Scenarios for kids: 78 real-life situations, sorted by skill and age

A free library of 78 short, real-life scenarios for children aged 6 to 14, sorted by the skill each one practises. Read one with your child or class, ask what they would do, then print the list or practise the scenario in the game.

Each scenario is a few sentences long and ends with a choice: a friend who wants to copy homework, a dare at recess, a little brother who knocks water over a school project. The scenarios were written by the Life Scenario team together with child psychologists, and the text here is the text a child sees in the game.

By the Life Scenario team · Updated

Scenario lists by skill

Self-control scenarios for kids
35 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Interrupted conversations”, “Nervous Performer”, “Classmate poker!”
Empathy scenarios for kids
34 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Friend Chooses Who to Sit With in Lunch Line”, “Why Won’t My Friend Talk?”, “Friends Tease You for Mentoring Young Student”
Courage scenarios for kids
33 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Taking Turns”, “Leadership troubles”, “A New Start?”
Social awareness scenarios for kids
32 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Echoes of the Coach”, “When Laughter Hurts”, “Feeling a little lonely”
Self-awareness scenarios for kids
24 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Friend's Success”, “The Goal that didn't count”, “The Participation Medal”
Resilience scenarios for kids
21 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Group work isn't fun”, “It doesn't add up!”, “Team Captain”
Confidence scenarios for kids
17 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Quiet no more”, “Tryout Nerves”, “Playground nasty”
Optimism scenarios for kids
12 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Costume Parade: Rainbow Unicorn Meets Superheroes”, “Bright Colors, Big Decisions”, “Losing Streak”
Belonging scenarios for kids
11 scenarios, ages 6–14. Includes “Project Mix Mash!”, “Friendships choices”, “Cool Kids Club Leaves Classmates Feeling Left Out”

Looking for integrity scenarios? Our honesty scenarios for kids cover owning up, being truthful and kind, and doing the right thing when nobody would know.

Scenario lists by age

Social skills scenarios for 6–8 year olds
37 scenarios that suit every age from 6 to 8, grouped by skill, with tips for that age.
Social skills scenarios for 9–11 year olds
51 scenarios that suit every age from 9 to 11, grouped by skill, with tips for that age.
Social skills scenarios for 12–14 year olds
64 scenarios that suit every age from 12 to 14, grouped by skill, with tips for that age.

How do you use the library?

Pick a list for the skill you want to work on and choose a scenario inside your child’s age range, or open the list for your child’s age. Read it, ask “What would you do?” and wait for a full answer before you add anything. Ask what the other people in the scene might feel, then try the answer as a short role-play with you in the other part. One scenario is plenty for an evening. In class, the printed lists work as discussion cards for pairs or small groups.

More lists of situations to practise

Questions parents and teachers ask

Where do these scenarios come from?

They are the public practice scenarios from Life Scenario, written by our team together with child psychologists. The text on these pages is the same text a child sees in the game.

Can I print the scenarios?

Yes. Open any list and use your browser’s Print command. The menus, buttons and questions drop out, and each scenario prints as a card you can cut out for a class or a family game.

Are the scenarios free?

Reading and printing them is free. Practising one in the game, where a child answers in their own words and gets short AI feedback, can be tried without an account. New accounts get 25 free credits, enough for 5 scenarios. After that there are four one-off credit packs and no subscription.

What age are the scenarios for?

Children aged 6 to 14. Every scenario shows its own age range, because a situation about a group chat is written for older children than one about taking turns in a board game. There are also separate lists for ages 6 to 8, 9 to 11 and 12 to 14.

Why is the same scenario on more than one list?

Most situations practise several skills at once. A dare at recess calls for social awareness and self-control, so it appears on both lists.