SEL Games for Kids: If you’re looking for easy, ready-to-use games that build social-emotional skills, this list is for you. No crafts, no printing, no prep work. Just choose a game you like, click to get it delivered, and start playing with your kids or students.
Play is one of the most powerful ways children learn. Through board games and card games, kids practice important skills like taking turns, managing emotions, solving problems, communicating clearly, and reading social cues. And because everything happens in a playful setting, the learning feels natural and fun.
To make things easier, I’ve grouped the games into the SEL areas parents and educators ask about most often:
- Big Feelings & Emotional Regulation
Games that help kids recognise emotions, manage frustration, cope with anger, and build calming skills. - Social Skills
Games that support communication, turn-taking, teamwork, empathy, cooperation, and perspective-taking. - Self-Esteem & Confidence
Games that help kids notice their strengths, build a positive self-image, and develop resilience. - Worries & Anxiety
Games that introduce coping strategies, relaxation skills, and ways to handle worries in a child-friendly way.
You’ll notice that many games fit more than one category, which is great news, because kids can practise several SEL skills while simply having fun.
At the end of the post, I’ll link ideas for hands-on activities and DIY crafts if you prefer printable or creative options — but for now, let’s explore some easy, ready-made SEL games you can start using right away.
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Emotional Regulation Games (Anger, Frustration, Calming Skills)
1. Mad Dragon (ages 6-12)
Mad Dragon plays like the popular game UNO. Players race to get rid of their cards while learning anger control skills. This therapeutic card game helps kids:
- Control their anger in the moment;
- Practice 12 anger management techniques
- Understand what anger feels and looks like;
- Avoid anger-provoking situations;
- Express and understand their feelings;
- Identify anger cues;
- Learn that they have choices about how to express anger.
Why I like it:
- It is great for all kids. Therapists use them also with kids with autism, learning disabilities and emotional problems.
- It covers a wide range of activities: understanding triggers, expressing feelings or practicing anger management exercises
- it builds on a tried and tested game (UNO)
Tip:
- if you are playing with kids with learning disabilities you will need to read the cards for them. You may also need to rephrase a sentence, sometimes, to make it easier to understand.
2. Temper Tamers in a Jar (ages 8-11)
Temper Tamers in a Jar is a great way to engage children in a discussion about anger and help them adopt new ways to deal with their angry thoughts and feelings. There are four different type of cards: Share (the child shares a real-life experience), Act (the child can role play a positive way to manage a situation ), Tips, and Do (what would the child do in a specific scenario).
Why I like it:
- It gets kids to talk about their own experiences and to think about what should be done in a specific situation
- I really like the role-playing part. I feel kids learn a lot when they role-play situations.
Tip:
- you can use them with kids of different ages, but some people find it useful to make a selection to fit the age group they want to work with.
A weakness:
- You may be a bit disappointed when you see the cards. They are thin cards / pieces of paper. (they still do the job, though)
3. Anger Management Thumball
Anger Management Thumball is a soft stuffed ball to throw, roll, or pass in a circle or randomly. When you get the ball you have to look under your thumb and respond to a prompt. It encourages the use of interpersonal skills including taking turns, eye contact, listening, responding and respecting individual differences.
Why I like it:
- I just love this anger game concept. It is so fun to throw a ball around and take advantage of that enjoyable situation to start a conversation about anger
Tip:
- Don´t expect a big ball
- If you enjoy this kind of conversation starter, there are plenty of other versions available too, including balls for anxiety, self-control, empathy, and self-esteem.
Social Skills Games
4. Social Skills Group Activity Board Games (Elementary)
This set includes six board games in one, each focusing on a key social-emotional area: empathy, friendship, manners, morals, expressing feelings, and managing big emotions. Instead of looking for “right” answers, kids talk through different ways they could respond, listen to each other’s ideas, and choose together what might be the most helpful or respectful option. It’s designed to open up meaningful conversations while keeping everything playful and low-pressure.
Why I like it:
- You get six different games in one, so you can pick the topic that fits what your group needs most that day.
Tip:
- This is another great option, with four boards instead, and the extra illustrations make it more visually appealing for many kids.
5. Chill Chat Challenge (14 years and up)
This social skills game is an excellent tool to develop conversation skills and deepen communication within the family by asking various questions to get to know everyone better.
It covers three types of topics:
- Chill: easy and casual topics (music, fashion)
- Chat: conversations about current affairs, social media, and past experiences
- Challenge: more complex themes, like ethics or personal issues
Why I like it:
- It is a great way to start conversations with teenagers.
- It facilitates connection through sharing all types of stories (funny stories, secrets, opinions)
- It provides a variety of topics, ranging from easy to more in-depth questions.
- Works well both at home, in the classroom setting and in therapy.
6. Hidden Rules with Friends
We have used this card game with my autistic son, but we don’t play it following the game’s suggested rules. My son loves us to explore and untangle whatever social problem the card presents:
- What do you do if a friend invites you over for lunch and you don’t like the veggies?
- What happens if you burp in public?
Tip:
- Some people find the designs in these cards too simple. It has many blank cards to fill with other social situations that I don’t use. For us, they work as flashcards to explore social challenges in everyday situations.
Self-Esteem & Confidence Games
7. Totem the feel-good game, Self-Esteem Game for Counseling, Team Building, Family. (Age 8+)
This game helps kids discover their strengths and qualities, express gratitude, become comfortable with praise and positive comments, and share their feeling about other people
Why I like it:
- It makes giving compliments feel easier and more natural, especially for kids who struggle to find the right words. The card choices help them focus on genuine strengths, and the game creates a warm, uplifting moment for everyone at the table.
8. The Tower of Self-Esteem (Therapy Card Game).
The Tower of Self-Esteem game consists of a series of questions connecting personal, emotional and social strengths of each player. Players take turns with question cards as they simultaneously cooperate to plan and build a strong and sturdy tower.
It’s a great conversation starter that encourages positive thinking.
Why I like it
- I like that it mixes meaningful questions with the fun of building a tower. That extra element can make the game more engaging for kids who enjoy hands-on challenges.
Tip
- The tower-building part is great for motivation, but it may be tricky for children who find fine motor tasks challenging. If that’s the case, you can still use the question cards on their own.
Anxiety and Worry Games
9. A Monster that Eats Worries
Wouldn´t life be easier if our kids could just get rid of their worries by giving them away to some type of worry eater?
Well, maybe that is an actual possibility with these cute monsters.
Your kid can write or draw a worry on a piece of paper and put it inside the Worry Monster zipper mouth. We’ve used similar techniques to deal with anxiety, worry, or anger for a long time. We write down anything that bothers us and we throw the paper in the rubbish bin or flush it down the toilet. I think this toy is a nice twist to that same concept.
10. Thoughts and Feelings
Thoughts and Feelings 2: is a therapeutic tool designed to help parents, teachers, and mental health professionals engage children of all ages. The deck contains 35 cards especially effective in helping children identify, process, and work through a variety of issues including changes within the family, trauma, grief, anger, depression, anxiety and fears.
Why I like it:
- They are a great tool to get kids to open up and express their feelings.
- I really love the illustrations
Tip:
- They are great conversation starters, but sometimes younger kids may get a bit confused when the picture does not relate to the sentence. They still work wonders, though.
Other Social-Emotional Learning Games for Kids & Teens
As promised at the beginning, here are some links to other social-emotional games and activities you can organise yourself.
These include simple group games, classic favourites, and easy ideas you can set up without buying anything. If you prefer DIY or low-prep activities, you’ll find plenty of options below:
Crafts:
Other blog posts:
