Encourage Positive Peer Interactions: Building Healthy Social Connections

Healthy peer relationships provide children with opportunities to develop social skills, receive validation, and experience belonging—all of which counter tendencies toward feeling victimized or isolated.

Research shows that facilitating and encouraging positive peer interactions can help reduce feelings of victimization and promote a more positive self-view (Peets et al., 2021).

For 7-year-old children, peer relationships are becoming increasingly important. Through these connections, children learn crucial social skills, experience different perspectives, develop empathy, and build confidence in their ability to form and maintain relationships.

When children have positive peer experiences, they are more likely to see social interactions as rewarding rather than threatening, contributing to a resilient rather than victimized mindset.

Activities

1. Group Sports or Physical Activities

Purpose: To foster teamwork, sportsmanship, and positive peer relationships through structured physical activities that promote cooperation and healthy social dynamics.

Materials Needed:

Age-appropriate sports equipment
Comfortable activity space
Team identifiers (colored bands, shirts)
Simple rules reference

Positive sportsmanship cards
Participation certificates
First-aid kit
Water and snacks
Schedule for regular meetings

Steps:

1. Selecting Appropriate Group Activities:

Choose physical activities that match your child’s interests and developmental level:

Consider various activity types:
1. Team sports (soccer, basketball, t-ball)
2. Cooperative games (parachute play, relay races)
3. Movement classes (dance, gymnastics, martial arts)
4. Outdoor adventure activities (hiking, obstacle courses)
5. Swimming or water play groups
Evaluate activity characteristics:
1. Emphasis on participation over competition
2. Appropriate level of structure and rules
3. Opportunities for different roles and contributions
4. Balance of challenge and success
5. Supportive adult guidance
Match to your child’s temperament and needs:
1. Activity level and energy demands
2. Group size that feels comfortable
3. Familiarity with other participants
4. Previous experience with similar activities
5. Specific social skills they’re developing

2. Creating a Positive Activity Environment:

Set the stage for constructive interactions:

Establish clear, age-appropriate expectations:
1. Simple, consistent rules focusing on respect
2. Emphasis on effort over outcomes
3. Clear turn-taking or participation guidelines
4. Appropriate voice level and physical boundaries
5. Procedures for getting help or taking breaks
Model and promote positive sportsmanship:
1. Congratulating others on success
2. Encouraging teammates during challenges
3. Graceful handling of disappointment
4. Focus on personal improvement
5. Appreciation for everyone’s contributions
Balance competition and cooperation:
1. Rotate teams regularly to avoid fixed rivalries
2. Include non-competitive cooperative challenges
3. Celebrate team achievements over individual performance
4. Acknowledge multiple types of contributions
5. Focus on fun and participation

3. Supporting Successful Peer Interactions:

Help children navigate social aspects of group activities:

Prepare your child for social engagement:
1. Discuss activity expectations beforehand
2. Role-play positive social interactions
3. Teach simple phrases for joining play or encouraging others
4. Build excitement about connecting with peers
5. Arrive early to ease transition into the group
Provide appropriate adult guidance:
1. Intervene minimally but constructively when needed
2. Use problem-solving language rather than directives
3. Notice and reinforce positive interactions
4. Help translate social cues for children who struggle
5. Gradually reduce support as children manage successfully
Address challenges constructively:
1. Guide conflict resolution using simple steps
2. Help children express feelings appropriately
3. Find win-win solutions when possible
4. Support children in rejoining activities after conflicts
5. Frame difficulties as learning opportunities

4. Extending Learning Beyond the Activity:

Connect physical activities to broader social skills:

Process experiences together:
1. “What was the most fun part of playing together?”
2. “How did your team work together today?”
3. “What did someone do that helped you or made you feel good?”
4. “What did you do that helped someone else?”
5. “Was anything challenging about playing with the group?”
Highlight social skill development:
1. Notice improvements in cooperation
2. Point out effective communication
3. Acknowledge good sportsmanship
4. Recognize problem-solving efforts
5. Celebrate new friendship connections
Apply lessons to other settings:
1. Connect sports/activity teamwork to classroom cooperation
2. Relate turn-taking in games to turn-taking in conversation
3. Link encouragement in sports to supporting siblings at home
4. Apply fair play concepts to sharing and negotiations
5. Transfer perseverance in physical challenges to other areas

5. Building Consistency and Growth:

Develop ongoing positive physical engagement with peers:

Establish regular participation routines:
1. Consistent schedule for organized activities
2. Informal neighborhood play opportunities
3. Playdate rotations with activity focus
4. Family involvement in community recreation
5. Seasonal activity transitions
Track and celebrate social progress:
1. Notice new friendships forming
2. Acknowledge improved social comfort
3. Recognize developing leadership skills
4. Celebrate teamwork milestones
5. Honor growth in sportsmanship
Expand physical activities strategically:
1. Gradually increase group size as appropriate
2. Introduce more complex cooperative challenges
3. Add new social elements as skills develop
4. Connect with wider circles of peers
5. Try activities that build on established skills

Group Activity Adaptations:

For children with coordination challenges: Choose activities with flexible skill requirements
For highly competitive children: Emphasize cooperative elements and personal improvement
For socially anxious children: Start with smaller groups and familiar peers
For high-energy children: Ensure plenty of movement and clear boundaries

2. Collaborative Art or Craft Projects

Purpose: To develop cooperation, shared creativity, and positive social connections through joint artistic endeavors that require communication and mutual support.

Materials Needed:

Variety of art supplies
Large work surface
Project ideas list
Clean-up materials
Recognition certificates

Smocks or protective clothing
Collaboration guidelines
Display space for completed projects
Camera to document process

Steps:

1. Planning Effective Collaborative Projects:

Design artistic experiences that foster positive interaction:

Select projects requiring genuine collaboration:
1. Group murals or large paintings
2. Mosaic creations with individual contributions
3. Building projects requiring multiple hands
4. Storytelling quilts or collages
5. Chain reaction or Rube Goldberg machines
Consider project characteristics:
1. Multiple participants needed for completion
2. Different roles that utilize various strengths
3. Clear but flexible structure
4. Process as important as product
5. Visible individual contributions within group result
Prepare appropriately for success:
1. Sufficient materials for all participants
2. Adequate space for movement and interaction
3. Clear demonstration or examples
4. Simplified instructions with visual supports
5. Roles or stations that prevent waiting or crowding

2. Establishing Collaborative Dynamics:

Set up the social framework for positive interaction:

Create a cooperative atmosphere:
1. Begin with an inclusion activity
2. Discuss what makes working together fun
3. Establish that everyone has valuable contributions
4. Emphasize the uniqueness of group creation
5. Set a tone of experimentation and enjoyment
Establish supportive ground rules:
1. Respectful communication expectations
2. Materials sharing guidelines
3. Process for suggesting ideas
4. How to blend different creative visions
5. Appropriate ways to offer help
Structure roles and participation:
1. Ensure each child has clearly defined contributions
2. Rotate leadership or specialized roles
3. Create interdependent tasks
4. Balance individual expression and group cohesion
5. Plan transitions between project phases

3. Facilitating Positive Peer Interactions:

Guide social exchanges during the creative process:

Support effective communication:
1. Model and encourage idea sharing
2. Teach phrases for offering suggestions
3. Guide constructive feedback
4. Help with turn-taking in conversation
5. Facilitate listening and responding
Promote cooperative problem-solving:
1. Notice when challenges arise
2. Guide children to identify issues together
3. Facilitate brainstorming multiple solutions
4. Help evaluate options as a group
5. Celebrate successful resolutions
Recognize positive social moments:
1. “I noticed how you helped Sam when the paint spilled.”
2. “You and Jamie found a great way to combine your ideas.”
3. “Everyone worked together to solve that tricky problem.”
4. “I saw how you made sure everyone had a turn.”
5. “Your encouragement helped the group keep trying.”

4. Processing the Collaborative Experience:

Help children reflect on both artistic and social aspects:

Guide group reflection:
1. “What was it like to create something together?”
2. “How did your ideas change when you heard others’ suggestions?”
3. “What was challenging about working as a team?”
4. “What made our group work well together?”
5. “What do you like about our finished project?”
Connect to social learning:
1. Highlight successful cooperation strategies
2. Discuss how different ideas enhanced the project
3. Identify how problems were overcome
4. Talk about feelings during the collaboration
5. Relate the experience to other group situations
Celebrate the collaborative achievement:
1. Display the project prominently
2. Document the creation process
3. Share with a wider audience
4. Create a collaborative artist statement
5. Hold a small exhibition or presentation

5. Extending Collaborative Art Experiences:

Build on success to develop ongoing creative partnerships:

Create progression in collaborative complexity:
1. Start with simpler shared projects
2. Gradually increase interdependence
3. Add more sophisticated social elements
4. Expand group size strategically
5. Introduce projects requiring sustained collaboration
Connect to broader social skills:
1. Apply successful strategies to other group situations
2. Notice transferable skills (turn-taking, compromise)
3. Discuss how art collaboration relates to other teamwork
4. Use creative collaboration language in other contexts
5. Build on established partnerships for new challenges
Develop a collaborative creator identity:
1. Create a collaborative art portfolio or gallery
2. Establish regular group creation sessions
3. Acknowledge growth in collaborative skills
4. Connect to community art initiatives
5. Explore how artists collaborate in the larger world

Collaborative Art Adaptations:

For children with perfectionist tendencies: Choose more abstract or process-focused projects
For children with attention challenges: Break collaboration into shorter sessions
For children with sensory sensitivities: Offer alternative materials and roles
For groups with varying skill levels: Create projects with multiple types of contributions

3. Book Club or Story Exchange

Purpose: To foster meaningful peer connections through shared reading experiences, developing communication skills, empathy, and respectful exchange of ideas and perspectives.

Materials Needed:

Age-appropriate books
Comfortable meeting space
Discussion question cards
Story response activities

Snacks (optional)
Reading journals
Name tags for first meetings
Group guidelines poster
Schedule for regular meetings

Steps:

1. Creating an Engaging Book Club Structure:

Design an approach that works for young readers:

Format the club appropriately for age level:
1. Picture book sharing for emerging readers
2. Read-aloud with discussion for developing readers
3. Simple chapter books with supported reading
4. Combination of independent and group reading
5. Themed book selections (animals, adventures, etc.)
Set up a comfortable, inviting environment:
1. Cozy seating arranged to see each other
2. Good lighting for looking at books
3. Minimal distractions
4. Display of featured books
5. Simple refreshments if appropriate
Establish supportive group guidelines:
1. Everyone’s ideas are welcome
2. One person speaks at a time
3. It’s okay to have different opinions
4. Listening is as important as sharing
5. Participation can take different forms

2. Facilitating Meaningful Book Discussions:

Guide conversations that build connection and understanding:

Prepare engaging discussion prompts:
1. “Who was your favorite character and why?”
2. “What part of the story surprised you?”
3. “If you could change one thing in the story, what would it be?”
4. “How would you feel if you were in the main character’s place?”
5. “What does this story remind you of in your own life?”
Support inclusive participation:
1. Use talking objects to indicate speaker turns
2. Offer think time before sharing
3. Provide drawing as an alternative expression method
4. Create small pair discussions before group sharing
5. Balance contributions with gentle facilitation
Build on children’s responses:
1. Ask follow-up questions to expand thinking
2. Connect one child’s idea to another’s
3. Validate different interpretations
4. Help children elaborate on brief responses
5. Guide respectful comparison of differing views

3. Extending Beyond Discussion:

Enhance connections through book-related activities:

Incorporate creative response options:
1. Drawing favorite scenes
2. Acting out parts of the story
3. Creating alternative endings
4. Making character puppets
5. Building story maps or timelines
Design collaborative extension projects:
1. Group murals of story settings
2. Character interview role plays
3. Collaborative sequels or new adventures
4. Problem-solving workshops for story dilemmas
5. Real-world connections to story themes
Include movement and play:
1. Story-inspired games
2. Treasure hunts based on book elements
3. Character-inspired movement activities
4. Book-themed sensory experiences
5. Outdoor adventures connected to stories

4. Supporting Positive Social Dynamics:

Create healthy peer interactions through books:

Model and encourage positive social behaviors:
1. Active listening with eye contact
2. Asking questions about others’ thoughts
3. Building on peers’ ideas
4. Giving specific compliments about contributions
5. Respectful ways to disagree
Address social challenges constructively:
1. Guide taking turns in popular activities
2. Help with inclusion of quieter members
3. Support conflict resolution over book choices
4. Assist with perspective-taking when opinions differ
5. Coach children who find group settings challenging
Build group identity and connection:
1. Create a club name or symbol
2. Establish special rituals or traditions
3. Take group photos with favorite books
4. Make club bookmarks or badges
5. Create a shared reading record or journal

5. Growing the Book Club Experience:

Develop depth and community over time:

Increase child ownership gradually:
1. Involve children in book selection
2. Let them take turns leading discussions
3. Encourage them to create questions
4. Support them in planning extension activities
5. Help them invite and welcome new members
Connect to broader reading community:
1. Visit libraries or bookstores together
2. Participate in reading challenges
3. Share recommendations with other groups
4. Connect with authors when possible
5. Create a little free library or book exchange
Track growth and progress:
1. Create a visual record of books shared
2. Document favorite discussions or activities
3. Note development of discussion skills
4. Celebrate reading milestones
5. Acknowledge social connections formed

Book Club Adaptations:

For mixed reading abilities: Use audiobooks or paired reading approaches
For very active children: Incorporate more movement and hands-on responses
For children with language challenges: Add visual supports and simplified discussion prompts
For shy participants: Begin with smaller groups or pair sharing before full group discussion

4. Peer Teaching and Learning Sessions

Purpose: To foster mutual respect, recognition of diverse strengths, and positive social exchange through children teaching each other skills and knowledge, building confidence and social connection.

Materials Needed:

Topic/skill inventory chart
Simple lesson plan template
Teaching/learning space
Subject-specific materials
Thank you cards

Teaching certificates
Documentation tools (camera, journal)
Feedback forms
Session schedule

Steps:

1. Preparing for Successful Peer Teaching:

Set the foundation for positive teaching exchanges:

Identify each child’s strengths and interests:
1. Create a skills and knowledge inventory
2. Ask what they enjoy showing others
3. Notice what they do confidently
4. Consider both academic and non-academic skills
5. Include hobbies, cultural knowledge, and special interests
Discuss the value of peer teaching and learning:
1. “Everyone is good at different things.”
2. “Teaching is a special way of sharing what you know.”
3. “Learning from friends can be fun and different.”
4. “Being both a teacher and a learner helps us understand others.”
5. “Sharing our skills helps everyone grow.”
Prepare children for the teaching role:
1. Break skills into simple steps
2. Practice explaining clearly
3. Prepare necessary materials
4. Consider how to handle questions
5. Discuss patience and encouragement

2. Structuring Effective Teaching Sessions:

Create a framework that supports positive exchanges:

Set up appropriate teaching formats:
1. One-to-one skill sharing
2. Small group mini-lessons
3. Learning stations with different peer teachers
4. Buddy system with reciprocal teaching
5. Project partnerships with complementary skills
Create a supportive physical environment:
1. Adequate space for demonstration
2. Necessary materials prepared in advance
3. Minimal distractions
4. Seating arranged for visibility
5. Visual supports when helpful
Establish clear session guidelines:
1. Time limits appropriate to attention spans
2. Signals for getting help or asking questions
3. Respectful listening expectations
4. Turn-taking procedures
5. Celebration of effort and progress

3. Facilitating Positive Teaching Interactions:

Support children in successful teaching and learning:

Guide effective teaching behaviors:
1. Breaking instructions into small steps
2. Demonstrating before explaining
3. Checking for understanding
4. Giving specific, positive feedback
5. Helping without taking over
Support constructive learning behaviors:
1. Showing interest and appreciation
2. Asking clarifying questions
3. Trying even when challenging
4. Expressing thanks for teaching
5. Offering specific positive feedback
Provide appropriate adult scaffolding:
1. Observe closely but intervene minimally
2. Offer support when frustration appears
3. Suggest alternative explanations when needed
4. Help with session pacing
5. Model enthusiastic learning

4. Processing and Celebrating Teaching Experiences:

Deepen learning through reflection:

Guide reflection for teachers:
1. “What part of teaching went well?”
2. “What did you enjoy about sharing your knowledge?”
3. “Was anything challenging about teaching?”
4. “What did you learn by teaching someone else?”
5. “How might you teach differently next time?”
Guide reflection for learners:
1. “What was it like to learn from your friend?”
2. “What new thing did you discover or learn to do?”
3. “How was learning from a friend different from learning from a grown-up?”
4. “What made it easier or harder to learn?”
5. “How did you feel when you mastered the new skill?”
Create meaningful recognition:
1. Teaching certificates or badges
2. Learning achievement acknowledgments
3. Group celebration of new skills
4. Photo documentation of teaching moments
5. Opportunity to demonstrate new learning

5. Developing Ongoing Peer Learning Culture:

Build lasting patterns of skill sharing:

Establish regular peer teaching opportunities:
1. Weekly skill-sharing sessions
2. Monthly special interest workshops
3. Classroom expertise directories
4. Family skill-sharing gatherings
5. Community learning exchanges
Connect to broader learning concepts:
1. Everyone has valuable knowledge to share
2. Teaching helps deepen understanding
3. Learning is a lifelong process
4. Skills can be shared across generations
5. Knowledge grows when it’s shared
Expand teaching and learning repertoire:
1. Increase complexity of skills shared
2. Develop multi-session teaching series
3. Create collaborative teaching teams
4. Document learning through demonstrations or performances
5. Connect to community expertise and teaching opportunities

Peer Teaching Adaptations:

For children who are hesitant to teach: Start with very familiar skills and supportive learners
For children who dominate teaching time: Create structured time limits and turn-taking
For children with speech or language challenges: Incorporate demonstrations and visual guides
For mixed-age groups: Pair children thoughtfully and emphasize diverse types of knowledge

5. Social Skills and Role-Playing Games

Purpose: To develop and practice positive social interactions in a structured, playful context, building skills in communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution that transfer to real social situations.

Materials Needed:

Social scenario cards
Role description cards
Simple props or costumes
Emotion expression charts

Social skills visual cues
Reflection question cards
Game rules poster
Feedback forms
Social skills checklist

Steps:

1. Selecting Appropriate Social Skills Focus:

Choose skills that match children’s developmental needs:

Consider common social challenges:
1. Joining group play appropriately
2. Taking turns and sharing
3. Expressing feelings constructively
4. Resolving conflicts peacefully
5. Responding to teasing or exclusion
6. Showing empathy and support
Match skills to your child’s social stage:
1. Current friendship challenges
2. Emerging social interests
3. Recent difficult interactions
4. Next developmental social steps
5. Transitions to new social environments
Create a progression of skill development:
1. Start with simpler, concrete skills
2. Build toward more complex social navigation
3. Balance practicing strengths and challenges
4. Connect skills that build upon each other
5. Include both preventative and responsive skills

2. Designing Engaging Role-Play Activities:

Create playful scenarios for meaningful practice:

Develop realistic, age-appropriate scenarios:
1. Playground interactions
2. Birthday party situations
3. Classroom cooperation challenges
4. Friendship formation opportunities
5. Handling disappointment or disagreement
Structure role-plays effectively:
1. Clear, simple scenario descriptions
2. Defined character roles with guidance
3. Appropriate level of structure vs. improvisation
4. Brief duration (3-5 minutes for young children)
5. Clear beginning and end signals
Make role-playing engaging and fun:
1. Incorporate simple props or costumes
2. Use puppet characters for younger children
3. Create playful framing (helping a character navigate challenges)
4. Include elements of favorite stories or interests
5. Balance challenge with success and enjoyment

3. Facilitating Effective Practice:

Guide children through meaningful social rehearsal:

Prepare for role-playing success:
1. Discuss the target skill briefly first
2. Demonstrate or model if needed
3. Check understanding of the scenario
4. Offer sentence starters or phrases
5. Set a positive, experimental tone
Support during role-play:
1. Allow children to work through challenges
2. Offer gentle coaching for stuck points
3. Suggest alternatives if needed
4. Recognize effective skill use in the moment
5. Maintain engagement and focus
Process immediately after practice:
1. “What went well in that situation?”
2. “How did you feel during the role-play?”
3. “What was challenging about using that skill?”
4. “What might be another way to handle it?”
5. “How might this work in a real situation?”

4. Reinforcing Through Games and Activities:

Use playful approaches to strengthen social skills:

Incorporate structured social skills games:
1. Feelings charades
2. Friendship bingo
3. Problem-solving board games
4. Social skills card games
5. Cooperative challenges requiring specific skills
Design skill-specific activities:
1. Taking turns: Pass the prize with increasing wait times
2. Listening: Drawing from descriptions
3. Cooperation: Team building challenges
4. Emotion recognition: Face detective games
5. Conflict resolution: Solve-it-together puzzles
Create skill practice routines:
1. Social skill of the week focus
2. Regular role-play sessions
3. Skill practice during daily activities
4. Social skills story time
5. Real-world practice assignments

5. Transferring Skills to Real Situations:

Bridge from practice to authentic social experiences:

Connect role-play to real-life opportunities:
1. “Remember how we practiced joining the game? You might try that at recess today.”
2. “This situation is like what we role-played yesterday.”
3. “Which strategy from our practice might work here?”
4. “Let’s rehearse quickly before you go to the party.”
5. “I noticed you used our practiced words on the playground!”
Process real social experiences:
1. Reflect on how skills worked in actual situations
2. Problem-solve challenges that arose
3. Celebrate successful skill application
4. Modify approaches based on real outcomes
5. Identify new skills needed based on experiences
Build a skill development portfolio:
1. Track progress on targeted social skills
2. Document successful social interactions
3. Create personal social strategy cards
4. Develop a “friendship toolbox” of effective approaches
5. Celebrate growth in social capability

Role-Play Adaptations:

For shy or reluctant children: Start with puppets or toys before direct role-play
For concrete thinkers: Use very specific scenarios closely matched to their experiences
For children with perspective-taking challenges: Include explicit emotion and thought narration
For highly verbal children: Add more complex negotiation and problem-solving elements

These positive peer interaction activities help children develop:

Comfort and confidence in social situations
Skills for initiating and maintaining friendships
Experience with cooperative endeavors and shared goals
Recognition of others’ strengths and perspectives
Strategies for navigating social challenges successfully

Remember that building positive peer relationships is an ongoing process. Creating structured opportunities for successful interactions helps children develop the social skills and confidence that protect against feeling victimized or isolated.
As children experience belonging, mutual support, and the ability to navigate social relationships successfully, they build resilience and a more empowered mindset.

Next Steps

Choose one activity that aligns with your child’s interests and current social needs
Start with a small group of compatible peers for initial experiences
Notice and reinforce positive social behaviors when they occur
Help your child process both successful and challenging interactions
Gradually expand the social circle and complexity of interactions as skills develop

The goal is to help your child develop the understanding that social connections can be rewarding, manageable, and within their capability to navigate successfully—a perspective that directly counters tendencies toward social victimization.