Social Development Group for Elementary Aged Kids
Minecraft Social Skills Group
Is this your kid?
Maybe your child walks into a birthday party and doesn’t say hello.
They’ll talk about their favorite subject, but a back-and-forth conversation is harder to hold onto. If a game or conversation doesn’t go the way they pictured it, they’d rather walk away and do their own thing.
Compromise is hard. Owning a mistake is hard. Remembering to ask a friend to play again later is hard.
Or maybe it’s the opposite.
Your child needs to get a thought out the second it happens, even if someone else is still talking. They make a move before they think it through, then have to deal with how it made someone else feel.
They remember to include people, just not always their names, so it comes out as “hey girl” instead.
Big feelings come fast. Feelings get hurt easily. And making friends, and keeping them, has been the hard part.
Whichever one sounds more like your kid, they won’t be the only one.
This is a space where our motto is “Treat everyone with kindness.” Your child will be learning alongside other kids who understand what it’s like to be working on some of the same things.
Those “me too” moments are an important part of group.
“Waiting my turn is hard for me too.”
“I do that too.”
“That happens to me too.”
Your child gets to experience being around other kids who are learning too, instead of feeling like they’re the only one who hasn’t figured it all out.
Knowing what to do socially isn’t the same as being able to do it when you need it.
Here, we practice being our true selves, masks off, and learning in the moment instead of only talking about what happened afterward.
Why Minecraft?
As a clinician, I think about the scope of this group with both my therapist and Special Education Teacher brain.
Knowing what to do socially isn’t the same as being able to do it when you need it.
That’s why so much of our learning happens hands-on and in the moment.
Think of Minecraft as recess, a birthday party, or time at the playground.
Minecraft gives kids a social environment where they can navigate other kids, different ideas, big feelings, compromise, and all the unexpected things that happen when you’re playing together.
Parents are asked to set kids up in a private space so they have the opportunity to work through those moments without automatically relying on you.
I’m present in the Realm and on the call, but I’m not there to control how everyone plays.
Kids have the freedom to build on their own, and I’ll create opportunities for them to include each other:
Can we come see what you’re building?
Do you want to give us a tour?
Does anyone know how to do this? Could you help someone?
What if we did a design competition? Who wants to be part of it? Does anyone want to work together?
And when something doesn’t go as planned, we work through it while it’s happening.
Can we say that differently?
Let’s talk through what just happened.
Does this work for everyone?
How could we compromise?
They’re practicing boundaries instead of trying to control each other with rules. They’re working on compromise, teamwork, flexibility, leadership, asking for help, offering help, and figuring out how to be part of a group while still being themselves.
Google Meet is our dinner table.
At the same time, everyone is together live on camera.
Everyone might be eating something different, but we’re still part of the same conversation.
A child can be off building their own Minecraft creation without being excluded from the group. They’re still hearing other kids, responding, using names, saying hello, taking turns talking, asking questions, sharing ideas, and practicing back-and-forth conversation.
They’re also having “me too” moments that help build confidence and remind them they aren’t the only one working on these things.
“I have a hard time remembering names, too.”
“I forgot to do my homework, Ms. Victoria.” And then they hear how another kid keeps track of assignments or uses their calendar.
“This chew necklace really helps me when I’m feeling overwhelmed.”
“That helps me, too.”
Those little moments give kids opportunities to learn from each other, relate to each other, and recognize that some of the things that feel hard for them are hard for other kids, too.
They don’t have to be doing the same thing to practice being part of the same group.
There’s more to group than logging onto the Realm each week
Navigating Emotions
Outside of group, kids work out of a workbook that Victoria created.
The workbook includes goal setting, reflection, “About Me” activities, executive-function worksheets, and visual emotion worksheets. Kids will be asked to share completed pages or sections during group.
For example, our show-and-tell day includes an executive-function worksheet that helps kids organize and prepare what they want to bring.
Show-and-tell also gives kids an opportunity to learn about each other and connect over things outside of Minecraft.
A favorite stuffed animal, collection, hobby, pet, project, or something they’re proud of gives another child something to respond to, ask about, or realize they have in common.
Groups like show and tell give kids a place to practice planning, organization, public speaking, listening, waiting their turn, back and forth conversations.
When we review worksheets like Your Backpack of Worry or Rollercoaster of Emotions, kids get more opportunities to talk about what they’re experiencing, build emotional language, hear how other kids experience things, and feel less alone.
Reward System
Social skill trading cards & Good Friend Character Awards
Each phase has eight specific social skills kids are working toward.
At the beginning of each phase, kids identify which social skill they want to work toward and share their goal with the group.
Kids can recognize each other when they notice a peer using one of the skills. Ms. Victoria will also send cards to parents as skills are practiced and proficiency is demonstrated.
The cards can be printed or added electronically to the workbook.
They’re meant to help make progress visible and build self-confidence:
“I thought I was doing a good job saying hello to everyone, and I was right.”
Kids get to practice setting a goal, working toward it, noticing their own progress, and recognizing progress in other people.
Each phase, kids can earn up to two printable Good Friend Character Awards when they demonstrate characteristics of being a good friend.
The awards are already included in the workbook, so kids can see the characteristics they’re working toward from the beginning.
This gives them another opportunity to think beyond What social skill am I practicing? and toward What does being a good friend look like in the way I treat other people?
Executive Function Skill Building
Kids calendar + homework
I work with a lot of college students who are floundering after losing the structure they had at home and at school. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to me to help kids start building foundational executive-function skills earlier.
Kids receive their own color-in calendar with assignments, special groups, open-play opportunities, and things they need to prepare for.
They’re encouraged to use it to look ahead, keep track of what’s coming up, and plan for what they need to do.
Remembering the assignment, looking ahead, and preparing for what’s coming are part of the executive-function practice built into the program.
Friendships Beyond The Group
Open play + friendship building
After our structured group ends, kids can stay on Google Meet and in the Realm to keep playing, talking, and building friendships with less structure.
In phases two and three, kids also have executive-function worksheets that help them practice something that can be surprisingly hard:
How do I actually ask another kid to play with me?
How do I ask? When are we both available? How do we make a plan? How do I remember? What do I need to do to make it happen?
Each phase also includes two open-play dates when Google Meet and the Realm are available for kids to get together and play.
And while they’re registered for the program, kids have access to the Minecraft Realm outside of our structured group time.
Because the goal isn’t for friendships to exist only while Ms. Victoria is running the group.
Putting Skills Together
Special events + community
Each phase has eight specific social skills kids are working toward (24 throughout the year).
At the beginning of each phase, kids identify which social skill they want to work toward and share their goal with the group.
Kids can recognize each other when they notice a peer using one of the skills. Ms. Victoria will also send cards to parents as skills are practiced and proficiency is demonstrated.
The cards can be printed or added electronically to the workbook.
They’re meant to help make progress visible and build self-confidence:
“I thought I was doing a good job saying hello to everyone, and I was right.”
Kids get to practice setting a goal, working toward it, noticing their own progress, and recognizing progress in other people.
Each phase, kids can earn up to two printable Good Friend Character Awards when they demonstrate characteristics of being a good friend such as: Brave Communicator, Community Builder, Thoughtful Friend, Social Detective, Team Player, and Good Friend.
The awards are already included in the workbook, so kids can see the characteristics they’re working toward from the beginning.
This gives them another opportunity to think beyond What social skill am I practicing? and toward What does being a good friend look like in the way I treat other people?
Building Connections
Special events + community
Show & Tell: Something You Love or Collect
Kids prepare something they love or collect and share why it matters to them, creating opportunities to practice presenting, listening, asking questions, and discovering shared interests.
Halloween Costume Group
Costumes are optional while kids practice respecting different interests, comfort levels, and boundaries.
Holiday Sing-Along
An optional holiday sing-along that gives kids another way to participate, have fun, and connect as a group.
Building a Kinder Village
Kids build together while exploring inclusion, helping others, and what makes a community feel kind and welcoming.
Show & Tell: Something You Made
Kids prepare and share something they’ve created, explain how they made it, and talk about what they’re proud of while peers practice listening and asking questions.
Friendship Day
A friendship-themed group focused on inviting peers to play and practicing how to respond to a yes, no, or not today.
Spring Celebration
A chance to celebrate the season, reflect on growth, and practice flexible participation with the group.
Building a Greener Village
Kids collaborate on an Earth Day build while practicing shared decision-making and considering different ideas.
Show & Tell: Something That Represents You
Kids choose something that helps the group get to know them better and practice sharing what it says about who they are.
Minecraft Birthday Celebration
Kids create a birthday party in the Realm while practicing shared creative control and respecting social and sensory boundaries.
Autistic Pride Day
Kids celebrate different interests, strengths, communication styles, and sensory needs while creating a sensory-friendly village with different ways to participate.
Year Celebration
Kids reflect on their year, recognize growth, and celebrate what they’ve accomplished together.
Three Phases That Build On Each Other
Groups Run on : Tuesdays 2–3pm ET, Tuesdays 4–5pm ET, Wednesdays 4–5pm ET
Up to 10 Elementary School Aged Kids per Realm
Phase 1: Join + Participate September 16–December 30
Kids work on joining the group, communicating, participating with others, and building foundational group skills.
Phase 2: Notice + Respond January 13–March 24
The focus expands to noticing social cues, understanding other perspectives, and responding to what’s happening around them.
Phase 3: Connect + Maintain April 14–June 30
Kids use communication, flexibility, and problem-solving skills to build and maintain friendships and think about staying connected beyond the group.