Games and activities to foster empathy with children

Empathy is defined as the feeling of identification with something or someone or the ability to identify with someone and share their feelings. Colloquially we define it as the ability to put ourselves in the place of the other person, that is why empathy is so important. We must train our children

Empathy is defined as the feeling of identification with something or someone or the ability to identify with someone and share their feelings.

Colloquially we define it as the ability to put ourselves in the place of the other person, that is why empathy is so important.

We must train our children in the capacity to be empathic, and to discover themselves, since without personal self-knowledge one can not empathize.

Empathizing is not always easy, so I leave a series of games and activities to encourage empathy with children at home or in class.

Games and activities to promote empathy with children

From my point of view, it is worth working with our children, because it offers us a series of advantages:

- Knowing each other more.

- It develops us emotionally in a positive way.

- We relate better with others.

- Learn not to make judgments in advance or prejudice

To start training with our children empathy I recommend the following series of games and activities:

1- Activities up to 6 years

- Identify your emotion: It is about that identify the basic emotions and put a face of yours associated with that emotion.

The basic emotions (D.Goleman) can be obtained from the acrostic "You love yourself" (Sadness, Anger, Happiness, Fear, Disgust, Surprise).

This activity quickly connects the child with the mood and emotion. We can add emotions periodically, so they know more emotions and they will know themselves better.

- Read your child stories where empathy appears:There are many stories that have the purpose of children put in place of any of the characters. These readings quickly make children empathize. I also recommend that, once you read the story, you ask who you identify with and why, and who you do not identify with and why.

2- Activities for luminaries from 6 to 12 years

- Searching in the press:Search the press for news that interests you and tell them to think about one of the protagonists of the news, and then ask how that person would feel, that they identify with her, etc ...

- The debate upside down:Propose current issues they know or topics of interest. Indicate that for a time defend a position and when they achieve an argument, defend the opposite position. With this we achieve an empathy exercise, capacity for analysis of antagonistic positions.

3- Activities for students from 12 years of age

Cineforum:Let's make a compilation of films that work on empathy, we will watch them and then discuss and analyze them. At these ages we have a greater capacity to work with the subliminal message, and double reading of the movies. Personally I propose the film of The Boy with the striped pajamas (2008), by Mark Herman.