Social-emotional learning (or SEL) encourages children to develop necessary social skills for school. Research suggests social-emotional development leads to greater adulthood success, so effectively wiring these skills is essential for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers as part of their learning and development process. Gryphon House has a variety of activities to ensure parents and educators alike take the necessary steps in promoting social-emotional development in children.
Did you know paying attention to your breath is considered practicing mindfulness? The American Psychological Association found that practicing mindfulness and awareness is proven to lower stress levels in children and adults.* Join Elizabeth Erwin, EdD, as she reads a beautiful story for young children, Breathing Makes It Better.
Program Administration After School Infant & Toddler Social EmotionalAs young children learn crucial skills like sharing, communicating feelings and cultivating resilience, mindfulness plays an important role to their social-emotional development. Practicing mindfulness and awareness is proven to lower stress levels in children and adults. Early childhood expert Elizabeth Joy Erwin, EdD shares approachable tools and tips families and educators can use to practice mindfulness in their classroom, home, or anywhere in between.
Social EmotionalRegardless of circumstances, lots of downtime at home with kids can lead to frustration and boredom. Anytime your kids are home for an extended period, Natalie Silverstein suggests service as the new go-to activty when stuck at home for any reason. “Kitchen Table Kindness” activities can keep children meaningfully engaged while spreading kindness to others.
Summer Learning Social EmotionalThanksgiving is a tradition-filled day that kicks off the end-of-year holiday season of shopping, decorating, exchanging gifts and, hopefully, charitable giving. No matter how your family honors Thanksgiving, it is full of opportunities to create new family traditions that help children understand how lucky they are to have the comforts of home, food, and family and that teach family members to express gratitude for all of the goodness in their lives.
Seasonal Learning: Fall Cooking Social EmotionalJust like adults, children experience a wide array of emotions — the difference is that children don’t always understand the emotion, what to call it, or how to properly describe what exactly they’re feeling.
Movement and Play Literacy Language Social EmotionalGryphon House activities are well-researched and informative, so teachers can effectively build a foundational curriculum for their students. Books from our award-winning authors, such as Getting to the Heart of Learning by Ellen Booth Church, explore building social-emotional skills by integrating social-emotional activities into lesson plans for science, math, language, literacy and motor skills.
Parents can also use social-emotional activities to encourage their children’s social interactions with pro-social games. These games guide parents in instructing toddlers and infants to be comfortable in group situations.
For social-emotional development in early childhood education, our techniques and activities build the base for skills that will pay off through adulthood. Particularly in the early stages of development, social-emotional skills encourage children to work collaboratively, a key social skill with long-term benefits.
Scan our available tools and resources for emotional and social skills training. To learn more about the importance of strengthening social skills and deepening children’s emotional development, follow Gryphon House on Facebook. We continually follow the latest news and studies to find useful activities for parents and teachers.
Browse through lists, author interviews, excerpts, and articles that connect theory and best practice in early childhood education.
Browse All Resources
