Introduction

Meeting new people can be an intimidating experience, especially for young children who are still developing their social skills. In this blog post, we will discuss strategies to help PreK students feel more comfortable when meeting new people, such as slow breathing, positive thinking, and practicing conversation starters. These techniques are essential for promoting healthy social-emotional development and encouraging positive interactions with peers.

No-Prep Activity: The Friendly Greeting Game

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and is designed to help students practice meeting new people in a fun and engaging way. To play the Friendly Greeting Game, have your students form a circle. One student will begin by pretending to meet a new person, using a simple greeting like “Hi, my name is [Name]. What’s your name?” The student next to them will respond with their name and a greeting, then turn to the next student and repeat the process. Continue around the circle until everyone has had a chance to practice meeting someone new. Encourage students to use slow breathing and positive thinking during the activity to help them feel more at ease.

Discussion Questions

1. How did you feel when you were meeting new people during the Friendly Greeting Game? What strategies did you use to feel more comfortable?
2. Why do you think it is important to introduce ourselves and respond when someone talks to us, even if we feel nervous?
3. Can you think of a time when you were nervous to meet someone new? How did you handle the situation?
4. What are some other ways we can practice meeting new people and improving our social skills?
5. How can we support our friends when they feel nervous about meeting new people?

Related Skills

In addition to the strategies discussed in this blog post, there are several other skills that can help students feel more confident and comfortable when meeting new people. These include:

• Active listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and responding appropriately.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• Assertiveness: Expressing oneself and standing up for one’s needs in a respectful way.
• Conflict resolution: Addressing and resolving disagreements in a constructive manner.

Next Steps

Now that you have learned about strategies to help PreK students overcome nervousness when meeting new people, we encourage you to explore more social-emotional learning resources and activities. To get started, sign up for free samples of the discussed skill and others at Everyday Speech. These materials can help you further support your students’ social-emotional development and create a more inclusive and welcoming classroom environment.