Emotions Charades is a super fun and incredibly potent tool to help support EQ and empathy in our kids. Use these tips from our theater classrooms to inspire your games and learn about other playful ways that help kids come to terms with their emotions. In these highly charged times we live in, kids need support in identifying and expressing their feelings…let’s do it through play!
Animal games are an awesome gateway to dramatic play. Here’s a blueprint for play that will help kids – and adults – venture into imagination with a Roar!
20 Questions can help your kid with impulse control (hello, spring break car trips!), flexible thinking and growth mindset. Kids love it because they can get their “sleuth” on! Parents love it because it is a fun way to get kids focusing in tight spaces!
This simple chant helps kids regulate their emotions and boosts their social intelligence. You can play it as a car game, while walking to school, or even at bedtime. Kids will have fun exploring “characters” and you’ll like this easy format for fostering new words to develop feelings.
Make a Treasure Hunt with your kids for awesome rainy-day play. Beyond just a game, this boosts essential executive function skills and is a fabulous way to work on reading.
Make time on the playground meaningful with these tools that boost imagination! Here are 15 of my favorite toys under $15 that I can slip into a bag when we go. They are collaborative, creative and physical and will certainly add a spark to your kids’ outdoor play! Plus, watch how the classic “Red Light Green Light” gets a dramatic play twist!
Add this dramatic play twist to the classic game I Spy. Your kids will have more fun and get calm in the process. Here I share other games, tools and toys for mindful observations.
Using positivity and playfulness you can transform even the most annoying task of clean up, into a game! Watch this short video I made about
Kids eat healthier when mealtimes are fun! Here’s some inspiration for table games and ways to use improv to get great eaters.
Need a rainy day game? Turn to musical scores to elevate your child’s playtime. With instrumental music from their favorite films and shows, kids can go deep into characters they already love. Orchestrations will help boost their mood, inspire gross-motor play and provide a great backdrop for imaginative indoor time.
Certain images and/or photos on this page are credited to Patrick Fleury, Hunter Canning, and Aubrey Hardwick.