Social interaction skills
Toddlers participate in a book sharing focused on being part of a family and part of a community at a child development center.
[Invite several toddlers to join you to read a book. Show the cover of the book.]
Our book is about a girl who feels good about being a part of a family and about having friends at her child development center. All of us belong to a family and have friends in our room. We all belong! We have families, and we have friends, just like the girl in our story.
Let’s read our book and learn more about the girl!
[Use the strategies suggested below to help children understand the concept of belonging.
Our book was about different ways that we all belong! We all have families, and we all have friends, just like the girl in our book. Let’s look around at our friends who are with us today! We all belong.
Young children have strong feelings about the important people in their lives. Toddlers are likely to connect with the book character’s feelings as she spends time with her family and her friends. In addition to using strategies suggested in the activity description, look for opportunities to help toddlers relate the book’s content to their own families and communities. Example: “The children in this picture are running and playing together. They are smiling and laughing. The children are happy because they are friends. What do you like to do with your friends that makes you feel happy?” Toddlers may not respond verbally, but may smile or look at their friends with interest. Acknowledge all types of participation in the activity.
Extra support
Enrichment
Social interaction skills
A toddler identifies himself/herself and others in pictures of children in your room.
Be Prepared: This brief activity is to occur where pictures of children in your room are posted. If individual child pictures are not posted, secure photos of activities that include some children currently in your room.
Invite a toddler to join you in looking at pictures of toddlers in your room. Invite the toddler to find his/her picture, if available. Example: “This looks like you! What is the name of the child in this picture?” Show enthusiasm and excitement over the toddler finding his/her photo. Then encourage the toddler to say the names of children shown in the pictures or point to children in the pictures as you say their names. The toddler may want to talk about the photos of particular children. During and at the conclusion of the activity, emphasize that we belong to a room with many nice friends!
The length of a toddler’s time in the room is an obvious factor in familiarity with peers. Do not hesitate to say names of children in the pictures if the toddler seems uncertain. This is not a test, and toddlers will differ in how many children in the room they know. For toddlers who recently joined your room, the activity can serve as a helpful introduction to who is in the room. Remember to include other caregivers.
Extra support
Enrichment
Social interaction skills
Toddlers identify peers present in their room by playing a peekaboo game focused on who is hiding/missing.
Invite several toddlers to play a Peekaboo game. Say the name of each toddler who is in the gathering as you point to each or encourage the toddler to “give a big smile.” The intent is to review faces and names. Then invite each interested toddler, one at a time, to “hide” under or behind the scarf. With enthusiasm, ask who is missing from the gathering. Encourage the toddlers to name their “hiding” peer. Example: “Who is missing? Who is hiding from us? Let’s say the name of our missing friend!” After the toddler is named, encourage the “hiding” toddler to remove the scarf and say “Peekaboo!” Quietly ask another toddler if he/she would like to hide next; some toddlers may not feel comfortable under or behind the scarf. Acknowledge all forms of participation.
Toddlers enjoy hearing their own name during activities. This game also provides the opportunity for toddlers to practice identifying and naming the peers in their group. Playing Peekaboo will be familiar and enjoyable for most toddlers, although some may be uncomfortable being covered with a scarf or blanket. (See Extra Support tip.) Some toddlers will readily say the names of peers, and others may repeat a name after you. Some toddlers may prefer to watch and listen to the game. A toddler who watches with anticipation and smiles when the hidden toddler is revealed is making connections between each peer and his/her name.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: photos of children in your room
As a follow-up to Option 2, make pictures of children currently in your room available for toddlers to look at on their own. Encourage toddlers to find their own photos as well as pictures of friends they play with often. Also invite toddlers to say what a pictured peer likes to do in your room.
Materials Needed: large scarf or light blanket
Peekaboo is a familiar and enjoyable game for most children. Invite all the children in your setting to take turns “hiding” under the scarf or blanket, as described in Option 2. Encourage children to name each child under the scarf. Promote turn-taking, if necessary, so one child does not become the sole person to say who is hiding. Show enthusiasm and excitement as each child removes the scarf and says “peekaboo!”
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