Preschool marks the start of a child’s formal education—and with it, one of the best opportunities to begin developing the social skills they’ll need for school and beyond. While literacy and numeracy are often emphasized, fostering social skills for preschoolers is just as critical to long-term success.
Through fun activities, routines, and intentional instruction, educators can begin teaching social skills in ways that are both developmentally appropriate and deeply impactful. This blog explores the importance of building preschool social skills, what milestones to expect at different ages, and how to integrate social skills activities for preschoolers into daily classroom life.
Why Social Skills Matter in Early Childhood Education
Strong social skills help young children communicate, collaborate, self-regulate, and form positive relationships. They lay the foundation for academic achievement, mental well-being, and success in group environments. From making friends to learning how to resolve conflicts, the ability to navigate social situations is critical in preschool and beyond.
Research shows that children with well-developed social skills are more likely to experience long-term academic success, better mental health, and fewer behavioral issues. Social skills also support child development in areas like emotional regulation, empathy, listening, and communication skills.
When schools intentionally prioritize social skills for preschoolers, they are investing in students’ emotional readiness as much as their academic growth.
Preschool-Age Social Skills Milestones
Children begin learning social behaviors early in life, but preschool years are especially critical for development. Here’s a breakdown of typical social skills milestones by age:
Age 3
- Begins calming down more easily when upset
- Shows interest in other children
- May imitate adults or peers
- Engages in pretend play
Age 4
- Seeks out playmates and participates in cooperative play
- Comforts others who are upset
- Begins expressing feelings with words
- Can adapt behavior to different environments (e.g., home vs. school)
Age 5
- Follows game rules and takes turns
- Demonstrates responsibility (e.g., cleaning up toys)
- Sings, dances, or performs in front of others
- Understands more complex emotions like embarrassment or pride
These milestones are influenced by individual temperament, home environment, and prior socialization—but all children can benefit from explicit instruction and modeling of social skills.
Using Play to Teach Social Skills for Preschoolers
Preschoolers learn best through play. Whether it’s role play, structured games, or pretend scenarios, play helps children learn how to engage with others, regulate emotions, and express themselves.
Examples of Social Skills Activities for Preschoolers:
- Puppet shows for identifying emotions and practicing empathy
- Turn-taking games like board games or “Red Light, Green Light”
- Group art projects that encourage cooperation and teamwork
- Emotion charades to build awareness of facial expressions and feelings
- Storytime discussions about characters’ emotions and choices
- Classroom jobs that teach responsibility and accountability
All of these can be built into daily routines or introduced as special social skills games for preschoolers. What matters most is that students have repeated opportunities to practice behaviors like sharing, listening, helping, and resolving conflicts.
How PBIS Supports Teaching Social Skills
For schools implementing PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), preschool is the perfect place to start. Social skills for preschoolers align closely with core PBIS values like “Be Respectful,” “Be Responsible,” and “Be Safe.”
Benefits of Pairing PBIS with Social Skills Instruction:
- Preschoolers respond strongly to positive feedback
- A token economy system can reinforce prosocial behaviors
- Social behaviors like turn-taking, listening, and helping can be built into the PBIS matrix
- Encouraging behavior in real time helps build lasting neural pathways
Recognizing positive behavior when it happens—especially when it aligns with social skills lessons—makes the behavior more likely to be repeated. For example, thanking a child for including a classmate in a game reinforces both inclusivity and empathy.
PBIS isn’t just compatible with teaching social skills—it amplifies its impact.
This is where PBIS Rewards makes a powerful difference. Navigate360 PBIS Rewards is a software that helps schools digitally manage and scale their PBIS initiatives by:
- Automating the recognition of positive behaviors
- Tracking individual and classroom progress toward behavior goals
- Enabling staff collaboration, student reflection, and family engagement
- Offering customizable rewards that reinforce learned social behaviors
Creating a Classroom Environment that Builds Social Skills
A supportive classroom climate enhances social skills development. Routines, visual cues, and consistent expectations give preschoolers the security they need to explore new behaviors and practice conflict resolution.
Ways to Strengthen Preschool Social Skills Through Environment:
- Post your classroom behavior expectations visually
- Use positive reinforcement to acknowledge desirable behaviors
- Encourage curiosity, inclusivity, and kindness
- Build listening skills into group activities like circle time
- Introduce children to cultural traditions and community events
- Use music, storytelling, and movement to reinforce social concepts
Predictable routines—like consistent greetings, snack times, and cleanup procedures—also support socialization and reduce anxiety for young children.
How Compass Curriculum Preschool Supports Social Skills
Navigate360 Compass Curriculum Preschool is designed to meet the unique developmental needs of young learners. It offers engaging, research-based lessons that introduce and reinforce the essential social skills activities for preschoolers—in both digital and instructor-led formats.
With Compass Curriculum Preschool, educators can:
- Teach vocabulary around emotions, relationships, and behaviors
- Help children explore scenarios through visuals, songs, and fun activities
- Introduce topics like cooperation, responsibility, and respect in age-appropriate ways
- Build comfort with conflict resolution, emotional expression, and communication
Designed for use during circle time, small groups, or even at home, Compass Curriculum gives schools the flexibility to deliver social skills instruction where and how it’s needed most.
It also includes professional development for staff and take-home tools for families—making social skills growth a true community-wide effort.
Start Early, Support Often
Strong social skills for preschoolers create a foundation that lasts a lifetime. From reducing behavioral challenges to improving child development and academic outcomes, early social skills instruction supports positive relationships, resilience, and long-term well-being.
Preschool is the ideal time to begin. And with the right tools—like Compass Curriculum Preschool and PBIS Rewards—schools can deliver meaningful, developmentally appropriate preschool social skills activities that meet every child where they are.
Speak with a Navigate360 expert to learn how the Compass Curriculum Preschool and PBIS Rewards can support social growth in your early learners.
