Social Skills and Videos: Our Favorite Series

Videos and social skills go together like coffee and creamer, at least in my world!  They are fun, engaging, and a great way to teach social skills, which we already know, but how do you choose the right ones and use them effectively?  Over the the next few weeks, we will have a series of posts about how to do just that!

The first part of having a successful social skills lesson is having great videos.  I know it's not an "aha" moment, but it's important nonetheless.  When you're scrambling to pull together a lesson, it's not always easy to find what you're looking for, and when you do, it's often one video and then you're left scrambling again the next time.  We have a few favorite series that we'd like to share.

Wallace and Gromit
We were first introduced to these British clay animation characters from a colleague who was introduced to them years ago by Michelle Garcia Winner.  Wallace is an absent-minded inventor whose dog and best friend, Gromit, often exceeds his intelligence.  Gromit is a kind-hearted dog with a bit more sense than Wallace.  Gromit does not talk, but he uses an abundance of facial expressions and body language to communicate.

Shaun the Sheep
This animated series features a Shaun, a mischievous and confident sheep who often gets himself and others into a series of conundrums but manages to find ways out of trouble.  This series does not include dialogue, so similar to Gromit, Shaun's use of facial expressions and body language, paired with his vocalizations and diagrams help him to communicate.  This series was a spin-off of Wallace and Gromit, so if you like that series, you're sure to like this one, too!

Masha and the Bear
I came across this series as I was watching Netflix on a rainy afternoon this summer with my daughter.  Within the first few minutes, I knew this was a great series to use for my social skills groups!  It is based on a Russian folk tale with relatable characters.  Masha is a sweet, happy, and curious girl.  Bear, a retired circus performer, tries feverishly to keep Masha out of trouble.  Masha, her father, and her cousin are the only characters who talk.  Bear and his other friends use great facial expressions and gestures to communicate.

Zig and Sharko

This French animated series includes a number of characters, none of whom speak.  There are four main characters: Zig, a hyena, who tries to capture Marina; Sharko, agreat white shark, protects Marina from Zig; Marina, a mermaid, is naive and unaware that Zig is after her; and Bernie, a hermit crab, is Zig's best friend.  I have not spent much time watching or using these videos, but I plan to this year!  The crazy chaos of who is after who sounds absolutely comical.

Mr. Bean
Yes, Mr. Bean.  His over-exaggerated facial expressions are great for students to interpret.  Mr. Bean often finds himself in lots of trouble, trying to solve every day problems.  This series is great for problem-solving and understanding others' perspectives.

There they are: five of our most favorite short series.  If you find one you like, you're in luck because there are more!  Our students get so excited when they know that we are watching a social skills video, and their learning is amazing!  As always, please be sure to view the video before showing it.  You never know what may pop up!  Please check back to read our upcoming post about how to use the videos during social skills.