Social Skills

Create More Kindness By Being Kind

Create More Kindness By Being Kind

We create more kindness by being kind.

-Katie Hurley

In this podcast, I talk about how I got inspired to record this after reading a post on Katie Hurley’s Facebook wall. I also talk about how kindness is related to friendship and social skills, and I give a few ideas to help get you started in doing some kind acts, wherever you are. Take a listen!

Ways to Stay Connected Even When We're Apart

Ways to Stay Connected Even When We're Apart

Staying in touch and talking with others can increase our joy and lessen our sorrow. This time in our lives is challenging, and continuing to give and get support from friends and family is a way to cope with all the stress we feel. In this podcast episode, I discuss some ideas for keeping in touch with one another even when we’re physically apart. There are lots of ways to stay connected even when we can’t share the same space. Take a listen!

Two More Ways to Help Kids Understand the Power of their Words

Two More Ways to Help Kids Understand the Power of their Words

On today’s podcast, I quickly re-visit one of my favorite ways to help kids see the impact their words can have on others. Then I talk about two more ways to help kids & teens understand the impact their words can have on other people. I

Three Fun Group Activities to Practice Working Together

Three Fun Group Activities to Practice Working Together

Sometimes kids need a little practice on working together as a group. In this episode of the podcast, I discuss three different activities you can do to create some teachable moments around working together in groups. Take a listen and get playing!

Creating and Using Teachable Moments to Practice Social Skills

Creating and Using Teachable Moments to Practice Social Skills

I love using group settings with kids to work on social skills because it can be a microcosm of the playground, recess, or other social situations. In the podcast, you’ll hear how I like to structure groups to be effective, and that I love messy groups!

Five Awesome Open-Ended Toys

Five Awesome Open-Ended Toys

Open-ended play is incredible - it cultivates imagination, thinking differently, and encourages creativity. To promote open-ended play, we should offer toys that can be played with in multiple ways.

How Puzzles Help Kids with Executive Functioning and Social Skills

How Puzzles Help Kids with Executive Functioning and Social Skills

Puzzles are one way my family and I love to play. I also use them at times in individual and group therapy. Puzzles are fun, but they also work on skills like organization, patience, perseverance and working together. Take a listen to how doing puzzles can help you playfully practice executive functioning skills and social skills.

Part Five - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

Part Five - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

What is perspective taking? It’s the ability to take another person’s point of view. This is a building block towards empathy. There are lots of different teachable moments that can happen in day to day life where you can talk about different perspectives people have on the same situation. There are also several games and activities you can play with children and teens to help them practice the art of walking in someone else’s shoes.

Part Four - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

Part Four - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

What is perspective taking? It’s the ability to take another person’s point of view. This is a building block towards empathy. There are lots of different teachable moments that can happen in day to day life where you can talk about different perspectives people have on the same situation. There are also several games and activities you can play with children and teens to help them practice the art of walking in someone else’s shoes.

Part Three - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

Part Three - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

What is perspective taking? It’s the ability to take another person’s point of view. This is a building block towards empathy. There are lots of different teachable moments that can happen in day to day life where you can talk about different perspectives people have on the same situation. There are also several games and activities you can play with children and teens to help them practice the art of walking in someone else’s shoes.

Part Two - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

Part Two - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

What is perspective taking? It’s the ability to take another person’s point of view. This is a building block towards empathy. There are lots of different teachable moments that can happen in day to day life where you can talk about different perspectives people have on the same situation. There are also several games and activities you can play with children and teens to help them practice the art of walking in someone else’s shoes.

Part One - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

Part One - Games & Activities to Work on Perspective Taking

What is perspective taking? It’s the ability to take another person’s point of view. This is a building block towards empathy. There are lots of different teachable moments that can happen in day to day life where you can talk about different perspectives people have on the same situation. There are also several games and activities you can play with children and teens to help them practice the art of walking in someone else’s shoes.

Video Games CAN help Families Connect!

Video Games CAN help Families Connect!

On this episode of the podcast, I share a bit about my experiences growing up playing video games with my siblings, continuing to play as an adult, and now as a parent. Digital play is a part of our day to day lives - it has been acknowledged as a type of play. There are social skills you get a chance to practice when you play certain games, including working together, practicing conversations, and even executive functioning skills.

Four Games I Love That Work on Social Skills

Four Games I Love That Work on Social Skills

Playing board games is a fantastic way to work on social skills for kids. As a therapist, I play a lot of games both in individual and group therapy. As a mom, I also enjoy playing games with my kids. During this podcast episode, I talk about four games I love:

Creativity and Imaginative Play

Creativity and Imaginative Play

Play advocates often talk about the importance of open ended play, open ended play materials and having play be child led instead of adult led. There is a popular theory called Loose Parts was developed by Simon Nicholson in 1971.

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