Social Pals is an intermediate-level social skills group designed to help children build confidence in interactive play, expand their play variety, and sustain meaningful interactions with peers. Through structured activities and guided play, children will learn essential skills for initiating and maintaining social connections.
Program Details:
- Duration: Groups will run everyday for a two week period.
- Schedule + Age:
- Under 10 years: August 5 – August 15 (9:00 AM – 11:30 AM)
- Over 10 years: July 7 – July 18 (1:00 PM – 3:30 PM)
- Location: 1870 Birchmount Rd; Scarborough, ON
- Language: English
Goals of the Program:
- Learn to initiate greetings with peers
- Practice joining play with others
- Request items or actions from peers in different social situations
- Respond appropriately to peer requests
- Take turns in various group games
- Engage in pretend and interactive play with peers
Eligibility:
To participate in Social Pals, children must:
- Be “group ready” (able to stay in a room with peers without engaging in behaviours that may pose a risk to themselves or others, such as high rates of aggression, self-injury, or elopement)
- Be able to sit and attend to a group lesson for at least 5 minutes
- Be able to make spontaneous requests with adults
What to Expect:
- Engaging activities that encourage interactive play
- Guided practice in turn-taking and social exchanges
- Opportunities to develop confidence in peer interactions
- Support from experienced professionals in a structured setting