Fun & Effective Conflict Resolution Activities for Kids

Have you ever noticed little kids playing with their buddies and then fighting over some toys or games the next moment? And the next day, you’ll find them again playing with the same buddy. How innocent and cute are these friendships?

Conflicts are natural and inevitable in life. Like us adults, kids also have opinions, feelings, and perspectives, which sometimes cause clashes with other kids. These cute, harmless fights can be a great opportunity for social skills development in kids.

Research on ‘Social Conflict and Social Competence in Preschool Children’ explored the relationship between conflict and social competence in preschoolers. It was found that children who engage in more conflicts tend to have lower social competence, but teaching kids conflict resolution also provides an opportunity for developing social skills.

This is your chance to turn these tricky situations into a big learning lesson about social rules, boundaries, and cooperation with a little support, guidance, and love. But first, you need to understand the causes of conflicts to help them navigate through disagreements with the help of conflict resolution activities. 

Let’s have a look at what conflict scenarios can look like in early childhood.

• Namecalling 

Name-calling occurs when kids use different nicknames to tease each other and make fun of others. These nicknames are often mean, which upsets the child and can cause conflict.

• Struggling to take turns

Being possessive of a toy or not having patience for a game or activity causes the child to struggle and create conflicts. The feelings of compassion and empathy should be taught to the kids to avoid such arguments and fights. 

• Arguing over the rules of a new game

Kids love playing, and what they love the most is creating new games every day with their imaginations. The excitement of making up their own rules can lead to disagreements and conflicts. 

• Hitting 

Hitting is a reaction that kids give when they are offended by something and feel angry and frustrated. Because they cannot express their emotions through words, their feelings find a way out through physical aggression. This is a result of unresolved conflict and can also cause conflict. 

Since kids spend more time with their fellow kids in preschool, it is impossible to prevent them from facing such situations. Beansprouts, one of the top nursery schools in Gurgaon, tries to turn this into a lesson of learning for kids.  Let’s look at the bright side and explore the fun ways we can help the little ones develop conflict-resolution skills so they can play with their best buddies without the baggage of the last clash.

Conflict resolution activities for kids 

• Game of rock-paper-scissors 

The classic hand game of rock, paper, and scissors is the easiest way out of the small conflicts that kids face daily. It can be used to decide who gets the first turn or who should make the rules, etc. This technique works best as it gives a clear winner at the end, making it simple and effective for kids to make the decision. It teaches kids turn-taking and sticking by the rules and contributes to developing essential problem-solving skills for children. The main catch is the fun and light-hearted vibe of the game that brings back the laughter and giggles.

• Puppet show 

The powerful storytelling tool of puppet shows is one of the most attractive ways to teach conflict resolution to kids. It involves enacting the same conflict situation using puppets while verbalising the kid’s feelings about that scenario. This gives the kid a chance to look at the situation objectively from a third perspective and develop empathy. The vibrant colours, exaggerated features, and dynamic movements make conflict resolution enjoyable and entertaining while teaching a valuable lesson. Puppet shows can be incorporated as engaging classroom activities for preschoolers, providing a fun and interactive way to learn about conflict resolution and develop essential social-emotional skills.

• Anger Ball-Toss

Anger Ball-toss is a game involving players tossing balls to each other saying ‘I am angry because…’ while repeating what the person ahead of them said. This is a physical way to let the pent-up emotions out in a safe and controlled manner. Conflicts can sometimes leave you with emotions bottled up inside, which is unhealthy for your emotional well-being. This game initiates a conversation about the emotions triggered by that conflict, which is the first step to dealing with it. This activity can also be adapted as one of the teamwork activities for preschoolers, where they collaborate to keep the ball in motion while expressing their feelings, fostering cooperation and communication within a group setting.

• Taking it out using “I” statements

The concept of using the “I” statement is to talk specifically about how the conflict has affected you. This takes out the chances of the blame game that happens during conflicts by solely talking about ourselves. It helps kids to express themselves and discover different perspectives on the same situation. This method is a valuable tool for developing communication skills for young children, enabling them to hear the story of both sides and come to a common conclusion. 

• Diversions 

Diversions work best in some cases, usually with the conflicts kids face each day at school. These diversions can include taking them to the park, narrating a story, or offering a treat. This is the most common technique used by the nursery schools in Gurgaon to deal with little disputes between the little ones. 

You need to help them identify which conflicts can be resolved with diversions and which are worth finding a solution for. The key is to teach them the difference between small problems and big problems. Small problems, like another kid taking your toy or sitting on your chair, can be solved with diversions. Big problems like name-calling and bullying should be addressed promptly by parents and teachers. 

Beansprouts, one of the top nursery schools in Gurgaon, utilises these conflict-resolution activities to ensure a positive learning environment for preschoolers. They prioritise the development of socio-emotional skills to promote emotional intelligence in early education. Let’s prepare our little ones to navigate life happily and peacefully, making friends along the way.