Introduction
Sharing is an essential social skill that young children need to develop in order to build healthy relationships and interact positively with their peers. As an educator, it is crucial to teach PreK students the importance of sharing toys and the impact it has on their social-emotional well-being. In this blog post, we will discuss an engaging no-prep activity that can help teach your students the value of sharing, provide discussion questions to further explore the concept, and mention other related skills for students to practice.
No-Prep Activity
This no-prep activity, called “Toy Time Turn-taking,” is designed to help PreK students learn about sharing toys in a fun and interactive way. To begin, gather your students in a circle and place a few toys in the center. Ensure that there are fewer toys than the number of students in the circle. Explain to the children that they will take turns playing with the toys, and once a student has had a turn, they must pass the toy to the next person in the circle.
Start the activity by having one student pick a toy and play with it for a short amount of time (e.g., 30 seconds). Once their time is up, encourage the student to pass the toy to their neighbor while saying, “Your turn!” Continue this process until all students have had a chance to play with each toy. Throughout the activity, praise students for sharing and taking turns, and remind them of the importance of being considerate to their friends.
Discussion Questions
- How did it feel when you shared the toys with your friends? How do you think your friends felt?
- What would happen if nobody shared the toys? How would that affect the way you play with your friends?
- Can you think of a time when someone shared something with you? How did that make you feel?
- Why do you think it’s important to share toys and take turns when playing with others?
- What are some other situations where sharing is important? How can we practice sharing in those situations?
Related Skills
Teaching students about sharing toys is just one aspect of developing their social-emotional skills. Other related skills that are important for PreK students to learn include:
- Active listening: Paying attention to what others are saying and showing empathy.
- Cooperation: Working together with others to achieve a common goal or complete a task.
- Conflict resolution: Learning to manage disagreements and find solutions that are fair to all parties involved.
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
- Respect: Treating others with kindness and valuing their opinions and feelings.
Next Steps
Teaching your PreK students about sharing toys is an essential step in fostering their social-emotional development. By incorporating engaging activities like “Toy Time Turn-taking” and initiating meaningful discussions, you can help your students understand the value of sharing and its impact on their relationships with others. To further support your students’ growth in this area, be sure to sign up for free sample materials that cover a variety of social-emotional skills. With these resources, you can continue to nurture your students’ development and set them up for success in their interactions with others.
