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7 Life Skills Activities for Kids

life skills activities for kids. Image of a list of life skills for kids, including self control, communication, organized, be responsible, decision making, value of money, honesty, perspective taking, and being healthy.

Parenting requires a deep understanding and a diverse skill set. It balances providing love, setting boundaries, and equipping your child with life skills. Central to this mission is transforming everyday chores into engaging and educational experiences. That’s where Goally comes in. We offer expert guidance, consistent support, and a variety of purposeful activities. This guide looks into seven crucial life skills activities for kids, from cooking to time management, designed to shape self-reliant and capable adults.

1. A Pinch of This, A Dash of That: Cooking Skills

Inviting kids into the kitchen rewards you with excited mini sous chefs and proves to be an effective way to introduce them to various life skills. They become familiar with ingredients, learn safety measures, understand instructions, and improve their motor skills. Who knew whipping up a batch of pancakes could be so educational? Important skills they pick up include planning and organizing, decision-making, problem-solving, and much more. The kitchen isn’t just a place for nutrition; it’s also an ideal place for kids to cook up their independence. Plus, Goally’s customizable routines could perfectly fit into their kitchen time.

life skills activities for kids. Image of a woman and a young girl cooking together in a kitchen. The woman is teaching the girl how to make pancakes. The girl is looking excited and eager to learn.
Read more: Cooking With Autism | 3 Recipes

2. Digging Deeper: The Treasure of Gardening

When did you last see your child marvel at a blooming flower? Couple that sense of wonder with tangible skills courtesy of the garden. As they handle plants and earth, they learn responsibility, patience, and the gratifying worth of consistent effort. It’s also a relief knowing their minds are rooted in nature, away from screens, even if only for a little while.

  • Increases awareness of nature and science.
  • Develops motor skills through digging, planting, and watering.
  • Instills patience and appreciation for processes.
  • Encourages responsibility and ownership.

3. Tidy and Shine: The Life Skills in Cleaning

While cleaning might not top the list of enjoyable activities for many kids, it does lay the groundwork for crucial life skills. Allocating specific cleaning chores to your kids teaches them responsibility, order, and the importance of maintaining a neat space. Plus, success at such tasks can pump up their self-esteem. A small task for you, a giant learning leap for them.

  • Inculcates the habit of organizing and planning.
  • Helps kids understand and respect personal and shared spaces.
  • Cultivates a sense of accomplishment and responsibility.

How Goally Can Help With Life Skills

One of the many reasons why Goally has become a favorite among parents and caregivers is its specific design to support life skill development in kids. Goally’s interface features customizable routines and provides visual and auditory cues that help children understand, execute, and manage daily tasks independently, improving their planning, time management, and organizational skills. Simultaneously, it allows parents to track progress and tweak routines as needed. The user-friendly app makes life skills activities for kids more reasonable and approachable than ever before, transforming everyday tasks into exciting challenges. Goally is your trusty companion in preparing your child for the grand adventure of life.

life skills activities for kids. A boy is using his Goally tablet to wash his hands.

"We purchased the Goally app for my son and LOVE IT! We love that it has visuals, behavioral rewards, AND the talker all in one."— Goally Mom
Learn more →

4. Dollars and Sense: The Importance of Money Management

Financial savviness a life skill? Absolutely! Money management is not just about dollars and cents; it’s a vital part of growing up. Teaching this skill early encourages a practical understanding of budgets, savings, and expenses. They’ll thank you later when they’ve mastered this pretty big slice of adulting. But where to start? Try shopping games at home, setting up a lemonade stand, or instilling regular saving habits. And yep, Goally can assist in this journey by helping you set and monitor money management tasks in a fun, challenging, and rewarding way.

5. The Value of Time: Learning to Manage Clock and Calendar

Creating routines and planning schedules can help a child understand the value of time. This understanding fosters discipline, punctuality, and task prioritization. A helpful approach would be using an age-appropriate planner or a dedicated app like Goally designed to guide your child through their daily tasks. While transitions between activities can be challenging for neurodivergent kids, Goally’s visual timer could gently guide them through their routine. Habits of strong time management forged now could lead to future-ready, organized adults.

6. Friendship and Beyond Cultivating Social Skills

Interpersonal skills form the backbone of most human interactions. Nurturing these skills in children equips them to handle various social situations. Encouraging playdates, role-playing, and open conversations can ensure emotional literacy and empathy are in their social arsenal. Teaching etiquette, conversation basics, and ways to express emotions could round off their social skill set. Remember to reinforce the importance of listening, too – it’s half of all communication!

7. Life Is A Puzzle: Encouraging Problem-solving Skills

Teach a child to overcome hurdles, and you’ve armed them for life. From making choices to resolving conflict, problem-solving is a must-have life skill. You can offer opportunities to develop these skills through games, storytelling, and real-world experiences. By nurturing problem-solving, we help create adaptable, resilient future adults.

Goally | 100+ Streaming Video Classes

Does your child need some extra guidance on building essential life skills? Goally’s skill building tablet for kids includes a TV app that has the most robust video library of skills training videos for kids. Ranging from content like “How to Brush Your Teeth” to “How to Make Friends at School,” we have dozens of interactive video lessons for kids with thinking and learning differences.

An assortment of interactive video class thumbnails, including dental care and cooking, on the best tablet for kids by Goally.

HERE’s a video explaining how to works.

With a pinch of creativity and a generous measure of patience, they learn that every problem has a solution. So there you have it – a handy repertoire of life skills activities for kids. Remember, your neurodivergent child, with their unique thinking and learning differences, is on their path to shine. With these practical tips and tools like Goally, they will surely ace the journey, and so are you!

FAQ’s About Life Skills for Kids

What are life skills activities for kids?
Life skills activities are practical tasks designed to teach children essential skills they'll need throughout their lives, like cooking, time management, and personal hygiene.

How can visual schedules aid in teaching life skills to kids?
Visual schedules use pictures and symbols to represent daily tasks or steps in an activity, helping children understand, anticipate, and complete tasks more independently.

Why are emotional regulation apps important for children's development?
Emotional regulation apps help children recognize, express, and manage their feelings, fostering better emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationships.

How do rewards enhance the learning experience for kids?
Rewards provide positive reinforcement, motivating children to engage in and repeat beneficial behaviors, making learning more effective and enjoyable.

Can life skills activities be incorporated into daily routines?
Absolutely! Everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning, or even shopping can be transformed into valuable learning experiences for children.
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We help parents teach their kids life skills, like doing bedtime and morning independently. Backed by science, we incorporate evidence-based practices and expert-informed designs in all of our apps and content.