Related Show: Arthur
Play Pretend: Practice Including Others
Feeling left out by friends is a common and painful experience for young children. Using imaginary play, you can help your child work through the disappointment of being excluded — and learn to include others!
Talk with your child about a time they might have felt left out. What happened? How did it make them feel? Have they noticed another child being left out? What happened in that situation? In this activity, you and your child can use stuffed animals to role-play different scenarios and problem solve the best way to react to each situation.
Materials
Directions
Introduce a stuffed animal who is acting angry and upset. Explain why. For example, all the puppies at his dog school were invited to a party except for him, and his feelings are hurt. Ask your child to talk to the puppy, find out what happened, and help the puppy figure out a way to feel better.
Then, flip the situation. Have your child pretend that the two of you are playing with two trains. The puppy asks if he can play, too. Ask your child what to do. “Could we share?” “What if we find another train?” “Do you think we could all play together with blocks, instead?”
Now think back to your child's examples of when they or another child felt left out. Use the stuffed animals to role-play those scenarios. What can the stuffed animals do to make the situation better?
Emotions & Self-Awareness
Social Skills
Character
Arts
- Activity Type
- Craft
- Topics