One beneficial way to help preschoolers develop socially is to teach them how to play well with other children by incorporating play dates and other activities into their schedule. Encourage your child's relationship with other children by joining a local playgroup. You can usually find playgroups advertised in local parenting magazines. Enroll yourself and your preschooler in classes designed for both parents and young children. Visit parks so your child has other children to play with besides his siblings.
Another way to encourage social development in children is to involve the child in recreational activities outside of the home. Most public libraries have a variety of activities for children, especially during the summer months. Take advantage of the library events, such as story time, arts and crafts, and weekend fairs. Other recreational activities for children include gymnastics classes, dance lessons, ballet classes, day camps or any other age-appropriate activity that involves a class-like setting.
Encourage children to share by engaging in sharing activities throughout the day. On play dates, make sure the children are all getting an equal turn with the toys. Model sharing behavior to your child by sharing food, taking turns and playing games that require each player to take turns. Observe and point out the sharing behavior of others. Bring any sharing moments between friends, family members or even strangers to your child's attention and convey positivity about sharing.
In fantasy activity, children enjoy assigning various roles to each other and playing elaborate make-believe games using tangible or imaginary objects. This type of play tends to encourage children to be more cooperative than when playing with other games or toys. Fantasy play helps children develop social skills including communication, paying attention, responding to each other's actions and taking turns. During fantasy play, children are able to become anyone they want to be, allowing for exploration of complex social ideas.