Empathy is the ability to understand someone else’s feelings and share in their experience. According to the American Psychological Association, empathy is linked to stronger social skills and reduced bullying. You can turn learning compassion into playtime with empathy games for kids. These activities help your child build respect, communication, and leadership by stepping into other people’s shoes. Good news, you don’t need special props. Most of these games fit at home or in the backyard.

These seven empathy games for kids will guide your child toward respect and understanding.

Play Feelings Charades

Write emotion words like “happy,” “frustrated,” or “surprised” on index cards and tuck them in a hat or bowl. Your child draws a card and acts out the feeling without words until the rest of the family guesses. This simple charades game invites your child to practice emotional vocabulary in a low-pressure setting (you can swap roles). Try more empathy activities for children to reinforce these skills in art or story time.

Explore Role Reversal

Invite your child to play “boss and employee,” “teacher and student,” or any character pair. Each person steps into the other’s role and acts out a short scenario. Afterward, ask your child what felt easy or awkward in the new role. That reflection sparks insight into how others experience power or praise. If you want more structured drills, consider empathy training for kids.

Run Kindness Bingo

Create a bingo card with simple acts of kindness such as “give a compliment,” “help set the table,” or “share a toy.” Hand a copy to each child and set a timer for one afternoon. When someone completes a square they call out “Bingo” and share how the act made them feel and how the recipient reacted. This game turns random good deeds into an empathy-building routine. You can find printable grids in empathy worksheets for children.

Share Story Circle

Gather your family or a small group and sit in a circle. Each person shares a short story about a time they felt a strong emotion like sadness, excitement, or worry. After each story, invite listeners to ask a question that shows they were listening (you might suggest “How did you feel when that happened?”). This exercise builds active listening and emotional awareness. For book ideas that spark empathy conversations, see children’s books about empathy.

Host Perspective Walk

Go for a walk around your neighborhood or a local park. Ask your child to imagine they are someone else, maybe a grandparent, a new friend, or a pet. Pause at landmarks and ask how that person might see or feel in that spot. This mindful walk teaches your child to notice details and step into someone else’s shoes. It also reinforces lessons in teaching respect to children.

Complete Empathy Quest

Design a simple scavenger hunt with tasks that encourage empathy such as “compliment a neighbor,” “ask someone how their day was,” and “draw someone’s portrait from memory.” Give your child a checklist and a small prize for completing all tasks. Afterward, talk about which missions felt most meaningful and why. A scavenger hunt like this turns empathy into action steps. You can find more ideas for empathy activities for elementary students.

Create Compassion Collage

Set out old magazines, scissors, glue, and a large sheet of paper. Ask your child to cut out images of people helping each other, showing care, or working together. As they build the collage discuss what each scene shows about kindness or support. This visual activity helps your child notice real-world examples of compassion. For more guided discussions see teaching empathy to children.

Quick Recap and Next Step

• Pick one of these empathy games and try it with your child this week.
• After you play, talk together about what felt challenging or fun.
• For extra tips on building empathy and respect see how to teach children empathy or teaching respect to children.

For an extra boost in respect development consider enrolling your child in Mastery Martial Arts Troy. Their classes combine character lessons with physical activity to build confidence, discipline, and respect. Sign up now for a free two-week trial at www.KidsMartialArtsTroy.com. Your child’s path to leadership starts with empathy.