Inspired SEL Activities for a Rainy Day
There are a million different ways your child can engage with social emotional learning when they go out into the world. From playing team sports to visiting a museum, they can learn about teamwork, cooperation, and other cultures.
Fortunately, SEL learning isn’t just for the outside world! There are plenty of things you and your family can do at home to inspire your child’s growth. SEL is all about self-awareness, self-regulation, and communication, so there’s plenty of room for practice around your home.
Whether you do some baking or a little cleanup, try the following fun at-home SEL activities to inspire family bonding. If you’re looking for more great ways to help your child grow, learn more at ThinkPsych today!
Get In the Kitchen!
Many young kids love watching their parents in the kitchen. Whether dad’s making his famous chili or mom’s baking holiday treats, the kitchen’s a place where the family communes.
Fortunately, getting into the kitchen is one of the best rainy day SEL activities you can do. And it also provides inspiration for social emotional learning! Try taking the day to choose a recipe and make it together. By baking a cake or even a nice dinner, your child will learn skills like active listening and cooperation. They may even learn a little about what it takes to acquire a new skill if there’s a cooking calamity!
Luckily, your child can also engage their baking skills without even going into the kitchen! Secret Recipes is a great game for them to practice problem-solving skills and strengthen family bonds. It’s also ideal for some indoor fun on a cold, wintry day!
Write & Reflect
For many children, the act of having gratitude and using a gratitude journal can be beneficial in appreciating things. However, there’s more than one way for a child to express gratitude.
A rainy day can be the perfect opportunity for a child to focus on someone they’re grateful for. Do they have an aunt or uncle who inspires them? Do they have a teacher who helps them with their toughest school subject? A letter will instantly help a child utilize their communication skills and even their creativity. By focusing on someone they love, they’ll also learn to see the strengths of others and nurture their relationship skills.
When writing a letter, be sure your child shares what they like and admire about this person. It’s sometimes a simple act of kindness that can improve their and someone else’s day. It can also help your child find a little calm and consider the positive things in their life!
Create a Scavenger Hunt
Social emotional learning may be about self-awareness and self-regulation, but it also relates to creative thinking and development. Fortunately, making your own at-home scavenger hunt can be one of the best SEL activities for kids!
Use the format of a traditional scavenger hunt by placing objects in hidden locations and providing clues along the way. In order to engage social emotional learning, try to make a pattern for the found objects. You may want to choose objects that make them feel a certain way so they can then articulate their emotions. Or you may want to come up with creative clues that will help them utilize their critical thinking skills.
A scavenger hunt can be more than just fun too. It can also be a great opportunity to test out your family teamwork! By having everyone work together, you can learn to communicate and rely on each other for support.
Talk the Talk
With so many fun rainy day SEL activities inside and out in the world, it can be easy to forget about the simple virtue of conversation. But sometimes one of the best things you can do for any child is sit down to talk.
A casual sit down with your child will help them to practice their verbal communication and express themselves. And even a simple conversation can be an opportunity for some social emotional learning! By engaging with others, a child will have the opportunity to process their emotions in a more meaningful way. They can learn how to deal with tough situations or even a difficult friend. They may also get constructive feedback that provides a different perspective, which is an important part of self-awareness.
It's important not to underestimate the power of a little talk. While many kids are quite expressive, some children may find it easier to open up in one-on-one conversation. By keeping the lines open, a child may be better able to understand – and regulate – their emotions.
Do Some Clean Up
Many kids think that doing the dishes or cleaning their room are a form of torture. But despite a little momentary pain, doing some cleanup can actually provide real mental health benefits.
According to a study from Mindfulness, people who were mindful when they washed dishes reported a 27% reduction in nervousness. This means that slowing down and being present while doing simple chores can help us to relax and take stock! For that reason, it’s no surprise being in a secure, organized space can have a positive impact on our well-being. Fortunately, the benefits don’t end there.
Cleaning up can help your children to get involved in household duties and nurture a sense of responsibility. By doing SEL activities like this together, you’ll be able to revel in a job well done!
Rainy Day SEL Activities = At-Home Fun!
It can certainly be fun for you children to get out in their community and develop social emotional learning competencies. But this kind of learning isn’t specific to the classroom or the great outdoors! From engaging in the arts to simply having a conversation, there are plenty of activities you can do on a rainy day that will instill understanding.
Are you trying to engage in SEL activities in your home? Developing the core competencies of self-awareness and relationship skills is easy to engage with anywhere. A few simple household tasks can be the beginning of a lot of valuable learning!
References
Verywell Mind. The Connection Between Cleanliness and Mental Health. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-mental-health-and-cleaning-are-connected-5097496
Better Kids. 5 Easy Social Emotional Learning Activities for Kids to Do at Home. https://betterkids.education/blog/5-easy-social-emotional-learning-activities-for-kids-to-do-at-home
The Pathway 2 Success. 10+ Social Emotional Activities for Home. https://www.thepathway2success.com/10-sel-activities-for-home/
