Developing Social Skills In Preschool Kids: Tips & Activities

Introduction

The preschool period is the most crucial time for teaching kids essential social skills and values. It ensures the kind of individuals they grow up to be and how they treat the people around them. 

The lessons during this age play a massive role in developing their social behaviour. Otherwise, they can become socially isolated or bullies. 

Since this is so important, here are 7 tips and activities for developing social skills in preschool kids. These tips discuss the importance of kindness, empathy, and healthy habits which are important social skills for preschoolers.

7 Tips & Activities For Developing Social Skills In Preschool Kids

1: Expressing Affection

Developing social skills in preschool kids is extremely important because it helps them build character and personality. Parents play a significant role in ensuring they are equipped with the best social skills. 

You can do so by showering them with affection whenever necessary so that they are comfortable with expressing their love for people. It can be a simple hug before leaving for work or a good night’s kiss, but it should be regular. 

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2: Dealing With Emotions

When kids are taught that crying is indicative of something bad, it leads them to deal with their emotions in an unhealthy way. They may prefer to suppress their feelings instead of conveying them calmly. This may cause more emotional outbursts. 

Instead, parents should prioritise teaching social skills to young children by helping them deal with their emotions in a healthy way. This includes helping them understand that it is okay to feel and express every emotion but in a way that does not harm them or others. 

3: Pretend Playing

Developing social skills in preschool kids is not very difficult because they like to engage in pretend play which offers ample opportunities for different lessons. Playing pretend and assuming different roles allows toddlers to explore the world and understand different cultural backgrounds. 

At the same time, playing with other children teaches them to cooperate, listen, communicate, and play together. Learning these social skills for preschoolers evolves into the complex values of being a team player and accommodating everyone.

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4: Healthy Punishing

The goal is not to make your child fear you, instead, it is to make them understand that some of their actions have consequences. 

This can be done by explaining to them some of the rules that they need to follow. If they make a mistake, they should be made aware of why their actions or words are not right. It must be emphasised to them that they are being punished for certain behaviour and not because of how they are as a person. 

Moreover, explaining to them and punishing them must be done extremely calmly. It ensures that they don’t feel scared but simply understand that their mistakes have consequences. 

In the long run, this will ensure that they stand up for themselves in unfavourable situations and even reach out to their parents in case of any issue.

5: Sharing Is Caring

Teaching social skills to young children is fairly easy when parents practice what they preach. Since kids tend to model the behaviour of their parents, parents must set an example for the children to follow. 

This includes paying attention, actively listening, sharing, expressing emotions, and showing kindness. This gradually helps the kids learn the importance of sharing and practising the value of empathy.

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6: Offering Compliments & Support

When you’re developing social skills in preschool kids, it is important to ensure they get ample compliments and support. This includes applauding for all their achievements however big or small they may be. 

At the same time, it is important to acknowledge their failures and not offer hollow words of encouragement. Instead, they must be offered support and a safe space to express their feelings. This helps them build confidence and self-esteem which promotes positive social interactions.

7: Using Magic Words

Finally, they must be taught to use the magic words of ‘thank you’, ‘please’, and ‘sorry’. It can only be reinforced if parents follow the practice of using them as well whenever necessary. 

Any time your kid is of some assistance, make sure you thank them for their help. Parents can also mess up sometimes. In such cases, they need to apologise to their kids as well. 

Lastly, if you need your child to say or do something, try respecting their boundaries and requesting them. It helps in the process of developing social skills in preschool kids so that they can understand the importance of good behaviour and practice the same.

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Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that developing social skills in preschool kids is of utmost importance because it helps them build a kind yet powerful personality. 

This is why parents must constantly encourage their children for their achievements, shower them with affection, provide support during their difficult times, and emphasise the importance of expressing their emotions. 

Parents must be extremely calm with their children while dealing with their misbehaviours. At the same time, they must respect their boundaries and model a behaviour for the kids to follow.

JBM Smart Start, one of the top schools for kids in noida, ensures that every student is offered equal care, attention, and support. The extremely supportive environment encourages the students to express themselves, recognise their true potential, and work on expanding their skills. The teachers are committed to preparing all the students for higher education so that they can achieve their dreams.