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Today we face a great challenge: to develop interpersonal intelligence in children. The digital age is here to stay. Children spend many hours interacting with new technologies. The new scenario poses new challenges for parents and teachers. It is necessary to work so that they do not lose social skills.
Interpersonal intelligence will largely determine the success of children when they reach adulthood. It influences the choice of partner, friends and good academic and work performance. So how can we develop interpersonal intelligence in children?
Read on to find out how to develop these activities effectively so that they exercise interpersonal skills.
Activities to develop interpersonal intelligence in children
1. Sports activities
Several scientific studies have shown that emotional intelligence and sports are strongly correlated. Beyond the health benefits, its practice is a tool for the development of social skills.
Playing on a soccer team, basketball or a tennis match teaches us to identify and control our emotions. It is also a means to interact with others. Discipline, tolerance, respect, solidarity and teamwork are the best games and activities to develop interpersonal intelligence in children.
2. Draw comics or put together a magazine as a team
It is a strategy to stimulate creativity, autonomy and increase self-esteem. Through drawing, children learn to communicate. Good communication is a characteristic of people with interpersonal intelligence.
In comics, children represent conflict situations that, just like in real life, need to be resolved. The creation of comics or stories helps reduce tension and anxiety. Carrying out this activity as a team favors the recognition of the emotions, needs and ideas of others.
3. Create research groups
It is about favoring the exchange of information to stimulate social skills. They will learn to share new interests and curiosities. To work as a team and recognize the needs of their friends, investigate the environment and integrate into it.
The topics to be investigated can be diverse. Nature, fauna, flora, climate change, etc. Albert Einstein used to say that “Games are the highest form of research”.
4. The puppet theater
Puppets are great entertainment for children as they allow their imagination to run wild. Through representation, they engage in dialogue, express feelings and resolve conflicts. Ideally, they should participate in the making of the puppet, for which only a sock will be needed.
They also help improve language, vocabulary and listen carefully. The children understand that they must respect each other’s timings since all the characters have to express themselves.
Undoubtedly an interesting technique for the development of interpersonal intelligence.
5. Encourage discussions
Discussions are useful for children to express their point of view. It is a way of learning to listen to the other and also to communicate. Promotes tolerance, empathy and critical thinking. Through this resource, children understand that there are different opinions about a topic and that it is necessary to learn to justify them.
6. Play the journalist
It is about motivating the child to make a report. It is a useful and entertaining tool to foster empathy and communication. It improves the expression of language, and vocabulary and encourages active listening.
7. Make a collage as a team
It is an activity that children really enjoy. It can be done with friends or family. Simply gather a few photos or magazine clippings on a given topic and get to work. Develops empathy, communication, and creativity, and teaches teamwork.
8. Build kites as a team
Like the previous activity, it fosters empathy, and tolerance and strengthens the ability to work as a team. Aark Learnings offer various courses which will help your child to develop new skills.
9. Board games
Board games are an excellent option to develop interpersonal intelligence skills. Children learn to be patient and tolerant in the face of frustration. They are motivated to maintain cordial relations with the other participants and to respect the turns. Many of them also report several benefits for cognitive development.
10. Card games
Card games have the advantage that they are easy to transport and are very entertaining for children. They are generally short games and their rules are simple. They develop the same skills as board games. Some of them require putting into practice the ability to do mathematical operations. They develop empathy, communication and respect for others.
11. Guess game “what am I thinking”
This game is based on 20 questions to be asked to find out what another participant is thinking. The answers must be affirmative or negative. If it is not possible to guess, the option of 10 more can be given. The game is made with famous people, athletes, animals, etc. Develop empathy, listening, flexibility, and communication.
12. Games with pencil and paper
They are sets of simple rules that do not require a lot of time or sophisticated materials. They develop empathy, tolerance, mental speed, and communication.
13. Say it with mime
It is a classic and fun team game. It is about a child choosing a word and doing the representation with mime so that the other participants guess it. Develops empathy, imagination, and non-verbal communication. It forces them to put into practice the corporal expression.
14. Cooking as a team
Choosing a recipe and cooking is something that most children enjoy. It is an adventure that requires knowing how to work as a team, manual dexterity, and patience and teaches that it is necessary to respect the ingredients and the times. It favors communication, listening, and empathy.
15. Outdoor activities
Outdoor games are an opportunity for children to explore the environment. The air, the sun, and nature have many benefits. They improve their physical condition, increase their autonomy and favor their investigative spirit. A walk to a park with a ball poses the challenge of making new friends.
————————————————————————————————————————————– Author Bio
Name – Archana Agarwal
Bio – Archana Agarwal is a Postgraduate in International Management from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, an Entrepreneur, a proud mother to a 7-year-old, and Founder- CEO of Aark Learnings a leading online education platform that provides skill-based holistic education and online coding classes for kids which help in their growth and overall development.