Social-emotional learning (sel) is an important part of the educational process, but it’s not always easy to find time in your schedule to help children develop their social skills on top of all the academics you need to cover during school. year. How do you teach children social skills in a fun and engaging way? what are the best social skills activities for kids?
If you’re looking for easy ways to incorporate social skills development into your social-emotional learning in the classroom, our team of teachers has got you covered. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite books that teach kids a variety of social skills, plus activities you can do in the classroom to take the lesson home.
You are reading: Books to teach social skills
Explore our favorite rules and expectations resources for your classroom!
social skills books for kids
the flower of judgment by julia cook
Teaching students to understand and appreciate each other’s differences is an important social skill, and one of our favorite activities begins with a critical flower reading with your class.
In this book by julia cook, a purple-petaled flower blooms in a land ruled by the blues and discovers that there is no welcome reception, only prejudice, distrust and a chorus of “ewww!” Part of Cook’s series of books on building relationships, The Critical Flower was written by a former teacher!
social skills activity idea
After reading the book, try this social skills activity idea. print diversity chain template with shapes of people, hearts and hands. have students start with the shapes of people, drawing their own faces and clothes. then provide each student with the heart shapes and ask them to brainstorm the things that are inside, such as; feelings, love and thoughts. students can then glue their hearts to the back of their paper chain template and write the words they brainstorm.
Gather all the students together and hang the paper chain. Lead a class discussion about how everyone looks different on the outside, yet everyone is the same on the inside!
my mouth is a volcano! by julia cook
A second social skills book for kids that our team of teachers loves to use in the classroom is My Mouth is a Volcano! Also written by Julia Cook, this children’s book is perfect for discussing classroom rules about talking and interrupting others.
Told from the perspective of Louis, a young boy who is full of thoughts that tend to spring from his mouth, this story offers teachers an entertaining way to teach children the valuable social skill of respecting others by listen and wait their turn to speak.
my mouth is a volcano activities
after reading my mouth is a volcano, why not brainstorm as a class what students can do when they feel like they’re about to blow up like louis, and then have your students create their own erupting wheels?
See Also: Best Preschool Activity Books For Ages 3 – 5 – Imagination Soup
Using four of the ideas from the class brainstorming session, students create a spinning wheel using two paper plates and a brass nail. cut a small quarter out of one so you can see each strategy as you rotate the top plate.
it’s not my fault! by jory john
you may know jory john as the author of the good egg and the bad seed, but his picture book is not my fault! is another book to add to his library of social skills books. tells the story of a little boy who refuses to take responsibility for any of his actions, so it is full of emotional literacy. Read it together as a class to help students understand the difference between whose fault it is and whose responsibility it is. This is a great way to help kids understand that they need to recognize and take responsibility for the decisions they make!
social skills activity idea
provide students with a scenario that could end in a statement of guilt or a statement of responsibility. for example:
- You didn’t finish your homework because your sister made you play playstation.
- Joe was being mean to you, and you pushed him!
Students then create two comic strips using this handy comic strip template. one comic should end with a statement of guilt and the other end with a statement of responsibility.
Download exit tickets to assess how much your students have learned about being a good citizen!
ruby finds a concern for tom percival
everyone feels fear, worry, and apprehension from time to time, and that includes our students. but how do they deal with these difficult emotions? Ruby Finds a Worry follows a little girl who discovers a huge worry… only to run into another little boy who also finds a worry! This emotional intelligence adventure helps her understand that everyone feels anxiety from time to time.
The goal of the book is to give children the tools they need to feel more in control of their anxiety.
social skills activity
Follow up on a reading of Ruby Find a Worry by having students write different things they are worried about on sticky notes. Using our t-chart graphic organizer, students classify their sticky notes into “worries they can control” and “worries they can’t control.”
You can also set your own worry hat in the classroom. When a child has found her own worry, he can write the ones he can’t control on a sticky note and place it in the hat.
Download emotional strategy wheels for your students!
alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day by judith viorst
This classic children’s book turned movie starring Jennifer Garner is a classic for a reason! follows alexander on his terrible, horrible, not good, very bad day as she wakes up with gum stuck in her hair, drops her sweater in the sink, and oh so much more. reading this aldid is a great way to explore children’s social skills around listening and paying attention to directions.
classroom activity idea
See Also: 21 Christmas Picture Books About Santa
after reading the book, try our social skills story template: be a good listener. Talk to your students about what is happening in each picture. students can play at being a good listener, then cut and sort the template in the correct order!
brian gehrlein’s rulebook
Learning to follow rules is an important social skill for children, and the Rule Book is a great storybook for teachers looking for a fun and engaging way to help explain the importance of setting rules in the environment. school.
Rule breakers better watch out! If you don’t follow the rules, Dennis the monster will eat you! This silly book introduces a difficult concept to students in a way that will get them laughing and prepare them for an important discussion.
social skills activity idea
Look at your own classroom rules, discuss their importance, and ask students to brainstorm what would happen if each of the rules didn’t apply to them. As a class, decide on a fair reward and consequence for each rule.
a bad case of gossipy tongue by julia cook
yes, it’s another julia cookbook! This beautifully designed children’s book teaches children the difference between gossiping and counting. nobody likes ‘gossip josh’ because he gossips too much. But one night, Josh wakes up to find that his tongue is very long, yellow, and covered in bright purple spots! Will a bad case of gossip teach you a lesson?
a serious case of gossipy tongue activity
after reading a serious case of gossip language, create a gossip monster in the classroom. the kids love it and it still allows students to express their concerns.
You may also want to show our poster before you tell the teacher, ask yourself…and have your students complete our sorting activity between gossip and whistle blowing.
how to hug a puffer fish by ellie peterson
This is a fantastic story that teaches children about personal space and respect for the boundaries of our peers. Set under the sea, How to Hug a Puffer Fish follows the story of underwater friends who learn to ask a puffer fish for permission before giving it a hug.
social skills activity
For this social skills activity, you may want to go outside or see if the gym is open for use. The goal is to play a game of tag with a twist! students must hold a hula hoop around them as they run. the person who is ‘it’ tries to collide their hula hoop with the other students’ hula hoops. if they hit someone, that person is ‘it’!
Also, explain that if a player accidentally hits another player’s rim during play, their bubble “pops” and they are out. they must drop their hoop to the ground and sit inside! the goal is to help students develop an awareness of where their bodies begin and end, as well as an awareness of those around them.
discussing social skills? Explore hundreds of social and emotional learning resources created by teachers across the country!
banner image via shutterstock/monkey business images