Playing Without Toys: The Importance of “People Games"

Why "People Games" Matter

Ever noticed how kids love playing peek-a-boo, chase, or silly songs?

These early social games (also called "people games") are powerful tools for building:

Social skills
Language and communication
Emotional regulation
Empathy and cooperation

Unlike traditional toys, people games don’t require materials—just playful interactions! They typically follow a repetitive, or repeating, pattern that children can follow and expect to be played in the same way each time.

Does your family have established play routines that you engage in with your child? These can be as simple as a high-five or as complex as a song your family made up to sing together before going to bed. When you play these social games the same way each time, your child can remember the game and recognize how they can interact with you during the game. Be sure to repeat, repeat, repeat the game many times so your child is able to participate with you eventually.

How Social Games Benefit Children

Language Development – Children learn words, sentence structure, and turn-taking.

Social Skills – Games teach cooperation, turn-taking, and sharing.

Emotional Regulation – Kids learn to express and manage their feelings.

Empathy & Understanding – Helps kids recognize emotions in others.

Cognitive Growth – Enhances memory, attention, and problem-solving.

Physical Development – Supports gross and fine motor skills.

Learning Social & Cultural Norms – Teaches manners, rules, and traditions.

Early Social Games to Play with your Child

Peek-a-Boo:

Builds social engagement, object permanence, and anticipation.
Get animated! Hide behind your hands, a blanket, or a book. Then, show your child the routine – smile at them, hide, then build some anticipation by pausing before popping out to say “boo!”.
Let your child take a turn by hiding under a blanket. When they are hidden, add in a verbal routine. You could say "Where's [name]? Where's [name]?" then uncovering them saying, "Found you!"

Horsey Ride

This is a classic knee-bouncing game:
🎶 "Ride a little horsey, Into town, Better be careful, So you don’t fall down!"
Bounce your child on your knee facing you as you playfully help them ride the “horse” and “fall down”. Change up the routine by having your child “fall down” to the side or in-between your legs.
Helps with motor skills, routines, and anticipation.

Finger Songs/Games

Encourages imitation, rhythm, and fine motor skills. Children can learn the songs vocabulary and practice imitating your actions while making the finger motions.

🎵 Itsy Bitsy Spider

🐖 Little Piggies

🌟 Twinkle, Twinkle

🐸 Five Little Speckled Frogs

Chase

Playing tag or chase can help not only with building social interaction skills, but also motor development.
Running and navigating the environment as children play chase can help build muscles, promote balance and coordination, and spatial awareness.

🏃 Ready, Set, Go!

🤗 Chase and Tickle

🦆 Duck, Duck, Goose

❄️ Freeze Tag

Simon Says:

Improves listening, following directions, and impulse control.
Take turns being "Simon" and give fun commands!

I-spy

Expands language and observational skills.
Adapt it based on age:

🔴 "I spy something red."

🔠 "I spy something that starts with S."

🏡 "I spy something you can eat."

Guess What

Develops critical thinking and vocabulary.
Pick a category (e.g., animals, vehicles) and give clues. "I'm thinking of an animal that lives on a farm…" Try to start with clues that are less obvious and move to clear clues to help support your child to be successful during the game.
See if your child can switch roles and give the clues!

Who Benefits from Social Games?

Social games are great for all kids, but they can be especially helpful for:

Babies & toddlers – Helps develop early interaction skills.
Children who avoid social interaction – Gently encourages engagement.
Children with developmental delays – Builds foundational skills in a fun way.
Kids who prefer screens over people – Encourages real-world play.

People Games lay the foundation for cooperation, empathy, and positive relationships, which are important for their development and well-being. So try them out with your child today!