The playground is a great place to help children make friends. It’s a space that children associate with fun, create happy memories and learn valuable life lessons.

If your child is a little bit shy or struggles to connect with other kids, there are lots of things that you can do to help them make friends on the playground.

Take a look at our tips and tricks for encouraging social play and make friends for life.

Visit the playground alone first

If you have a nervous child, it’s a good idea to visit the playground first when it’s likely to be a little quieter. That allows them to get familiar with the space, try out the equipment and feel a bit more confident for future play.

Help them to engage

If you’re trying to help your child make friends, don’t let them stay on the side line during playtime. Encourage them to play with other children by pointing out children they’re already familiar with (hey, isn’t that *name* from your school) and things that you can see they’ve got in common (look, they’re playing on *equipment* why don’t you join them).

Organise team games

If you can organise a playground game that children can play together, it makes it easier for them to interact and start making friends. Bring a parachute, skipping ropes and chalk to draw out a hopscotch grid that children can share. You can also organise a playground assault course, scavenger hunt, or capture the flag game for the children on the playground. Check out our games for cooperative play too.

Encourage noisy outdoor play

Lots of laughter and playful shouting on the playground is a good thing. Normally, we tell children to keep their voices down during indoor play. But, on the playground they can fully let loose and be as loud as they want, especially if there’s some musical playground equipment to share.

Getting giddy, shouting and laughing together is a great way to develop friendships and form happy memories together.