Change is a natural part of life, but for young children, it can be challenging and unsettling. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of adapting to change and provide educators with a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related social-emotional learning skills to help PreK students navigate changes in their lives. By teaching our students to recognize and manage their feelings when plans change, we can help them develop the resilience and adaptability they need to thrive in a constantly changing world.

No-Prep Activity: Train Track Transitions

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and is designed to help students practice staying calm and adapting to changes in their plans.

1. Ask the students to imagine they are trains traveling on a track. Explain that sometimes the train (or their plans) has to switch tracks due to unexpected changes.
2. Have the students stand in a line and pretend to be trains by moving their arms like train wheels. While they are “traveling,” call out different changes that might require them to switch tracks (e.g., “There’s a rainstorm, so we can’t go outside for recess”).
3. When a change is called out, students should stop and practice calming down on the outside by taking deep breaths, relaxing their faces, and loosening their muscles.
4. Once they are calm on the outside, encourage students to think of a strategy to calm down on the inside, such as counting to ten or telling themselves it will be okay.
5. Continue the activity, calling out various changes and allowing students to practice adapting to these changes by switching tracks and calming themselves down.

Discussion Questions

• How did it feel when you had to switch tracks during the activity? Was it difficult or easy to stay calm and adapt to the changes?
• Can you think of a time when your plans changed in real life? How did you feel, and how did you handle the change?
• Why is it important to stay calm when our plans change? How does staying calm help us adapt to new situations?
• What are some strategies you can use to help you stay calm when your plans change?
• How can we support each other when our plans change and we need to switch tracks?

Related Skills

Developing the ability to adapt to change is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other related skills that can help students build resilience and navigate changes include:

• Problem-solving: Learning to identify and work through challenges when plans change.
• Emotion regulation: Recognizing and managing emotions in response to change.
• Empathy: Understanding and supporting others when they are dealing with change.
• Communication: Expressing feelings and needs when plans change and working together to find solutions.

Next Steps

Integrating social-emotional learning into your PreK classroom can have a significant impact on your students’ ability to adapt to change and thrive in an ever-changing world. By teaching them to recognize and manage their emotions when plans change, you can help them develop the resilience and adaptability they need to succeed.

To access free samples of activities and resources to support your students’ social-emotional learning, including adapting to change, visit Everyday Speech’s sample materials page.