Why this skill matters
Each skill area supports everyday confidence, communication, and play. Growth here often shows up as small, repeated gains rather than sudden leaps.
Social Skills
At a glance: Sharing, turn-taking, parallel and cooperative play, empathy, and peer interaction. Watch for it when your toddler hands a toy to another child, waves hello at the park, or notices when someone is crying. These skills build gradually from playing alongside others to truly playing together, and they need plenty of gentle coaching from adults along the way. Browse 187 related activities below.
How to support it through play
Short, repeated activities usually build this skill better than one long session. Keep the challenge light and the interaction playful.
Signs it is growing
Look for slightly longer engagement, smoother coordination, or more willingness to try the skill again tomorrow.
Related behaviour guides
Common age stages
Going further with Social Skills
What advanced looks like
Your child shows unusual empathy — comforting a crying peer, explaining another child’s feelings, or negotiating complex play rules. They may prefer playing with older children or adults.
How to nurture through play
Create opportunities for cooperative play with same-age and mixed-age peers. Introduce games that require negotiation and perspective-taking. Model the language of compromise: ‘How could we make this work for both of you?’
A note on uneven development
A child who understands others’ feelings deeply may become overwhelmed in group settings. Advanced social cognition does not always come with the emotional stamina to manage large groups or conflict.
What the research says
The NAGC emphasises that socially advanced young children benefit from facilitated play with intellectual peers, not isolation. Renzulli’s model supports collaborative problem-solving as a key enrichment strategy even in the earliest years.
Common questions
What are social skills in toddlers?
Social skills include sharing, turn-taking, parallel and cooperative play, empathy, and peer interaction. These develop gradually from playing alongside other children to truly playing together, and they need gentle coaching from adults along the way.
How can I tell if my toddler’s social skills are developing?
Watch for handing a toy to another child, waving hello, noticing when someone is upset, or starting to take turns with support. Parallel play (playing near but not with others) is normal and healthy in the toddler years — it’s a stepping stone, not a problem.
How can I help my toddler develop social skills?
Arrange regular low-pressure play opportunities with other children. Model social interactions yourself (‘Shall we share our biscuit?’). Use turn-taking games with timers, narrate what you see (‘She’s smiling because you gave her a turn’), and avoid forcing sharing before age 3 — it’s neurologically unrealistic.
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