7 Counseling Games for Your Office

I haven’t found a quicker way to put a child at ease than pulling out a counseling game from a random cabinet in my office. Kids light up when they think they are going to dominate you in a board game. It is so fun to watch their demeanor change as they become noticeably more relaxed.

Playing games is the easiest way to get students comfortable enough to talk about their problems and concerns. I love playing games with students the first time we meet. It takes the pressure off and allows me to learn so much about my new student. Their worries melt away once a board game comes out, and you can get to know them so much better.

These games help to break the ice during those first few small group meetings when nerves are still high, and group members are still getting to know each other. A friendly game can help break the tension allowing relationships to form organically.

Below are a few games I couldn’t do my job without. Included below are affiliate links to the games that I swear by. These games have traveled with me to every school and every office I have ever had as an elementary counselor. They are so valuable to me and have calmed countless students through the years.

School Counseling Games

1. Jenga® sold by Hasbro

Jenga® is hands down my absolute favorite game to play with students. It’s low pressure, fairly easy to learn, and doesn’t take much to win. In addition, students get to talking during this game and they just don’t stop.

Students work together to build a tower out of Jenga® blocks. They must be super careful not to knock over the tower. Students take turns carefully removing one block at a time and placing it at the top of the tower. Whoever knocks the tower over loses the game. I love the suspense and fun moments this game creates. It is guaranteed to make a student smile.

I like to put a spin on this game and add calming strategies into the mix.

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Check out more about that here.

2. Uno by Mattel

Uno is one of the best games you can use in school counseling. There are so many opportunities to teach social skills and calming strategies while students are playing. I love hitting a student with a draw four and using it as a teachable moment.

3. Connect Four by Hasbro

Connect 4 is great for use with a variety of grade levels. It is so fun to watch students light up when they see a pattern emerging and think they can win. It’s a fun game to play while having a casual conversation and getting to know a student better.

The goal is to match four same-colored coins in any direction. Connect 4 helps to guide conversations with students about flexible thinking and seeing a problem from other directions.

I like to add question cards that students are asked to answer before taking a turn to help guide conversation.

4. Yeti in My Spaghetti®

Who could be in a bad mood when they are trying to balance a Yeti on a pile of spaghetti?! The goal of the Yeti in My Spaghetti game is to remove one spaghetti noodle at a time from underneath a Yeti. The person who removes the noodle that causes the fall of the Yeti is out.

I love this game for the laugh factors alone. Kids crack up while playing it. In addition, this game really helps to build rapport and make students feel a bit more relaxed.

5. Kerplunk by Mattel

Much like Yeti in My Spaghetti®, Kerplunk is hilarious and really gets students to calm down and open up. The goal of Kerplunk is to remove one stick at a time without letting the marbles fall. The person with the least amount of marbles is the winner.

6. Don’t Break the Ice by Hasbro

Students use a little hammer to take out one block of ice at a time. The goal of Don’t Break the Ice is to keep the maximum number of ice cubes in tack. Students are to do their best to keep the ice cubes from dropping. This game can be a bit nerve-wracking, but the exhilaration and excitement are well worth it!

7. Trouble by Hasbro

While playing Trouble, children are delighted as they pop the dice and move their game pieces around the board. In the end, students compete against each other to get all of their pieces to the finish line.

Well, there you have it; 7 games you need to have in your counseling office.

Is there anything you’d add to the list?

Let me know in the comments below.

Check out all these games and more in my Amazon Storefront (affiliate links included).

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You May Also Like:

• 6 Creative Ways to Get Kids Talking
• Calm Down Strategies Games

TpT Store Links

• Calming Strategies Building Blocks (Jenga® inspired)
• Calming Strategies Google Slides™ Activities
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• Interactive Books Bundle