3 Games to Teach Perspective Taking to Kids

Diana Cortese Author

Help kids build empathy and social skills with these 3 perspective taking games!

3 Fun Games to Practice Perspective Taking

Perspective taking is a foundational social skill. Without the ability to understand how someone else thinks or feels, making and keeping friends becomes a significant challenge. However, teaching this concept is often easier said than done. Even once a child grasps the idea of "putting themselves in someone else's shoes," they still need consistent, engaging practice to make that skill stick.

In my social skills groups, I love using games that provide these opportunities naturally. When kids are having fun, the practice doesn’t feel like a lesson; it feels like play. Here are three unique games I use to help kids master perspective taking.

Game 1: Emotion Headbands

Most people are familiar with the classic headband guessing game where you wear a card on your head and ask questions to figure out the object. To target social skills, we put a twist on it: Emotion Headbands.

Instead of objects, we use emotion cards. If I am the person wearing the "Excited" card, my job isn't to ask questions. Instead, I listen to the other players as they take turns describing scenarios that would make me feel that way.

The magic of this version is that the other players have to think specifically about me. They shouldn't just suggest what makes them excited; they have to consider what they know about my likes and dislikes. This requires a high level of perspective taking to successfully guide the guesser to the right emotion.

Game 2: This or That

This game is incredibly simple but sparks amazing conversation. We use a deck of cards featuring two choices, such as "Beach or Mountains."

One student picks a card and keeps their preference a secret in their head. Before they reveal their choice, the rest of the group must guess what that student would pick based on what they know about them. Do they know if that person loves to surf? Do they know if that person hates the cold or loves trees?

If the group doesn't know the person well enough to guess, the game provides a perfect opening to learn. It naturally encourages kids to explain their "why," leading to organic banter and deeper social connections.

Game 3: Situation and Emotion Match

This is a go to resource in my groups because it has endless replayability. The game uses two decks: Situation Cards (ranging from "you found a $100 bill" to "your pillow turned into a marshmallow") and Mood Cards (like "inspiring," "heartbreaking," or "silly").

There are two ways to play:

1. The Situation Judge: One player is the judge and picks a Mood Card (e.g., "Amazing"). The other players look at their hand of Situation Cards and choose the one they think the judge would find most amazing. They have to think like the judge to win the point.
2. The Emotion Judge: The judge picks a Situation Card (e.g., "You are clearly the teacher's favorite"). The other players must look at their Mood Cards and decide which emotion the judge would feel in that specific scenario.

Because the game is competitive in a fun way, kids are highly incentivized to accurately predict the judge's perspective. Whether they are navigating realistic social scenarios or "curveball" silly ones, they are constantly practicing the vital skill of seeing the world through someone else's eyes.