Top Holiday Gifts to Promote Social Skills and Social Emotional Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten

Guest Authored By Haley J

Tis’ the season of gift giving and receiving! This year when picking out gifts for your little one, this post can help guide you in finding fun and educational toys that are on the self, or amazon’s website.

Benefits of Social Emotional Learning Toys and Activities:

Children have opportunities for emotional growth while playing with friends, siblings and caregivers in many environments. Each child develops his emotions differently, but promoting play can assist the child to grow, learn and develop emotions. “Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive and emotional strength,” as stated in the American Academy of Pediatricians report, The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds.

When children play, they promote their social competence and regulate their emotions. During play children can practice their verbal and nonverbal communication, body language, release of emotions and build self-confidence.

Playing with others can also help children respond to their peers’ feelings, conflicts and points of view which all encourage emotional development. “In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.” Ovid (Roman Poet 427-347 BC).

Emotional development provides children with the abilities they need to explore and interact with the world around them and develop the independence to understand, process, and work through their feelings appropriately as they grow into adulthood.

Below is a list of fun and educational toys your preschooler will love!