Try these exciting games to help your children develop important social skills.
Games provide many benefits for kids, as group activities promote social skills, challenge the kids' physical endurance and stimulate their minds. While toddlers would often rather play with a caregiver than other children, preschoolers enjoy games with other kids that have simple rules they can follow.
Duck, Duck, Goose
Duck, Duck, Goose is a simple, classic game that many children enjoy. Instruct the kids to sit in a circle and explain to them that each one is a "duck" except for one child who is chosen to be the "goose." The "goose" must walk around the circle of children and tap each child's head while calling him a "duck." The "goose" chooses one child and calls him a "goose," who then, in turn gets up and chases the original "goose" around the circle. The object of the game is to have the second "goose" tap the first "goose" before he sits down in the open spot in the circle where the second "goose" got up. If he doesn't tag the first "goose" in time, then he becomes the new "goose" and the game resumes. If he does tag the first "goose," then the original "goose" sits in the center of the circle. The game is over when all of the children are in the middle of the circle. The last kid left is the winner.
Musical Chairs
Arrange a group of chairs back-to-back in a line, placing them so they face outward, not toward each other. Make sure you have one less chair than the number of kids that will be playing. You can control the music or assign the task to a child. Instruct the kids to walk in a circle around the chairs while they hear the music play. Once the music ends, the children must scramble to try to get a chair before everyone else. Because you have one less chair, one kid will not have a place to sit and she will be out. The children must then stand up so you can remove another chair. The game continues until one chair and two children are left. The last one standing is the winner.
Parachute Tag
Parachute Tag helps kids to develop their gross motor skills and also teaches them to act as a team. You can purchase a parachute at a local toy or sporting goods store. Have your children stand up in a circle while holding onto the parachute. Instruct them to raise it up at the same time to create a large dome. You then shout a name of one of the children and that child must run beneath the parachute across to the other side before the children can lower the parachute on top of him and tag him.
Animal Tails
Animal Tails is a game that is best played outside, in a large gym, or any area where there is plenty of room for running. You must also have ribbons or scarves, or other objects you can use as tails. To play this game, help each child tuck a "tail" into the back of her pants. The children can pretend they are different animals and play tag by running around trying to grab each others' tails. As the kids gather a collection of tails, they can place them in their own designated pile. Children can't hold onto their own tails to prevent others from grabbing it. The last kid left with a tail is the winner.
Tags: first goose, Animal Tails, around circle, children must, Duck Duck, Duck Duck Goose