At age 5, when most children attend kindergarten, theyare learning to develop the necessary skills they will use throughout their life. Self-awareness begins to expand, mimicking behaviors, and physical aspects like coordination develop during these important years What better way to capitalize on this critical developmental time than with these five kindergarten games that teach life skills.

1) Hide and Seek

This classic children’s game is a favorite go-to for many parents and teachers alike. Hide and seek teaches important problem-solving and critical thinking skills. To avoid being found, children must consider what hiding spot will offer them the most coverage from the seeker. Choosing a spot can help children learn spatial awareness too. No matter which role a child has with this game, they learn life skills that can be built upon.

2) Simon Says

“Simon says to scratch your head!”

This classic kindergarten game can teach leadership skills to the child playing the role of Simon. For the children playing out whatever Simon says, they can learn listening skills. With this game, if children don’t listen closing to the instruction, “Simon says”, they’ll be the only ones completing the silly activity.

This encourages them to pay close attention to the instructions in the game and later in life.

3) Duck, Duck, Goose!

During duck, duck, goose, children sit in a circle while each child takes a turn walking around to pick the goose. The goose gets up from the circle, and the two standing compete for the empty seat in the circle by running around the group.

This game teaches problem-solving skills. Plus, it’s a great kindergarten game for helping children burn off some excess energy.

4) Musical Chairs

A limited number of chairs are set up in a circle during this game. As the music plays, children circle the chairs. When the music stops, everyone must race to sit down in a chair. For the kids who don’t get a chair, they’re out of the game, and a chair is removed. The game repeats until only one chair is left.

With a limited number of chairs, this game can teach friendly competition, coordination, patience, and conflict resolving skills. Plus, musical chairs are a great game for kindergarten children to learn how to deal with disappointment in life.

5) Tag

This classic kindergarten game is well-known and loved by almost everyone. The game of tag works by choosing a designated child to be “it”. The goal for “it” is to tag another participant by running around and touching another player. The player touched by the “it” player becomes it and the game resumes. The goal for the other participants is to avoid being tagged.

Playing tag is excellent for kindergarten because it teaches fair play and sportsmanship. Tag can also help with physical development and establish a healthy relationship with exercise. It can teach physical coordination, balance, and spatial awareness. It’s the perfect game for children no matter what age or stage they are at because it’s modifiable, requires no equipment, and doesn’t exclude any player from sitting on the sidelines.

Learn More About Our Kindergarten Programs

At JLP Inspiring Minds, we are committed to providing a well-rounded curriculum focused on the holistic development of every child. We pride ourselves on providing an early education foundation children need to develop life skills in kindergarten and beyond.

JLP also offers sports programs at All Sports Kids After Care for older children that require after-school care. We are proud to offer discounts for families with children enrolled in both programs, active-duty military discounts, and sibling discounts.

When you’re ready to enroll your child in kindergarten that focuses on teaching children life skills, call us at 954-933-2982 or visit our website to learn more about our private school admissions process.