What these games build

The skills are practical: making eye contact or facing the speaker, asking to join, waiting for a turn, listening and remembering what someone said, and giving a kind word. These are easier to practise in a game with clear rules than in free play.

Adults can mix groups on purpose so children play with classmates they do not usually choose.

Game 1: Find Out and Tell

Players: pairs within a group of 6-30, ages 6-11. Time: 15 minutes. Materials: a short card of three questions per pair (favourite food, a game you like, something you are good at).

Children interview a partner for three minutes, then swap. Back in the circle, each child introduces their partner using one fact they heard. The partner nods or gently corrects.

• Easier (ages 4-5): one question only, and the adult helps each child say the answer.

• Harder (ages 9-11): children must ask one follow-up question of their own and report that answer too.

• Tip: model a short interview with another adult or a confident child first.

Game 2: Can I Play? Role Play

Players: groups of 4-5, ages 5-9. Time: 10-15 minutes. Materials: a simple prop game such as a ball or building blocks.

Three children start playing. A fourth child practises joining: watching for a moment, then saying something like 'That looks fun, can I help build?' The group practises two friendly answers: 'Yes, you can be…' or 'We're nearly finished, you can join the next round.' Rotate until everyone has tried joining and welcoming.

Easier: the adult gives the exact words on a card. Harder: add a twist where the group is mid-game and must find a fair way to fit a new player in.

Building on the games

Notice and name the skills when they happen in free play ('You waited and then asked, and they made room for you'). Keep role plays about invented situations; if a real friendship difficulty comes up, deal with it separately and privately.

A simple plan for a class of six-year-olds: a two-minute warm-up where everyone passes a smile around the circle, ten minutes of Can I Play? in groups of four, and five minutes to share one friendly sentence each child heard. At home, parents can rehearse joining and welcoming with siblings or cousins before a party or a first day at a new club. Short, repeated practice works better than one long session. Children who are shy may prefer to watch a round first, and that is fine; they are still learning from what they see and hear.

Key points

• Clear rules and roles help quieter children join in.

• Practise both asking to join and welcoming someone.

• Mix groups so children meet new playmates.

• Name good social moments when you see them in everyday play.

Ready-made resources

Printable session plans and materials for this topic are available from EduTrend Contents: G4C-130 Feelings & Friends Games.

Photos: MI PHAM, Jelleke Vanooteghem / Unsplash