Playing games can be a great opportunity to teach kids life skills in a fun and relaxed setting. General skills that can be targeted, taught and/or improved include:
cognitive/reasoning skills
receptive and expressive language
developing vocabulary and spelling
use of prepositions and ordinals- fist, then, after
following multi-step directions
delayed gratification
peer interaction
working in a group
turn taking skills
resolving conflict
maintaining attention to task
setting and achieving goals
decision making
Tips when playing with kids with special needs:
-Be prepared to simplify the game and break it down to fewer steps
-Clearly outline instructions one task at a time and demonstrate to the child. If needed, clearly illustrate the steps on paper in addition to demonstration.
-Some children get overwhelmed when interacting with others, so start with a smaller group of 2-3 people and allow the child to be successful before growing the group.
-Encourage child to look at opponents/peers and when appropriate say “my turn” or “your turn” or “good job”
-Pair children with different strengths and weaknesses and encourage them to coach each other as part of “teamwork”
-Praise healthy peer interaction, and positive behavior
-Recap positive lessons learned
