Initiating Play Activities
Social Skills Group Activity: Initiating Play
Developed by Deborah Abelman, Ph.D., PTAN Project Staff

Introduction:
When we teach children the language to use in order to either invite other children into their play or to enter into other children’s play, we often make the assumption that by knowing the right words to say, children should be able to initiate play. But to successfully get others to play requires the abilities to share ideas, negotiate, compromise, and to move on when told, “I don’t want to play with you right now.” Some children need direct teaching of these skills, while others may need reminder activities. For those children who appear to be competent in initiating play, these activities will …show more content…

Thank you for helping make this list. When our list is all done we can hang it in our classroom. Now let’s practice asking a friend to play.” Give a child a few legos, puzzle, or other small toy. Have her ask the child next to her he would like to play with her. When the child successfully asks the child next to her if he would like to play with her, have the child pass the toy to another child. Continue until everyone has a turn at asking and being asked to play. End the lesson by having the children “write” in their “asking others to play” journals.

Social Skills Group Activity: Initiating Play
Lesson 5

Remind the children of the previous lessons, going over the lists with them. Then ask them, “When you ask a friend if she wants to play trucks with you, what might she say to you?” Responses may include:

→“I’m playing with blocks now.”
→“No. I’m playing with _(child’s name)_.”
→“Okay, but I want the dump truck.”
→“No I don’t want to play with you.”

List their responses on chart paper. Then go back over each response and ask how they might answer. Discuss appropriate ways they might answer each response. (See Appendix C for examples.) Then have them take turns practicing as they did in the previous lesson. This time allow them opportunities to respond back and forth. Continue until everyone has a turn at asking and being asked to play. End the lesson by having the children “write” in their “asking others to play” journals.

Social