blamed—whether rightly or wrongly—it’s common that they respond with defensiveness. “I” statements are...
The Pathway 2 Success SEL Curriculum is a complete social emotional learning curriculum to teach critical SEL skills for the entire year. It is filled with over 180 lessons and activities targeting social awareness, confidence, SMART goals, social skills, study skills, managing emotions, understandi
This circle of control activity teaches students the difference between what is inside their control and what is outside of their control.
Learning how to process emotions might be the most important skill one can learn. Every single day emotions get activated within us. Sometimes those emotions are triggered for obvious reasons and sometimes the reasons those emotions come up can be a bit more mysterious. Either way, digging in and processing difficult emotions and feelings increases…
Time management skills are essentially life skills. Kids and young adults need this skills now and in the future. All educators and parents want our learners to be able to work independently, use time well, and complete tasks on time. In order to meet these expectations, students need to learn, unde
Learn how to teach children self-control the right way with this collection of fun yet powerful self-regulation strategies and activities for kids!
Hand of Mental Health encourages us to reflect and discuss our everyday choices and their impact on our mental health. How does sleep and rest, food, relationships and emotions affect our mental…
A guide to Social-Emotional Learning resources: books, tools, and materials to help the elementary classroom teacher support students.
Building resilience in kids helps them to navigate through the difficulties. These resilience strategies will help them to cope with challenges & loss.
by Scott Goldsmith Comprehensive, user friendly, and just plain fun, this book brings experiential activities to the service of enhancing emotional intelligence. Designed for counseling professionals working with children and young adults, the book s activities unite the joy of adventure-based games with training in emotional awareness, behavioral control, and relationship skills crucial building blocks for personal success. The contents include: an introduction to the program and its foundation in experiential counseling, adventure-based group work, and theories of emotional intelligence; over 150 experiential activities, all time-tested and specifically designed to enhance skills in emotional intelligence; a user-friendly format that lets readers quickly match games to participants, identify objectives, and find step-by-step guidance; multiple options for adapting activities and sequences to special-group needs; a wealth of facilitator supports, including activity tools, worksheets; strategies for engaging participants and debriefing activities; and three sample curricula for running anger-management, depression-support, or leadership training groups. Facilitators will find the activity sequences suitable for emotionally and behaviorally challenged youth as well as any participants seeking enhanced learning and personal growth. Filled with tried-and-true favorites and new approaches, the book offers everything from icebreakers and name games to low- and high-level initiatives and trust activities. Facilitators and participants are sure to find something that connects and promotes fun!
Download FREE printable Zones of Regulation (inspired) worksheets. And learn how to use them in a neurodiversity-inclusive way.
Moore Wellness.Life lists 5 steps to help you heal from difficult emotions. Ever have trouble with difficult emotions overwhelming you? Read more ...
Get the free handbook from Nellie Edge. Celebrate Social Emotional Learning and language with proven practices that spark joy all year long! Learn how to cultivate a culture of friends! Create a collaborative classroom. Teach students to work hard, be kind, and develop an “I can do it!” growth mindset.
I have plans to do a few sets of printable packs based on social concepts. I've already done two on feelings and emotions, but I wanted to get into other realms as well. So, to
Teachers can use these 15 kindness books and videos for the classroom to build kindness in the classroom: random acts of kindness, generosity, and bucket filling.
Yoga is a practice in self-discovery. Simple poses paired with intentional breathing will help your child develop physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Kids with ADHD and other neurological differences face challenges with emotional regulation skills. Learn basic strategies that you can implement today.
Are you looking for simple ways to improve feelings of overwhelm and are seeking ideas on how to promote feelings of calm but unsure where to start? This mini eBook on Calming Ideas for Adults, Children and young people with ADHD, ASD and associated anxiety was designed in bite-sized chunks to make it feel less overwhelming for anyone wanting to make small steps to improve how they feel, find calm in the moment, and improve their overall well-being. Now comes with 24 free calming ideas visual prompt cards. This ADHD eBook and free visuals are for individual use and entitle the purchaser to a single-user license. Please purchase the 'multiple-use license' if you wish to use it with more than one individual. This printable ADHD eBook and visuals can be used in the following ways: 👍 client handout to one individual 👍 resources for 1 classroom setting 👍 individual support work 👍 counselling resource 👍 PowerPoint of Zoom presentations 👍 personal use 💥And if you purchase 3 products, enjoy 30% off your total order 😊 Just use the code below when checking out 🛒 30FOR3ITEMS For more products on ADHD, click the link below https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/Gutidentity?section_id=29568264 Details: This digital product is a digital download* (not a physical product). Every download is in the following format: PDF - x 2 - 4 page eBook (British and American English Spelling) PDF - x 1 - 6 pages of printable cards *Available "automatically" after purchasing at http://www.etsy.com/your/purchases. If you check out "as a guest", your download links will be sent to your e-mail address - check your junk/spam/promotions folder for the automated email from Etsy. Terms of Use: X Not for commercial use – individual, personal use only X Not be resold – you cannot sell this package or use the written content to produce other content
Utilize your existing Uno deck and compliment the game with these super easy to use printable that explore emotions and coping skills. Two game versions allow game play with a variety of clients with different support needs. Simply print and go PDFs. Perfect for behavior consultant, therapists, dire...
Sharing activity inspired by Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems! Perfect for homeschool, classrooms, or family fun. Includes a free printable!
