Introduction
As educators, we understand the importance of teaching our kindergarten students valuable social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. One essential skill is learning how to join group play. This skill not only helps children build friendships but also fosters a sense of belonging and promotes cooperation. In this blog post, we will discuss an easy, no-prep activity that teaches students how to join a group and engage in play with their peers.
No-Prep Activity
This activity, called “Join the Group,” requires no prior preparation or materials. Begin by having your students gather in a circle. Select one student to act as the “newcomer” who wants to join a group. The rest of the students will act as the group engaging in play. You can use the scenario below as a guide:
Group of students: “We’re playing with our toy animals at the zoo!”
Newcomer: “That looks like fun! Can I join and bring my toy giraffe?”
Group of students: “Of course! Welcome to our zoo!”
Encourage the newcomer to follow these steps when joining the group:
- Move towards the group and observe what they are doing.
- Make a comment or ask a question about the activity they are engaged in.
- Bring a toy or object related to the play to share with the group.
- Ensure their body is close to the group to join in the game.
Once the newcomer has successfully joined the group, have the students switch roles and practice the steps again. This activity can be repeated with different play scenarios and group dynamics to help students become more comfortable and confident in joining group play.
Discussion Questions
After completing the “Join the Group” activity, engage your students in a discussion using the following questions:
- How did it feel to be the newcomer trying to join the group?
- What strategies did you use to make it easier to join the group?
- As a member of the group, how did you respond when the newcomer wanted to join?
- Why is it important to make others feel welcome when they want to join a group?
- Can you think of a time when you wanted to join a group outside of school? How did you approach the situation?
Related Skills
Beyond learning how to join group play, there are other important SEL skills that kindergarten students should develop. Some of these include:
- Active listening
- Sharing and taking turns
- Expressing empathy and understanding
- Resolving conflicts in a peaceful manner
- Cooperating and collaborating with others
Next Steps
To further support your kindergarten students in developing their social-emotional learning skills, consider exploring additional resources and activities. Sign up for free sample materials from Everyday Speech, which offer engaging and effective SEL content for educators. These materials can help reinforce the skills taught in the “Join the Group” activity while introducing new topics for your students to explore.
