Social Emotional Learning Activities for Kids

SEL activities for kids that develop confidence, emotional regulation, a sense of capability, communication, and getting along with others — with fun, playful, and pressure-free activities.

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SEL Activities for Kids

Greeting card activity by The Catbears

Greeting Card for Someone You Love – Creative Activity

A special card for a special someone. Create a personal greeting card for someone you love. It could be a parent, a grandparent, or a close friend.

The catbears lemonade stand

The Tastiest Lemonade in the World

A refreshing activity for kids: make sweet, delicious lemonade together with the whole family. Learn teamwork and enjoy the perfect summer drink.

A stick puppet craft by The Catbears

Make a Stick Puppet

A fun craft for kids: make a stick puppet of your favorite animal. Choose an animal, glue it on cardboard, cut it out, add a stick, and color it for your own puppet show.

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What Are SEL Activities?

SEL stands for social and emotional learning. SEL activities are games, crafts, and projects that help children practice five core skills: knowing their feelings, managing those feelings, understanding others, building friendships, and making thoughtful choices.

Instead of lectures or worksheets, kids learn by doing. They make something with their hands, run into a real moment of frustration or sharing or waiting, and practice the skill right then, with support.

How We Create Our SEL Activities

Every activity starts with a real moment we can predict. A craft where someone has to wait for the glue to dry. A game where one child wants to change the rules. We design the activity so that moment shows up on purpose, then build in the support to help kids through it.

Each activity is tested in classrooms and therapy groups before it goes live, and shaped with input from educators and therapists. The craft is just the container. The skill is the point.

How It Works

Meet the Catbears — cute characters who guide kids through crafts and group activities that teach social skills, teamwork, and how to calm down.

Guided Crafts for Kids that Build Social Skills

Adorable Catbears characters guide children through each craft activity with simple videos. Kids learn social skills through hands-on crafts — while you focus on the moments that matter most.

Crafts for kids that teach social skills - guided group activities by The Catbears

Crafts for Kids Using Safe Materials from Home

Guided crafts for kids designed for play-based learning using materials you already have. Perfect for social skills groups, classroom activities, or family time. Works for preschool through elementary ages.

The Catbears - Using materials we have at every home
The Catbears - using recycled materials

Eco-Friendly Materials

Glue, scissors, colors, cardboard boxes, and paper bags. We encourage recycled materials to build environmental awareness alongside social-emotional skills.

The Catbears - using only safe tools for children

Safe for All Ages

All activities use kid-friendly materials — no hot glue or sharp tools. Every child can participate safely in group activities.

The Catbears activity pages for print

Printable Activity Pages

Each social skills game includes printable pages. Print on any home printer, A4 size, black and white.

Why Kids Love Playing Together

Social skills games for kids
Social skills games
Interactive games where kids practice cooperation, taking turns, and helping others through play-based learning.
Coping skills activities for kids
Coping skills activities
Each activity teaches self-regulation — breathing to calm down, managing frustration, and handling big emotions.
Group activities for kids
Group activities
Designed for 1-6 children. Kids progress together, learning teamwork and empathy through shared creative projects.
Play-based learning activities
Video-guided play
Simple, short videos where cute characters guide kids through every step independently.
SEL activities printable pages
Printable activity pages
Activity pages with clear instructions, tested to ensure every child can follow them successfully.
Kids social emotional learning success
"I did it!" moments
Difficulty levels adjusted for children. Success builds self-confidence and belief in themselves.
There is no better time than today to equip our children with life skills and tools for social challenges. The Catbears app provides this solution.
Michal Daliot
Michal Daliot
"Super Nanny," senior educator and family consultant, CEO and owner of the Michal Daliot Center, providing training and consulting for parents and family counselors.

“As a speech-language pathologist, The Catbears is an amazing tool for emotional therapy. The cute characters and social skills games save me valuable prep time. I use these SEL activities to address emotional intelligence and social anxiety naturally. Having ready-made coping skills activities for every age lets me focus on what matters most: the therapeutic relationship.”

Naomi, Speech-Language Pathologist

Frequently Asked Questions

Social-emotional activities help children develop social skills, emotional regulation, and relationship skills. Our guided activities combine social skills games with play-based learning — kids practice coping skills, teamwork, and empathy while creating together.
Ages 3 to 12. Our activities work at home with siblings, in classrooms, kindergartens, and therapy groups. Great for group activities on rainy days, holidays, and weekends.
Cute Catbears characters guide kids through interactive games where they practice cooperation, turn-taking, and helping others. The social skills games are embedded in creative projects — kids learn through play-based learning without realizing they're practicing skills.
Our coping skills activities teach self-regulation: breathing to calm down, managing frustration, accepting differences, and handling disappointment. Parents report kids start using these coping skills in daily life, not just during activities.
Yes! Designed for 1-6 children. Perfect for group activities in homes, kindergartens, elementary schools, after-school programs, and social-skills therapy groups. Kids progress together, learning teamwork naturally.
We combine social skills games with hands-on crafts for kids. Each craft activity includes play-based learning plus skill-building, developed through field testing in schools and therapy settings. Kids get crafts they're proud of — plus real behavioral change.
Our kindness activities and empathy activities create natural moments for children to help each other. Kids progress only when everyone finishes, learning to notice when others need help and offer it genuinely.
Yes! All our activities use play-based learning principles. Children learn social-emotional skills through games, creative projects, and interactive storytelling — not lectures or worksheets.
Yes. Only child-safe materials: paper, cardboard, tape, glue sticks, crayons, and rounded scissors. No hot glue or sharp tools. Safe for all ages including preschool.
Yes. The first activity is completely free. Try our social skills games and coping skills activities before subscribing. Full access requires a monthly or annual subscription. Cancel anytime.
Teaching social skills in early childhood is far more effective than trying to change habits later. These activities build a foundation of empathy, cooperation, and emotional regulation that lasts a lifetime.
Yes. Our social skills activities are used by therapists and special education teachers. The visual guides, predictable structure, and play-based learning approach works well for children with autism and other developmental differences.

Get new SEL activities to your inbox

Be the first to know when we release new social emotional learning activities, free printables, and craft ideas.