Four Playtime Activities That Promote Empathy
Who wants to live in a world without compassion? Not us!
That's why we're big fans of developing empathy skills in adults and children. When we develop empathy, we learn to understand and share in the feelings of others.
High levels of empathy make us all more resilient. That's because empathy fuels our compassion.
Compassionate behaviors inspire and influence others. It helps us build stronger relationships. We learn to manage conflicts better. Our mental and emotional well-being improves. Enhancing our empathy skills can lead to a kinder and safer world!
An empathetic person does more than relate to others on an individual level. They also adopt a global mindset. Let's look at four playtime activities that encourage both empathy and international awareness.
1. Learning Multiple Languages
When children learn different languages, they begin to appreciate differences and see the humanity in all people. They learn cultural context. Learning languages through play helps build a child's capacity for empathy at a deep level.
2. Telling Stories
Storytelling is another fantastic option for developing empathy - no matter what your age! Through storytelling and role-playing, we get to imagine the lived experiences of other living beings. We learn to consider perspectives beyond our own. When children act out caring for imaginary friends or tending a make-believe garden, they cultivate nurturing instincts. Storytelling and story creation are simulations that help us practice compassion.
3. Playing Cooperative Games
Games that encourage cooperation over competition also boost empathy. Imagine children working together toward a shared goal, like building a castle or a tower or using patterning chips to build designs. Children learn to communicate, compromise, and look out for one another during cooperative play. These collaborative skills translate directly to real-world situations. Through cooperative play, friendship wins!
4. Encouraging Open-Ended Play
Uncle Goose block and chip sets encourage open-ended exploration. Children feel free to design their cities, communities, and transportation systems. Through this kind of play, children start to consider the needs of diverse populations. Open-ended play brings about systems-level thinking about sustainable solutions.
Choose playtime activities and playthings that promote empathy, compassion, and global awareness. These are skills we all need to thrive.
