| Forming Fantastic Friendships! |  |  |  |
Preschoolers are learning how to interact with others. Your child often follows directions, shares with others, and takes turns — these are all key skills to forming friendships. The ability to make friends is a skill that will last a lifetime. Friendship doesn’t mean you’ll always get along or be exactly alike, but you can still be friends. The activities and videos below will help you and your child explore the notion of friendship, together!
 |
 |
 |
The best way for your child to understand about sharing and taking turns is by modeling those behaviors yourself. When you are sharing, explain what you are doing and why. If children have sharing conflicts, help the playmates resolve the problem themselves. For example, you might say, “I know you’re both having trouble sharing the blocks, but can you think of a way you can use them together?”
Watch Together: Mega Morphin Monsters: Trucks
Talk Together: What would you say to the kids to help them share the truck?
Getting Along
Read a story or watch a video together about people or animals who are having trouble playing or working in harmony. Together, identify what the problem in the story is and why it might be happening. Then talk about how the characters might solve the problem.
When you finish the story, discuss what happened.
Watch Together: We Worked it Out
Talk Together: Was that a good way to solve the problem? What else could they have done? Think of similar situations that have happened to you.
Same and Different
Preschoolers are often good at noticing similarities and differences. It’s important to emphasize that differences make our world more exciting. Help your child build on this skill by talking to him about where a playmate’s family comes from and some of their traditions. Be as specific as possible: “When you go to Tina’s house, her family might not eat the same things we do,” or, “Our next-door neighbors always walk barefoot in their home. It’s just a different way of doing things.” Make sure to emphasize things that your families have in common, as well: “Did you notice that Akash has two brothers just like you?”
Watch Together: Two Boys Play And Eat
Play Together: What is different about the two friends? What is the same?
Introducing…
Practice meeting new people with your child. Encourage them to say “hello” and “how are you?” You can even practice all the different ways to respond when someone asks how you’re doing. Pretend that you and your child are different Sesame Street characters meeting for the first time. How would Cookie Monster introduce himself to Elmo?
Watch Together: How Do You Do?
Talk Together: Talk about the different ways Baby Bear said hello.
Cooperation Game
Talk with your child about a time he needed to work together—or cooperate—with others. Here’s a fun game to help your child understand how we cooperate to get a job done. Choose a simple household task, such picking up toys or sorting laundry. Then hold your child’s hand and say, “To play this game, we have to pick up all the toys without letting our hands go.” Work together, holding hands the whole time. Talk to each other as you work, and encourage your child to let you know what he will be doing. When you are finished, share a hug and talk about what would have happened if you didn’t cooperate, and how cooperating made it easier to do the job.
Watch Together: Street Garden Cooperation
Talk Together: How did the friends cooperate to grow their garden?
—Vivien Mazlen Levy
More Topics >>
