Home >> Games & Cards >> Kids Games

Social Skill Games for a 6 Year Old

The acquisition of social skills has progressed by the time a child has reached 6 years of age. By this point he should show sensitivity to others, have concern and sympathy when they are sad or hurt and play board games and imaginary games with other children in a cooperative manner. To encourage these socialization skills the parent needs to provide the child with opportunities to socialize with others his own age. For example, play groups, going to the park or having neighborhood children over to his home are good socialization activities.

Make Believe
- Participating in imaginary games like house, store, superheroes, cowboys or pirates helps in the development of social skills. Deciding on the game and setting up rules or boundaries for the game requires a collaborative effort and communication. Sensitivity to what the other participant wants helps her learn the give and take that makes up a part of every relationship. Encourage imaginary play by having a collection of "dress-up" clothes available to fuel her imagination.
Playing with Others
- Playing with other children provides the basic training for social skills. A game for children of this age occurs any time they play with others. Tag, building blocks, dolls, little green army men, plastic connecting bricks or tea parties become games when played in a group.
Board and Card Games
- Social skills practiced while playing games include taking turns, waiting patiently, good sportsmanship and sometimes, conflict resolution. Keep the games age appropriate. For example, 6 year olds should play games such as snakes and ladders, crazy eights and highest card gets it or go fish. To find the age recommendation for board games, look on the box. If your child has to concentrate too much because of the difficulty level of the game, it takes away from interaction time.
Outside Games
- Enrolling your child in a sports activity -- for instance T-ball, soccer, hockey or youth football -- helps with social skills, as well as physical fitness and motor skills. Learning to play as a part of a team gives him valuable lessons in cooperation, participation, communication and support, good sportsmanship, paying attention to others and not getting overly upset at others. In addition to organized sports, any outside activity that includes several children promotes the same behaviors, such as kick ball, croquet, dodge ball, volleyball or hide and seek.

Kids Games