Introduction

In the early stages of a child’s development, learning to stay with the group is crucial for fostering positive social interactions and building strong relationships. This blog post will focus on an engaging no-prep activity for teaching PreK students the importance of staying with the group, incorporating principles of Social-Emotional Learning. We’ll also provide discussion questions, related skills, and a link to free sample materials for educators.

No-Prep Activity: The Group Train

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator, making it an easy and effective way to teach young students the value of staying with the group. Here’s how it works:

1. Ask the students to stand in a line, with each child placing their hands on the shoulders of the child in front of them.
2. Explain that they are now a “group train” and that they need to stay together to keep the train moving.
3. Begin walking slowly around the room, leading the group train. Encourage the students to stay connected and follow your lead.
4. Gradually increase the speed or change directions to make the activity more challenging and engaging.
5. After a few minutes, stop the train and discuss the importance of staying with the group and how it felt to be part of the group train.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to stimulate further discussion about the importance of staying with the group:

• Why is it important to stay with the group during activities or games?
• How did it feel when everyone in the group train stayed connected and followed the leader?
• What might happen if someone in the group train decided to let go and play by themselves?
• Can you think of other situations where it is important to stay with the group?
• How can we help our friends remember to stay with the group?

Related Skills

Teaching students to stay with the group helps develop other essential skills for their social-emotional growth. Some of these related skills include:

• Active listening
• Cooperation and teamwork
• Respecting rules and boundaries
• Empathy and understanding others’ feelings
• Effective communication

Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned about the importance of teaching PreK students to stay with the group and have an engaging no-prep activity to try, we encourage you to explore more resources for incorporating Social-Emotional Learning principles into your classroom. Sign up for free samples of the discussed skill and others at Everyday Speech. Enhance your students’ social-emotional growth and create a positive learning environment for all!