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Personal, Social and Emotional Development Activities
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Turn Taking
| Level I | Level III |
| Musical Hat | Mystery Bag |
| Talking Toy (i) | Yes or No |
| Group Lotto | Packing |
| Red Dog, Blue Dog (i) | Build It |
| The Farmer Wants a Horse | Red Dog, Blue Dog (ii) |
| Level II | Level IV |
| Talking Toy (ii) | Talking Toy (ii) |
| My Name | Half a Minute |
| Number Beat | Red Dog, Blue Dog (iii) |
| Tumbling Towers | Storyline |
| Nursery Rhyme Circle | Post Box |
Level I
Musical Hat
Aim
To be able to respond to musical cues.
Equipment
Any kind of hat, the funnier the better.
Any music source.
How to play
Children sit in a circle. The hat is given to the first child, and he is told to start passing it round the circle from child to child. The child holding the hat when the music stops puts the hat on.
Variations
Any prop that is quick and easy to put on can be used, such as toy spectacles, red nose, false moustache.
Talking Toy (i)
Aim
To be able to take turns at speaking.
Equipment
Any toy, which will be named the ‘Talking Toy’ and used in all Talking Toy activities. A toy creature is a good idea.
Any music source.
How to play
The children sit in a semi-circle in front of you. Explain that the Talking Toy will be passed around the circle, and whoever is holding it when the music stops will say his own name. Then the music will start again, and the toy continues on its way around the group.
Group Lotto
Aim
To be able to take turns in a cooperative activity.
Equipment
Large picture lotto board and its matching pictures (e.g. Little Bus Lotto (Orchard Toys), Old MacDonald).
Lotto, picture lotto.
A soft bag.
How to play
The small pictures are put in the bag, and the lotto board is put on the table. Explain that the children will take turns to take a picture out of the bag and place it correctly on the board. The bag is passed round the group and the children choose and place the pictures until the board is complete.
Red Dog, Blue Dog (i)
Aim
To enable two children to play a competitive game against each other, without adult support except for initial demonstration and explanation.
Equipment
Boards and individual pictures from the commercial Red Dog, Blue Dog game.
How to play
A game for four children. Give a board to each child. Each board depicts six objects or animals in different colours. The round balloon or bubble shapes (one set for each baseboard) are placed in the bag. The individual pictures are placed face down on the table or, if you prefer, they can be put into a bag. The children take turns to pick up or draw out a picture and place it on their board. When a child draws a colour that he already has the picture is returned to the pile or bag, so that the children begin to understand the concept of ‘can’t go’ and ‘already got that one’. The winner is the first to cover all the pictures on his board.
Tip
The equipment needed for this game can easily be made and does not have to come from a commercial source. Simplest to make would be boards depicting circles or squares of varying colours, with corresponding individual coloured shapes for each board. It could then be called ‘Circles or Squares’.
The Farmer Wants a Horse
Aim
To encourage children to take turns in choosing each other.
Equipment
None, unless the music of the song is available.
How to play
Children form a circle. One child is placed in the middle as the ‘farmer’. The song is sung or chanted by you and the group, and the ‘farmer’ chooses other children in turn to join him in the middle as horse, goat, cat, etc. (See Activity Resources for the words of the song or download them from www.routledge.com/9780815354925.)
Level II
Talking Toy (ii)
Aim
To take turns telling the group something you like.
Equipment
Talking Toy.
Music source.
How to play
Children sit in a semi-circle in front of you. Explain that when the music stops the child holding the toy must name one food that he likes. Talking Toy is passed along the line from child to child.
Examples
Other categories that you might choose: animals, toys, sports, television programmes, books.
My Name
Aim
To be able to allow other people a turn.
Equipment
Slips of paper with the name of a child on each, one for every child.
A soft bag.
A large picture from a colouring book, preferably enlarged, and with plenty of small areas needing different colours.
Felt-tips or crayons.
How...
