Struggling to boost your child’s social skills in a fun way? Board games are an often overlooked educational tool for social development.
In today’s digital world, children’s social skills may suffer due to increased screen time and less face-to-face interaction. This lack of social skills can lead to difficulties in teamwork, building relationships, and may cause feelings of isolation.
However, board games offer a simple and enjoyable way to teach cooperation, empathy, and problem-solving. Having worked with psychologists and mental health professionals, I’ve seen the positive effects of board games on children’s social-emotional learning first-hand.
Any parent can use board games to provide their child with valuable social practice and create lasting memories. So, it’s time to bring out those board games and make game night a lesson in social skills development momma!
Quick Picks
I know you are busy, momma, so I’m sharing 17 handpicked board games, each thoughtfully selected (by me!) for its ability to enhance key social skills in children – so that you can quit the research and get to playing.
Here are my top picks!
- Sorry
- Don’t Wake Daddy
- Hungry Hungry Hippos
- Candy Land
- Uno
Of course, I’ve got a lot more games for you, but these should get you started! If you are looking for my favorite for older kids – it’s Monopoly and Risk. 😁
{The links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you buy a game from this list. For more details, see my disclosure policy.}
What Social Skills Should My Child Learn?
Here is a basic list of social skills that your preschooler should be working on. These social skills will help him fit in at school and thrive later in life.
1. Identifying & Expressing Emotions
As a toddler, your child might struggle to communicate needs and emotions. At this stage, understanding and expressing feelings is a challenge.
However, as a preschooler, your child should start to identify and appropriately express his feelings, even if not perfectly. This includes controlling impulses and behaving appropriately in situations like classroom settings.
It’s important for making friends, getting along with teachers, and respecting authority. Developing the ability to manage emotions is key to your child’s success.
2. Accepting No & Following The Rules
Toddlers are realizing they’re their own person, not just an extension of mom, leading to a lot of “NOs!” But as they grow, following rules becomes essential.
While independence is great, it doesn’t always work well in classrooms or workplaces. Your child needs to learn when to adapt and follow rules to succeed in life, keep a job, and thrive in school.
Encouraging independence while teaching the importance of rule-following is key. It’s a delicate balance, but necessary for getting along with authority, meeting needs, and making friends.
3. Communication & Listening Skills
Kids cry often, when sad, mad, scared, frustrated, or over-stimulated. This happens because they lack the words to express their feelings or can’t articulate them quickly enough, leading to tears.
However, as they begin preschool, their communication skills improve. They should start crying less and expressing their needs more clearly.
Good communication and listening skills are crucial for developing strong relationships, getting along with peers, and effectively meeting their needs throughout life.
4. Sharing & Collaboration
Have you heard of the Toddler’s Creed? It highlights how toddlers struggle with sharing, which is normal.
Yet, as they start preschool, it’s crucial they understand not everything belongs to them. They need to learn to share not just toys, but ideas and stories too.
Working together teaches kids to respect different opinions and resolve conflicts. It’s essential for your child to master sharing and cooperation to appreciate others, get along with peers and coworkers, and meet their needs.
5. Patience
In a world obsessed with instant gratification, patience is a true virtue!
Your child must learn to wait patiently in line, to speak, and to take turns. Patience is crucial throughout school and life.
It’s also key to perseverance when working towards goals, which aren’t achieved overnight.
Patience is essential for success.
6. Manners & Respect
Good manners and respect appear to be fading away. Many teachers observe that kids today often lack respect.
However, if your child can show respect when needed, they’re more likely to meet their needs, build strong relationships, and get along with others.
Good manners will make them more enjoyable to be around, as nobody likes a poor sport.
How Do Games Help Social Development?
Games teach social-emotional skills, which are the skills we need to connect with other people.
Social-emotional learning helps children to manage their emotions and build healthy relationships by being more aware of their feelings, actions, and how they affect other people.
But games also help your child develop a few other skills, such as flexible thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to focus on a task. These are also skills that will help your child during social interactions.
Children need time to practice their skills, whether it’s math, sports, or the piano. Games give kids practice in social skills!
Usually, the only time kids practice social skills is when they are in a social situation. And unless your child has siblings close in age, this usually only happens on playdates, at daycare, or in school.
But games set up a “mock” situation in which your child will experience a wide variety of emotions. Kids practice social skills by playing games together, but playing together also gives you the opportunity to teach while playing.
Practicing social skills at home will set your child up for a lifetime of success.
What Social Skills Do Board Games Teach?
Games teach so many life skills! But these social skills will set your child up for a lifetime of success:
- Following the rules
- Patience and how to sit still
- Taking turns and sharing
- How to handle big emotions, such as anger, frustration, and disappointment
- Honesty
- Life isn’t fair
- How to be a good sport
- Working together and cooperation
- Communication and listening
- How to build relationships and make friends
- Empathy
Playing games helps kids develop all of these skills in a safe, loving environment.
Games That Teach Social Skills
You don’t need fancy social skills games to teach these skills. As a social worker, I had loads of books and games for this, but honestly, they’re not necessary, hard to find, and expensive.
Plus, kids often aren’t thrilled with games like Friendship Bingo. 🤣😂
Instead, good old-fashioned board games are all you need. The games from your childhood are perfect.
Here’s my list of top games for teaching social skills.
Note, prices may vary. The price mentioned is as of this update.
1. Sorry
Appropriate for 6+
Although Sorry is meant for ages six and up, my kids started playing it even younger. It didn’t quite go as planned, as seen in the video. 🤣🤣
The aim is to get all your Sorry pieces home first. You do this by drawing cards and moving the number shown.
Some cards give special instructions, like “Sorry!”, allowing you to send an opponent’s piece back to start.
This game really brings out intense emotions in kids, teaching them to manage anger, frustration, disappointment, and success. It also builds empathy, as they feel sorry for setting someone back.
Cost: $11.99
2. Monopoly
Appropriate for 8+
My kids have been playing Monopoly since they were five. 😂🤣 It is a family favorite.
The goal of Monopoly is to own a monopoly on all the property and force your opponents into bankruptcy. You do this by acquiring property, charging rent, and building hotels.
This is a more advanced game, that teaches strategy, problem-solving, creative thinking, paying attention, perseverance, patience, and of course, how to properly handle emotions. It is also great for math concepts.
Cost: $29.89
3. Apples to Apples, Junior
Appropriate for 9+
Though labeled for ages nine and up, my kids started playing at six. Apples to Apples is a comparison game aimed at collecting green apple cards.
Players lay down a card hoping the “judge” picks it over others.
Each player has red apple cards, each with a picture and description. Players select a red apple card they believe matches the green apple card closely.
The judge picks the red apple card they feel best matches their green one.
The game enhances social skills like critical thinking, strategy, and perspective-taking, as players try to see their cards from the judge’s viewpoint.
Cost: $33.95
4. Operation
Appropriate for 6+
My boys started playing Operation around eight years old. 😂🤣 They could not handle the anticipation before then; this social skills game was scary to them.
In Operation, the goal is to collect as many pieces from the body as you can, by performing surgery. You have to be careful though!
Surgery requires a very steady hand. If you bump the side of the surgical cavity, a buzzer goes off and your turn is over!
Operation teaches how to handle anticipation, patience, tolerance, strategy, and focus.
Cost: $19.99
5. Don’t Wake Daddy
Appropriate for 3+
This fun game is a great introductory game for your preschooler. No reading is required!
The goal is to get to the fridge for a midnight snack before the other players do, without waking up daddy. You do this by drawing cards and moving your piece to the next color, shown on the card.
But be careful! Some cards have pictures on them, and if you don’t hold that matching card, you have to press the alarm!
If it beeps, daddy wakes up and springs out of bed!! (And you have to go back to bed…)
This game teaches your preschooler how to handle frustration, anticipation, and disappointment. It also teaches how to take turns, follow the rules, and sit still. 😆
Cost: $59.99
6. Hungry Hungry Hippos
Appropriate for 4+
This game is pretty easy to grasp; my kids were playing at two and three.
The goal is to collect the most marbles by quickly eating them with your hippo.
It’s great for teaching competitiveness, how to handle frustration and disappointment, and that sometimes, if you want something, you just have to fight for it. 😂🤣
Cost: $21.99
7. Candy Land
Appropriate for 4+
This is a great introductory game, as it requires no reading. Your child will practice matching colors instead.
My kids were able to play this at two, so give it a shot!
The goal is to get to the Candy Castle before the other players do. You do this by drawing a card and moving your character to the next available color space, matching your card.
Be careful though!
Some cards have pictures of candy on them, which means you have to move your character to that matching candy space. This may mean moving way ahead….or way behind.
It’s great for teaching kids the basics of games, such as sitting still, taking turns, and following directions. It’s also good for teaching how to deal with disappointment and for introducing your child to being a good sport.
Cost: $12.99
8. Chutes and Ladders
Appropriate for 4+
You can probably start playing this game with your kids at three. I don’t remember how old my boys were; it wasn’t one we played often.
But it’s a great introductory game! The goal is to be the first to get to the 100th square by drawing cards and moving forward that number of spaces.
If you land on a ladder, you get to climb up. If you land on a slide, you have to slide down.
It teaches the basics of game playing, such as taking turns, patience, and dealing with disappointment.
Cost: $14.99
9. Trouble
Appropriate for 5+
Trouble is like Sorry, but it is easier to play. No reading is necessary.
The goal is to get all your pieces home before the other players do.
To do this, you “pop” the dice and move your piece the number on the die. If you land on another player, you get to send them back to start.
This game is great for teaching patience because you can’t start unless you pop a 1 or 6. It also teaches how to take turns, sit still, and how to handle disappointment and frustration.
Cost: $11.99
10. Uno
Appropriate for 7+
Uno isn’t a board game, but it’s such an amazing game for social skills, that I had to add it in here anyways!
My kids have been playing Uno since they were four or so, I think.
The goal is to be the first one to go “out” and get rid of all your cards. You do this by matching your card to the discard, either by color, number, or type.
This game teaches how to follow the rules, take turns, pay attention, and how to deal with frustration and disappointment.
Cost: $4.97
11. Guess Who
Appropriate for 6+
Awww man. I haven’t played this game with my little guys yet! Only my older boys. I’ll have to pull it out. 🥰 It was one of my favorites, as a kid.
The goal of this game is to guess your opponent’s character, by asking questions and then eliminating characters based on your opponent’s answers.
It’s great for teaching listening and communication skills, problem-solving, critical thinking, and paying attention.
Cost: $16.99
12. Headbanz
Appropriate for 8+
Headbanz is like Guess Who, except, rather than guessing who your opponent’s character is, you must guess what is on your card.
You play by placing a card in the band on your head. You can see other players’ cards, but not your own.
And then you must ask yes or no questions, and try to determine what your card is, based on their answers.
You are racing the clock, so the game is perfect for teaching how to perform under pressure. It also teaches communication and listening skills, problem-solving, and paying attention.
Cost: $17.99
13. Jenga
Appropriate for 6+
My kids played Jenga before six, but it was a bit trickier. They had a hard time following the rule of only using one hand to pull the blocks out.
The goal is to pull a block out and stack it on top of the tower without knocking the tower down. Seems simple enough, but it’s actually pretty tricky!
It’s great for teaching patience, self-control, strategy, and how to handle disappointment, anticipation, anxiety, and frustration.
Cost: $15.97
14. Kids’ Charades
Appropriate for ages 8+
This one was a family favorite when the twins were 8. The goal is to get your teammates to guess what you are acting out before the time runs out.
It teaches teamwork, reading body language, creativity, critical thinking, perspective-taking, and working under pressure.
Cost: $14.99
15. Connect Four
Appropriate for ages 6+
My boys were playing this one around three or four years old; just as soon as they could count.
The goal is to get four of your pieces in a row before your opponent does.
It teaches flexible thinking, problem-solving, strategizing, dealing with frustration, and good sportsmanship.
Cost: $8.63
16. Battleship
Appropriate for 7+
I’d say this one is pretty accurate, as far as age goes. My boys did play it earlier, but Ali had trouble understanding how the coordinates worked, and then there were accusations of cheating… 😅
They play really well now!
The goal is to sink all of your opponent’s ships before he sinks yours. You do this by strategically hiding yours, and then calling out plot coordinates to “find” his.
It teaches attention to detail, communication and listening skills, and strategic thinking.
Cost: $16.84
17. Checkers
Appropriate for ages 6+
I think my boys were playing this one around five or six as well.
The goal is to capture your opponent’s pieces by jumping over them. Whoever loses all his pieces first loses the game.
It teaches patience, paying attention, dealing with frustration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and strategy.
Cost: $9.99
The Unfair Game Rules
And back by popular demand – the rules for The Unfair Game! (AKA The Candy Game).
This game isn’t a board game, but it is excellent for teaching social skills; especially how to deal with disappointment. I used it all of the time as a school social worker.
The kids loved it! And they literally had no idea the deck was stacked against them! LOL.
There is another game similar to this, called Left, Right, Center. It essentially teaches the same thing, minus the candy.
You could play it with candy though, rather than poker chips.
I’d give either one a try! Especially if you are a teacher or a social worker.
They are both blast.
At The End Of The Day…
At the end of the day, momma, you really don’t need fancy social skills games for social-emotional learning. 😂🤣. Pretty much any game will teach social skills.
What matters is that you spend that time together, playing and practicing.
As a toddler or preschooler, the most important skill for your child to learn (in my humble opinion) is how to identify emotions and properly express them. And games are great for teaching that.
Not only that but playing together builds that parent-child bond, which is the key to all things parenting!
And that is what your child needs, to be an amazing, successful adult.
So, go play!
