Introduction

Playing with others is an essential aspect of social-emotional learning for students in special education. It helps to keep their brains and bodies healthy, fosters friendships, and develops confidence. This blog post introduces three golden rules for playing with others, along with a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help educators guide their students in building and maintaining healthy social relationships.

No-Prep Activity: The Friend Charades

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and can be easily adapted for students of all ages and abilities. The Friend Charades game encourages students to think about their friends’ interests and practice non-verbal communication skills.

1. Divide the students into groups of 3-4.
2. Ask each student to think of a friend and an activity that their friend enjoys.
3. One student at a time will act out the activity without speaking, while the others try to guess the activity and the friend.
4. The student who guesses correctly takes their turn acting out an activity and so on.

By participating in Friend Charades, students practice identifying common interests and develop stronger connections with their peers.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to ask before joining a game or activity? How does it make the other person feel?
2. What are some ways to find out what you have in common with a friend? How can shared interests strengthen friendships?
3. How can observing a group help you better understand how to interact with others? Can you think of a time when you used this skill?

Related Skills

Beyond the golden rules for playing with others, there are several related skills that can further enhance students’ social-emotional learning:

• Active Listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and responding appropriately.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which helps to build strong connections.
• Conflict Resolution: Learning to resolve disagreements and find solutions that are acceptable to everyone involved.
• Cooperation: Working together with others to achieve a common goal or complete a task.

Next Steps

Helping students develop their social skills is a crucial aspect of special education. By incorporating the golden rules for playing with others, along with the no-prep activity and discussion questions, educators can create a supportive and inclusive environment for all students. To explore more resources and sample materials for social-emotional learning, sign up for free samples at Everyday Speech.