The importance of developing social skills during early childhood simply cannot be underestimated. But what are social skills? Social skills for children include an array of skills which will enable them to form positive relationships, improve their interpersonal skills, develop virtues like patience and resilience, and even learn how to share and play together in a group setting. Additionally, scientific evidence confirms that individuals with well-rounded social skills also experience enhanced mental capacity and cognitive prowess as well as holistic mental well-being. We, at Tickle Right, have curated a list of 5 simple and low-prep social skills games that your child will surely adore: 1. EMOTION CHARADES Emotion charades is one of the best social skills games. It involves writing different emotions on strips of paper. Your child picks one out of a hat or bucket. Then, they must try to act out that emotion. Emotion charades can help children learn to recognize emotions using facial and body cues. By depicting and acting out emotional expressions and reactions in social skills activities, children learn emotion management, which plays an important role in creating positive relationships and communicating feelings. 2. SIMON SAYS One of the other games to enhance social skills is children’s favorite Simon Says. This fun interactive games builds skills like self-control, listening, and impulse control as they copy their peers’ movements and follow instructions. Additionally, Simon Says helps keep the attention on the game and rewards good behavior for those who follow the rules throughout the game.   3. STARING CONTEST When it comes to social skill activities for toddlers, a staring contest is a total winner! Many children have trouble maintaining eye contact in conversation. A staring contest can help kids keep eye contact in a way that allows them to focus on that task, rather than trying to communicate simultaneously. If your child still feels uncomfortable, you can start smaller. Place a sticker on your forehead for them to look at and then build toward having a conversation. 4. TOPIC GAME You can play several variations of the topic game, but the most common one involves choosing a topic and naming things that fit into that category using each letter of the alphabet. For example, if you choose animals as the topic, you might come up with: • A: Aardvark • B: Baboon • C: Chicken. Games like the topic game teach kids to stick to one subject and follow directions until they complete the activity. It also helps them make connections and get creative with letters that have fewer options. 5. PLAY PRETEND Kids will typically create a scenario in which they pretend to be someone or something else. For example, they might play house and take on the roles of parents, become a doctor, veterinarian, teacher, or cashier. Each of these situations serve as wonderful social skills activities for toddlers because it encourages exploration and empathizing. For e.g. – As they pretend to parent another child, they must learn to recognize and respond to emotions, de-escalate situations, and adapt to new situations. Such social skills activities for toddlers are an innovative and exciting way to enhance social skills for children through a super fun play-based approach.   ALL WORK WILL MAKE JACK DULL BOY We hope you and your little one have a wonderful time while trying out these social skills games. Happy learning!