10 Games Teaching Emotional Skills by Age
Want to help kids build emotional intelligence while having fun? This list highlights 10 board games designed to teach emotional skills like empathy, self-awareness, and teamwork. Each game is tailored to specific age groups, making it easier to find the right fit for your child. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Ages 3–5: Games like Feelings and Faces and Snug as a Bug in a Rug focus on recognizing emotions and teamwork.
- Ages 6–8: Options like My First Emotions and The Empathy Game introduce perspective-taking and emotional vocabulary.
- Ages 9–11: Guess Who? Emotional Edition and Friends and Neighbors teach social cues and conflict resolution.
- Ages 12–14: Inside Out: Emotional Intelligence Game and Dixit encourage emotional exploration and creative expression.
- Ages 15–18: The Mind and Codenames: Social Edition focus on non-verbal communication, teamwork, and social awareness.
Here’s a quick comparison of the games, their target age groups, and the emotional skills they teach:
| Game | Age Group | Key Emotional Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Feelings and Faces | 3–5 | Recognizing emotions, empathy |
| Snug as a Bug in a Rug | 3–5 | Teamwork, decision-making |
| My First Emotions | 6–8 | Emotional vocabulary, empathy |
| The Empathy Game | 6–8 | Perspective-taking, understanding others |
| Guess Who? Emotional Edition | 9–11 | Emotional awareness, social cues |
| Friends and Neighbors | 9–11 | Conflict resolution, teamwork |
| Inside Out: Emotional Game | 12–14 | Emotional exploration, self-awareness |
| Dixit | 12–14 | Creative expression, perspective-taking |
| The Mind | 15–18 | Non-verbal communication, teamwork |
| Codenames: Social Edition | 15–18 | Social awareness, collaboration |
Why it matters: Studies show emotional intelligence is more important than IQ for success. These games make learning emotional skills fun and engaging for kids of all ages.
Emotional Intelligence Board Game for Kids - Emo-G
1. Feelings and Faces (Ages 3-5)
Feelings and Faces is a simple game designed to help preschoolers explore emotions through fun visual matching activities. It’s tailored for children aged 3–5, a time when they’re starting to grasp emotions but still figuring out how to handle them .
The game features cards with faces showing basic emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and surprise. By matching these expressions, kids learn to recognize and understand different emotional states .
Studies suggest that visual aids make abstract ideas like emotions easier for young children to grasp . Through this game, kids can:
- Recognize emotions in others by observing facial expressions
- Link feelings to physical cues
- Expand their emotional vocabulary
- Begin developing empathy
Parents and caregivers can take this further by asking questions like, “How do you think this person feels?” or “When have you felt this way?” These discussions help kids connect the images to their own experiences .
The game also offers opportunities to reinforce learning through creative activities:
- Drawing emotions: Encourage kids to draw simple faces or emojis to represent different feelings.
- Emotion charades: Use the cards to act out emotions and have others guess.
- Story sharing: Talk about personal experiences tied to each emotion card.
2. Snug as a Bug in a Rug (Ages 3-5)
Snug as a Bug in a Rug is a cooperative board game designed for kids aged 3–5. It focuses on teaching emotional skills through teamwork and shared decision-making. The game has earned accolades like the Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys and Dr. Toy Top 10 Game Award .
In this game, players work together to help colorful bugs find a cozy spot under a shared rug before stink bugs show up. It’s all about collaboration, teaching kids how to take turns and make decisions together in a fun, non-competitive way.
To keep things exciting, the game has three difficulty levels that can adapt as your child grows. This ensures it remains engaging while reinforcing cooperative decision-making skills .
The set includes:
- 24 colorful bugs
- 3 stink bugs
- A game board with a built-in spinner
- A die
Created by Brain Games, this title encourages families to nurture emotional intelligence through play. It’s a playful introduction to emotional skill-building that can prepare kids for more complex games as they get older.
3. My First Emotions (Ages 6-8)
My First Emotions is a card game designed to help kids aged 6-8 identify and name different emotions . It uses a set of emotion cards with three difficulty levels to expand a child's emotional vocabulary and understanding.
The game includes three levels of difficulty, each building on the previous one :
| Level | Features | Skills Developed |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Emotion cards with pictures of basic feelings | Recognizing emotions visually and building awareness |
| Level 2 | Cards with text-based emotions | Improving reading skills and learning emotion-related words |
| Level 3 | Cards featuring complex emotions and detailed scenarios | Developing deeper emotional understanding and empathy |
Scenario cards are also part of the game, showing how different people might feel in similar situations. These cards encourage kids to think about others' perspectives. Parents and teachers can add to the experience by discussing the scenarios or using role-play activities, making this game a great tool for both home and classroom use .
Created by Focus Games Ltd, My First Emotions supports emotional literacy in young children. The Jasmin Roy Foundation has highlighted tools like this as essential for helping kids develop social and emotional skills .
4. The Empathy Game (Ages 6-8)
The Empathy Game is a role-playing board game designed to help kids aged 6 to 8 build perspective-taking skills. Using scenario cards based on common childhood experiences, the game encourages players to ask, "How would they feel?" - helping them imagine and understand others' emotions .
The game includes several interactive components to make learning fun and engaging:
| Game Component | Purpose | Learning Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Situation Cards | Present everyday scenarios | Understanding emotions in context |
| Emotion Cards & Stickers | Visual representation of feelings | Recognizing and identifying emotions |
| Mix & Match Sorting | Interactive activity to sort emotions | Differentiating positive and negative emotions |
| Character Personas | "Rude Dude" vs. "Empathetic Elephant" | Comparing helpful and unhelpful responses |
Interactive play is at the heart of the game. According to Moments A Day:
"The simplest way to play is to cut up the cards then take turns reading them and answering 'How would they feel?'" .
Parents and teachers can make the game even more engaging by:
- Acting out emotions using facial expressions or puppets.
- Role-playing different scenarios to explore emotions like jealousy, gratitude, excitement, or disappointment.
- Encouraging discussions about how emotions are expressed and understood .
This game has been particularly helpful for children with learning challenges or those on the autism spectrum. Its focus on body language and facial expressions helps them better interpret nonverbal communication .
5. Guess Who? Emotional Edition (Ages 9-11)
Guess Who? Emotional Edition gives a twist to the classic game, focusing on emotional intelligence for kids aged 9-11. The cards feature various emotional expressions, encouraging players to engage in strategies that improve emotional awareness and understanding .
| Game Component | Focus Area | Skills Developed |
|---|---|---|
| Emotion Cards | Recognizing facial expressions | Identifying emotional cues |
| Question Prompts | Expanding emotional vocabulary | Communication skills |
| Character Stories | Understanding emotions in context | Building empathy |
| Social Cues | Interpreting non-verbal signals | Observation skills |
Tips for Parents and Educators
- Story-Based Questions: Ask questions like, "Did your character just hear some exciting news?" to help children connect emotions to real-life scenarios.
- Personalized Play: Swap out the standard character cards with personal photos showing different emotions for a more relatable experience.
These methods enhance the game's goal of fostering empathy and improving communication.
Advanced Play Options
Once children are comfortable with the basics, try these variations to deepen their skills:
- Use statements instead of questions during gameplay to practice emotional vocabulary.
- Add written descriptions of emotions to help improve language skills.
- Introduce animal- or food-themed emotional cards to make it engaging for younger siblings or peers.
- Create mini storylines to provide additional emotional context and spark imaginative thinking.
This flexible approach makes Guess Who? Emotional Edition a great tool for kids who may find traditional social-emotional learning methods challenging. These tweaks align with the game's core purpose, preparing players to handle more complex emotional situations.
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6. Peaceable Kingdom's Friends and Neighbors (Ages 9-11)
Peaceable Kingdom's Friends and Neighbors is a team-based matching game designed for kids aged 9-11. Using storytelling and engaging challenges, it helps kids develop skills in resolving conflicts and building friendships.
Core Game Components
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 4 Game Boards | Show different social scenarios to encourage recognizing emotions. |
| 14 Helping Tokens | Represent supportive actions for characters in need of assistance. |
| Helping Bag | Randomly provides tokens for matching with characters in need. |
| Stop Sign Board | A visual tool to spark discussions about resolving conflicts. |
| Parent Guide | Provides conversation starters for discussing feelings and interactions. |
How to Play
Players take turns drawing tokens from the helping bag and matching them to characters who need assistance. This simple mechanic encourages recognizing emotions and taking positive actions.
Why It’s Great for Learning
- Understanding Emotions: Kids learn to identify and respond to different feelings.
- Teamwork and Problem-Solving: Encourages collaboration and shared decision-making.
- Social Awareness: Guided discussions help kids better understand social situations.
Tips for Advanced Play
- Talk about each character’s situation in detail.
- Share personal experiences that relate to the scenarios.
- Use the stop sign board to practice resolving conflicts as they arise.
- Connect game scenarios to real-life situations for deeper understanding.
This cooperative game format is a fun way to strengthen emotional skills. Research shows that social-emotional abilities are just as important as academic skills for long-term success .
For more games that encourage emotional growth and social learning, check out retailers like Brain Games, which offer a wide variety of options.
7. Inside Out: Emotional Intelligence Game (Ages 12-14)
This game is designed for teens, adding depth and complexity to match their growing emotional awareness. Inspired by Pixar's Inside Out, it’s an interactive board game for 2–9 players that encourages teens to explore and understand their emotions in a safe and engaging way.
Game Components and Setup
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Character Cards | Represent Riley's five key emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust |
| Scenario Cards | Introduce real-life situations teens often encounter |
| Emotion Tokens | Help track emotional responses to various scenarios |
| Game Board | Features unique "mind" locations like Subconscious Woods and Island of Aspirations |
Gameplay Mechanics
Players collaborate to guide Riley through challenging situations by balancing her emotions. Each emotion comes with specific abilities that influence how Riley handles scenarios like moving to a new city or starting at a new school. The gameplay reflects the emotional challenges teens face as they grow, making it both relatable and engaging.
Educational Value
This game uses hands-on learning to teach emotional intelligence. Christine Elgersma, Senior Editor of Learning Content Strategy, highlights the value of the Inside Out approach:
"The film's approach naturally teaches that all emotions are essential for understanding life's complexities" .
Tips for Enhanced Learning
- Start by discussing personal emotional experiences to set the tone for gameplay.
- Encourage players to share relevant stories during the game.
- After playing, reflect on the strategies used to solve emotional challenges.
Advanced Play Options
As players grow more comfortable, they can tackle increasingly intricate scenarios, requiring a deeper understanding of emotional dynamics. This progression mirrors the evolving emotional growth of teens.
Therapist Ariel Landrum, LMFT, ATR, explains:
"Inside Out is a Pixar animated film created with the mindset of teaching both children and adults about the inner workings of the mind" .
At just $7.90, this game is an affordable way for families and educators to support teens in developing emotional skills. It’s available at Brain Games, along with other board games focused on social-emotional learning.
8. Dixit (Ages 12-14)
Dixit is a storytelling card game that encourages young teens to explore emotions and develop emotional intelligence through imaginative interpretation. Recognized with the 2010 Spiel des Jahres award, the game features dreamlike artwork designed to spark empathy and emotional awareness, making it ideal for players aged 12–14 .
Gameplay Mechanics
In Dixit, players take turns being the storyteller. The storyteller picks a card and gives a clue - this could be a word, phrase, or emotion. Other players then select a card from their hand that they believe best fits the clue. The result is a mix of creativity and strategic guessing. As Peter Van de Voorde, Community Leader, explains:
"For me this game is all about understanding how the other players think. You need to learn about their thinking patterns to correctly guess who will be able to pick your card and who won't."
This dynamic not only makes the game engaging but also strengthens emotional awareness and communication skills.
Educational Benefits
Dixit helps build important emotional and social skills, including:
- Perspective Taking: Players learn to see things from others' viewpoints.
- Emotional Expression: The storytelling aspect encourages sharing feelings effectively.
- Creative Communication: Players use metaphors and imagery to convey complex emotions.
- Social Awareness: Success relies on understanding and interpreting others' thought processes.
Therapists and educators often use Dixit for emotional check-ins and group discussions. Nikki Zavadska, Community Leader, highlights its impact:
"It pushes us to get creative 🎨 and really get into our teammates' heads to guess their cards... it really forces you to connect on a deeper level."
Game Specifications
- Players: 3–8
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Rating: 4.8/5 stars (1,424 global ratings)
- Available at: Brain Games
Dixit’s mix of storytelling and strategic guessing makes it a great tool for teens to explore emotions and connect with others in a meaningful way.
9. The Mind (Ages 15-18)
The Mind is a cooperative card game designed to strengthen non-verbal communication and teamwork among older teens. Through silent gameplay, players build strong connections and improve their ability to focus as a group.
Gameplay Mechanics
Players collaborate without speaking, placing cards in ascending order. This process hones what Daniel Siegel describes as:
"Attunement is when we sense a clear image of our mind in the mind of another. Or simply put, when someone is attuned to us, we feel they really get us."
The game includes "throwing stars", special cards that let players collectively decide to discard their lowest cards. This silent coordination challenges players while offering emotional growth.
Educational Benefits
| Skill Development | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Emotional Awareness | Teaches players to sense and interpret others' emotions |
| Non-verbal Communication | Improves ability to read and respond to subtle cues |
| Team Coordination | Builds understanding of group timing and shared goals |
| Stress Management | Encourages mindfulness and focused attention |
These benefits are further enhanced through advanced strategies that refine group interaction.
Advanced Gameplay Strategies
Here are three strategies to deepen the experience:
-
Collective Focus
Create a shared, calming focus. Research suggests that this kind of attention can even boost immune health . -
Emotional Connection
Success relies on developing a shared sense of timing. As stated in the official guide:"The secret of the game is developing that collective feeling for 'now is the moment'. The team has to work in harmony. The team must become ONE!!"
-
Reflective Communication
While silence is key during gameplay, post-game discussions are just as important. Talking about emotions, timing, and teamwork afterward helps solidify the skills learned.
Game Specifications
- Players: 2–4
- Duration: 20–30 minutes
- Available at: Brain Games
The Mind offers a unique way to build emotional intelligence in teens. By blending strategy with teamwork, it helps them practice critical interpersonal skills in a fun and engaging way.
10. Codenames: Social Edition (Ages 15-18)
Codenames: Social Edition takes the classic word association game and adds a twist focused on emotional and social growth. It’s designed to challenge players’ language skills while encouraging teamwork and social awareness.
Game Dynamics
In this version, players split into teams, each led by a spymaster. The spymaster gives one-word clues to help their team guess specific word cards. The game thrives on communication and interpretation, making it a great tool for fostering social-emotional skills. This edition stands out by emphasizing deeper social learning compared to earlier versions.
| Emotional Skill | How It’s Developed |
|---|---|
| Self-awareness | Spymasters learn to handle the pressure of guiding their team |
| Empathy | Players practice seeing things from others' perspectives |
| Social Skills | Teams work together to achieve shared goals |
| Resilience | Missteps are opportunities to learn and adapt |
Educational Benefits
By blending strategy with social interaction, this game helps teens build emotional intelligence. According to We Play 2 Learn:
"Trying to find clever links between seemingly obscure words is far more fun than it has any right to be."
Through gameplay, teens expand their vocabulary, learn to bounce back from mistakes, and improve teamwork and social awareness.
Focused Social Learning
This edition encourages:
- Resilience: Spymasters manage the pressure of their role.
- Social Awareness: Players interpret clues based on shared understanding.
- Collaboration: Working as a team reduces competitive stress and builds stronger connections.
Designed with older teens in mind, it sharpens their ability to work together effectively while fostering emotional growth.
Game Details
- Players: 2–10
- Duration: 15 minutes
- Rating: 9/10 for teens and adults
- Available at: Brain Games
With its variety of clue and key cards, Codenames: Social Edition offers endless replay opportunities, making it a perfect choice for teens looking to have fun while strengthening their social skills.
Conclusion
Board games help people of all ages develop emotional intelligence and social skills. This highlights their usefulness in both home and educational settings.
Creating Effective Learning Environments
| Setting | Strategy | Expected Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Schedule regular family game nights | Strengthened family bonds and communication |
| Classroom | Use structured play to teach key skills | Better peer relationships and social awareness |
| Therapy | Tailor games to emotional challenges | Improved emotional expression and regulation |
Research supports these strategies, showing their positive impact.
Scientific Support
Studies reveal that activities like turn-taking, teamwork, and face-to-face interaction promote emotional growth and adaptability. For example, children who play cooperative games experience noticeable improvements in managing emotions and interacting socially . Additionally, individuals who build strong social connections through group play are 50% more likely to maintain good mental health .
"The best way to learn in life - is through play." - Chrissy Wissler
Putting Strategies Into Action
Here’s how these ideas can be applied in daily life:
- Parents: Stay calm when losing, stick to a gaming routine, and pick games suitable for your child’s age.
- Educators: Encourage reflection after games, modify games to teach emotional skills, and use them to build classroom relationships.
Experts emphasize that "in-person interactions are what seems to protect against psychiatric problems" . Board games naturally encourage these interactions, creating a safe space for emotional development.
Measuring Success
Research in Cognitive Development shows that strategy-based games boost essential skills like:
- Navigating social situations
- Managing emotional responses
- Building empathy
- Forming friendships
These findings confirm the role of board games in fostering emotional growth.
Check out Brain Games for a handpicked selection of family-friendly board games designed to support emotional learning through play.
