Helping young children learn to navigate play with peers is a foundational element of supporting early friendships and positive interactions. The “Steps to Joining the Group” visual guide provides a simple, engaging way for pre-K and kindergarten students to acquire the essential play skill of joining a group, using repeatable language and clear visual cues. Many children need direct instruction and practice to master this important skill, especially those with developing social communication, emerging language, or who may need extra support in cooperative play. This article highlights best practices for explicitly teaching these steps and maximizing Everyday Speech’s no-prep printable resource in real classroom or therapy settings.

What Are Play Skills?

Play skills refer to the range of behaviors and actions that children use to engage with peers, objects, and activities in a shared context. These skills encompass both the mechanics of play, such as taking turns or sharing materials, and the social communication required to enter, sustain, and end interactions. In early childhood, play skills develop rapidly but unevenly. Mastery of key play skills is linked to increased opportunities for social interaction, better language development, and more positive peer relationships.

One universal play skill is the ability to join a group of peers who are already playing together. For some children, this may come naturally after months of rich peer exposure. Others benefit greatly from direct instruction and visual supports. The “Steps to Joining the Group” resource breaks down this complex process into teachable components, offering a scaffolded approach that supports both language and social understanding.

Why Teach Play Skills?

Teaching play skills at the pre-K and kindergarten level provides broad benefits for both individual students and group dynamics. Explicit instruction in joining a group addresses common challenges and equips children with lifelong strategies for social participation. Benefits of teaching this skill include:

• Helping children develop a sense of belonging and confidence in social settings.
• Preventing misunderstandings or unintentional rejection by peers.
• Supporting inclusion of quieter, less assertive, or language-delayed children in group activities.
• Promoting empathy and flexible thinking among all classmates as they learn to notice and respond to peers attempting to join.
• Building the foundation for healthy, reciprocal friendships and reducing social isolation.
• Improving emotion regulation by clarifying what to do if they are not immediately included.
• Contributing to a supportive classroom environment where students feel competent in navigating peer interactions.

Direct instruction with visuals helps break down abstract social knowledge into concrete, memorable steps, allowing diverse learners to participate fully.

Lesson Plan: Using Steps to Joining the Group

The “Steps to Joining the Group” visual worksheet, available here, is designed to guide young children through each part of the process.

The printable features easy-to-understand images paired with simple language, mapping out the four sequential steps a child can take. These steps are:

1. Observe what the group is doing.
2. Walk over to the group.
3. Watch and listen to the group for a moment.
4. Ask to join or participate, using words or gestures.

This lesson plan suggests a systematic way to introduce, model, rehearse, and reinforce these steps using the Everyday Speech handout.

Step 1: Introduce the Skill With a Group Discussion

Begin by bringing the whole class or small group together in a circle. State the focus for the day: learning how to join other kids who are already playing. Briefly talk about feelings that might come up if a child wants to play but is unsure how to join in. Invite students to share times they wanted to play with others but felt unsure how to start.

Introduce the concept that there are helpful ways to join a group so everyone feels comfortable, and that it is something everyone can learn with practice. Display the “Steps to Joining the Group” printable so all students can see it.

Step 2: Teach Each Step With Visuals and Modeling

Go through the handout step by step, showing each picture and reading the matching sentence aloud. For example, point to Step 1 and say, “First, look to see what the other children are doing.”

For each step:

• Briefly explain what it looks and sounds like.
• Model with a peer or adult what the step could look like during playtime: physically walk over to a group, stop and watch for a moment, then use simple language to ask, “Can I play too?” or use a gesture such as holding a toy out or nodding toward the group.
• Emphasize using kind tone and calm body language.

Pause after each step to check for understanding, invite questions, and encourage the group to show what the step might look like using puppets, toys, or their own bodies.

Step 3: Practice With Role Play and Feedback

Divide students into small groups of 3–4. Assign one group to play with toys or blocks while one child practices joining in. Rotate roles so everyone has a chance to be the joiner and a member of the group. Use the printable as a checklist. Place it in the play area so children can refer to it.

Guide students to:

• Watch what the group is doing before approaching.
• Walk calmly toward the group.
• Pause to observe and listen.
• Ask to join with a simple phrase (“Can I play?”) or nonverbal cue if verbal language is challenging.

After each attempt, give specific positive feedback. For example, “I noticed you waited and watched what your friends were building before you asked to join. That helps everyone feel comfortable.” Prompt peers to acknowledge the joiner. Practice inclusive responses such as “Sure!” or creating space for a new friend.

Step 4: Reflect Together and Problem-Solve

After role-playing, bring the group back together to talk about how it felt to join and be joined. Ask open-ended questions such as:

• What was easy or hard about joining in?
• How did it feel when others said yes?
• What can you do if the group says, “Not right now?”

Review strategies for what to do if a group cannot include another child right away. Emphasize being flexible, trying again later, or looking for another group to join. Reinforce that it is okay to feel disappointed and that there are always options.

Step 5: Send Home Visuals for Family Reinforcement

Attach printed copies of the “Steps to Joining the Group” handout to communication folders or email digital versions home. Invite families to discuss and practice these steps at home, such as at the playground or during sibling playtimes. Give suggestions for families to reinforce specific language or use the visuals as reminders before playdates.

Supporting Play Skills After the Activity

Building play skills is a long-term process that requires consistency, patience, and practice across settings. There are many ways to continue supporting these skills throughout the school day:

• Display the “Steps to Joining the Group” printable in the classroom or play area as a visual anchor.
• Create a social story version of the steps with photos from your classroom.
• Use small cues or reminders when you notice a child hovering near groups at center time or recess.
• Praise attempts at joining, regardless of outcome, with specific language (“You looked to see what your friends were building, great observing!”).
• Ask peer models to invite others to join periodically, establishing a classroom norm of inclusion.
• Host group games that require inviting others in, so students practice both joining and welcoming.
• Plan regular check-ins during morning meeting or circle time to reinforce the steps and share success stories.
• Collaborate with families to identify situations outside of school where these strategies might be used and celebrated.

For students who need more support, pair visual reminders with simple scripts or role plays. Some may benefit from individualized coaching or small group lessons until the steps become more automatic.

Wrapping Up: Building Foundation Skills for Early Friendship

Learning to join a group is a crucial first step on the path toward developing long-term friendship skills. Mastering this play skill opens doors to richer, more frequent peer engagement and builds the confidence children need to thrive in educational and social environments. The “Steps to Joining the Group” visual resource from Everyday Speech offers an adaptable, evidence-informed way to break down the process and reach diverse learners. Displaying the visuals everyday, encouraging regular practice, and reinforcing positive attempts will help cement these skills as habits.

As educators and clinicians, coordinating consistent language, prompts, and feedback ensures all students have the tools they need to be active, welcome participants in group play. With simple, no-prep resources, it is possible to empower even the youngest students to become confident joiners, nurturing the social foundations for healthy school and life experiences.