The holiday season is full of events that allow us to see our family and friends and participate in activities within our community. That makes the holiday season a great time for children to practice some of their social skills. Below are some fun and engaging ways to help your child practice these social skills during some of your favorite holiday traditions.
Holiday Role-Play
The best way to practice a social routine is to role-play it together. Create different scenarios that you can practice with your child. These situations can include gift-giving, holiday greetings, or different family gatherings. Kids can practice saying “thank you” or initiating conversations with people they may not see very often. Switch up the routine so the child can prepare for different scenarios. This helps take the guesswork out of what is expected of them during these unfamiliar situations.
Sharing and Turn-Taking
Play some holiday games and make some fun crafts with your kiddo. This is a great way to practice turn-taking and sharing while participating in some holiday fun. Encourage your child to share, be patient, and take turns during these activities. This is something that can involve the whole family!
Practice Manners for Holiday Meals
A lot of the holiday season is centered around meals shared with loved ones. Take some time before these special meals to allow your child to practice their good manners. This can include encouraging them to say “please” and “thank you”, as well as coming up with some ideas for conversation starters that are appropriate for the dinner table. You can do this at actual meal times or set up a pretend meal!
Holiday Charades
Grab the whole family for a fun game of holiday charades! Have your child act out different holiday-related scenarios (e.g. receiving a gift, baking cookies, decorating a tree, etc.). Not only is this fun for a game night, but it helps build some non-verbal communication skills.
Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center Supports Social Skills
The holidays are full of so many new and exciting things that it can become overwhelming for some children. Give them the tools they need to be successful in these new holiday scenarios by practice and preparation. Practice gives the child more of an idea of what to expect and how to react rather than being flustered in the moment. If you feel like your child could benefit from additional social skill support, contact our office!
info@enrichmenttherapies.com
740 Community Drive, Unit A
North Liberty, IA 52317
319-626-2553
infodm@enrichmenttherapies.com
5530 West Pkwy, Suite 300
Johnston, IA 50131
515-419-4270
0 Comments