Teaching PreK Students to Join a Group Through Play: An Activity for Educators
Introduction
As educators, we understand the importance of teaching our students essential social-emotional learning skills that will help them navigate various situations throughout their lives. One such skill is learning how to join a group, particularly during playtime. This blog post will provide an overview of an activity for PreK students that focuses on teaching them how to join a group, along with discussion questions, related skills, and next steps for educators.
No-Prep Activity
This activity is designed for PreK students and requires no preparation or materials from the educator. The goal is to teach students how to join a group during playtime, using a scenario in which children are playing with a pirate ship and pirates:
- Begin by having a small group of students engage in pretend play with a pirate ship and pirates.
- Ask one student to approach the group, observing what they are doing from a distance.
- Encourage the student to make a comment or ask a question about what the group is playing, such as “That’s a cool pirate ship!” or “Can I play with you?”
- Have the student bring a toy (e.g., additional pirates) to show the group and demonstrate their interest in joining the game.
- Finally, instruct the student to make sure their body is positioned near the group, signaling their intention to join in the play.
Throughout the activity, emphasize the importance of observing the group, making a comment or asking a question, bringing a toy, and positioning their body near the group as key steps to joining a group during playtime.
Discussion Questions
After completing the no-prep activity, engage your students in a discussion using the following questions:
- Why is it important to observe the group before trying to join their play?
- How can making a comment or asking a question help you join a group?
- Why is bringing a toy helpful when trying to join a group during playtime?
- How does positioning your body near the group signal your intention to join their play?
Related Skills
In addition to learning how to join a group during playtime, there are several other social-emotional learning skills that are important for PreK students to develop:
- Active Listening: Teaching students to listen carefully to their peers and show empathy and understanding.
- Sharing: Encouraging students to share their toys, ideas, and feelings with others.
- Cooperation: Helping students learn how to work together and collaborate during group activities.
- Conflict Resolution: Guiding students in resolving disagreements and finding solutions that are fair to everyone involved.
Next Steps
Now that you have learned about this no-prep activity for teaching PreK students how to join a group during playtime, you may be interested in exploring other social-emotional learning activities and resources. We encourage you to sign up for free samples of various skills and activities at Everyday Speech, which offers a wide range of materials for educators to support students’ social-emotional learning journey.
