A social story about losing a game

A social story about losing a game tells a child what the points mean at the end, and which words come next. This one is a path of colored squares and a single die, played with Dad. The middle of the game is not the topic. The topic is the moment the points are final.

Words when the points end

Dad and the child both say "Good game." Whoever has more points says it too. The words are not a trophy.

Then both of them put the squares in the tin. The winner does not skip the tin. The child with fewer points does not skip it either. The tin is the same closing step every time.

If you sometimes replay the last roll so the score changes, either stop doing that or write it into the social story. A hidden replay teaches that the ending is negotiable.

Colored squares

The Last Square

Dad and I play a path of colored squares. A die tells how many squares a player moves.

One player reaches the last square. That player has more points. The game is finished.

My face may feel hot. A hot face can stay. The squares still go into the tin.

I say, "Good game." Dad says, "Good game."

I may wish the die showed a different number. The number stays. We do not roll again to repair the score.

The squares live in the tin until another day. Another day is a new game. It does not fix today's points.

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A ball with no winner

The American Academy of Pediatrics says a child with a competitive spirit may melt down when they lose at board games. One thing they suggest instead is a game with no winner: throwing or kicking a ball back and forth, and checking that the other player is ready (Defiant Behavior: How Play Can Help, last updated June 14, 2023, accessed October 31, 2026). That is practice at taking part. It is not a promise that a scored game will feel easy later.

Use the ball on a day you are not keeping score. Use the squares on a day you will keep the real ending. Mixing them in one sitting, then quietly changing the score, makes the social story untrue.

Carol Gray's quiz says a social story stays literally accurate and does not present an opinion as a fact (Answers to the Social Story Quiz, accessed October 31, 2026). "You will feel fine" is an opinion. "My face may feel hot" is a description you can actually see.

A hit, a pinch, or a thrown die is a different social story, about safe hands. A finished "no" in the kitchen is the social story about accepting no.

Game-night social stories are sent from Social Stories by email.

When losing a game needs more help

Upset at a loss can be ordinary. Call the pediatrician if losses turn into hitting that injures someone, if your child refuses every game with other children for weeks, or if sleep changes suddenly. Bring the "Good game" words and say whether you have been changing the score.

FAQ

What can a child say after losing a game?

"Good game." Same two words the winner uses. Say them, then put the squares in the tin. Skip a speech about sportsmanship.

What if we let our child reach the last square every time?

Then the social story has to say that, or the habit has to stop. A last roll that is secretly replayed is a different game from the social story read at breakfast. Write the rule you will actually keep.

What game has no winner?

A ball passed back and forth, with a check that the other player is ready, as the American Academy of Pediatrics describes. No points, no last square, no tin. Keep that separate from the scored path.

What should we tell the pediatrician about the score?

Whether the last roll has been replayed. That is the fact the social story has to match.