Social skills before kindergarten

Preschool Ready Activities

Many social skills can be learned before entering kindergarten. Preschool ready activities can help form the foundations for becoming a successful adult. 

Along with the educational opportunities, schools provide an early exposure to the rules of society. Developing social skills can enable children to navigate through early relationships and conflicts successfully. Taking advantage of daily opportunities may not only prepare children for kindergarten but for life. 

While preschools and child care centers can encourage the development of early social skills, the techniques and suggestions listed can still be very beneficial. In addition, practicing at home and in the community can reinforce the lessons learned and show support to the teachers in an early learning environment. 

Sharing Preschool Activities 

The skills needed for sharing can be difficult to master, even for adults. In a society that often promotes gaining more assets, giving can be hard to comprehend. If practiced at an early age the activities that promote sharing can lead to a future of positive behaviors. 

Sharing training ideas that parents can complete at home: 

Play days – Incorporate other children into the child’s play area. Sharing is one of many skills that can be practiced in this fun environment. 

Fun Snacks – Practice sharing food with the child. Use one portion of a fun dessert to share between parent and child. Encouraging positive experiences can make sharing fun. 

Holiday gifts – Use the holidays as a teaching opportunity. Let the child select two toys of a similar price. After the purchase, the child can pick the toy he/she wants to keep. The second toy will then be donated to a child in need. 

Taking Turns Preschool Activities 

Very similar to sharing is the ability to take turns. Taking turns can be difficult since this skill incorporates sharing with waiting. The combination can take time developmentally but early efforts are not without reward. 

Kids can practice taking turn ideas in a variety of environments: 

Reinforce the world – Explain natural taking turns opportunities as they occur. From a basketball game to giving the right of way while driving, adults have to take turns every day. 

Story time – Create a story as a group. Each person can make up a few sentences of a story. Each person starts from where the last person stopped in the story. This not only is a fun way to practice waiting but listening skills while promoting creativity. 

Radio search – After listening to two or three songs let someone else pick the station. This is a fun way to add a little variety to a long trip. 

Nap Time Preschool Activities 

Nap time involves more than just sleeping. Except for the earliest years of elementary school, nap time is not scheduled but the skills learned from this period continue to be helpful later in life. Children are not forced to sleep but they are encouraged to remain in one area quietly during the nap period. 

Simple nap time training at home: 

Sleeping Routine – Practice nap times in a common environment and consistent time to build a routine. Midday, following lunch, is the typical nap time for young children in most child care facilities. At home, use a mat or cot to provide a comfortable sleep area similar to the school environment. 

Alone Time Development – Incorporate times for the child to entertain himself. This alone time can help develop the child’s imagination. This time is also important so the child is familiar with having independence during an activity. 

Quiet Activity Practice – Introduce and explore quiet activities at an early age. Reading books, completing puzzles, or exploring toys are all options. Children that can sit quietly will transition through the nap time period easier. 

Through practice of these simple activities it is possible for children to gain many early social skills prior to kindergarten. These skills will create a strong foundation for early learners and plant the seed for learning.