Greeting Puppets Activity

Description: Students will use simple puppets to practice saying friendly greetings and build confidence speaking to a peer.

Objective:

• Students will use polite greeting phrases (“Hello, ___. How are you?”) with a puppet and then with a classmate.

Materials:

• Two simple puppets (sock or finger puppets)
• Optional: Name cards or student pictures to place on puppets
• Circle seating area

Instructions:

1. Teacher Modeling (2 minutes)
   • Hold up Puppet A and Puppet B.
   • Use Puppet A to say: “Hello, Puppet B! How are you today?”
   • Use Puppet B to reply: “I’m good, thank you! How are you?”
   • Emphasize eye contact and clear voice.
     
2. Puppet Practice (5 minutes)
   • Invite Volunteer 1 to pick up Puppet A and Puppet B.
   • Student uses Puppet A to greet Puppet B and Puppet B to respond.
   • Prompt them: “Remember to say their name.”
   • Coach students if they need help with phrasing.
     
3. Peer Greeting (8 minutes)
   • Place puppets aside.
   • Pair students up in the circle.
   • Student 1 says: “Hello, [peer name]! How are you?”
   • Student 2 replies: “I’m fine, thank you! How are you?”
   • Rotate pairs so each child gets a turn in both roles.
     
4. Group Reflection (5 minutes)
   • Gather students back in a circle.
   • Ask: “How did it feel to say hello?”
   • Show Friendship Flashcards for “Greeting.”
   • Encourage students to try this greeting at recess or centers.

Follow-Up Points:

• Praise clear voices and use of names.
• Remind students to wait quietly for their turn.
• Display a visual reminder chart with steps for greeting.

Sharing Scenario Cards Activity

Description:
Students will explore common playtime situations where sharing is needed. They will discuss appropriate words and actions, then role-play each scenario to practice sharing skills.

Objective:

• Students will identify sharing opportunities and use polite phrases (e.g., “Can I have a turn?” “You can play with it after me.”) to share materials with peers.

Materials:

• A deck of Sharing Scenario Cards (printed and cut apart)
• Circle seating area or small group table

Instructions:

1. Introduce the Activity (2 minutes)
   • Gather students in a circle and hold up the deck of cards.
   • Explain: “Each card shows a situation where someone might need to share.”
     
2. Read & Discuss (5 minutes)
   • Show the top card. Read the scenario aloud (e.g., “You and a friend both want the same truck.”).
   • Ask: “What could we say or do to share?”
   • Elicit responses: “Can I have a turn?” “Let’s take turns.”
     
3. Model & Role-Play (8 minutes)
   • Invite two volunteers.
   • Assign one child as Person A and the other as Person B.
   • Model the interaction: A asks to share, B responds kindly, then A shares.
   • Repeat with 3–4 different cards so multiple students participate.
     
4. Group Reflection (5 minutes)
   • Return to the full group.
   • Ask: “Which sharing phrase did you like best?”
   • Show Friendship Flashcards for “Sharing.”
   • Encourage students to look for chances to share at centers.

Follow-Up Points:

• Display key phrases on a chart:
  • “Can I have a turn?”
  • “Let’s take turns.”
  • “Thank you for sharing!”
• Praise students when you hear sharing language during play.
• Remind learners that sharing helps everyone have fun together.

Turn-Taking Spinner Activity

Description:
Students will practice the social skill of taking turns speaking and listening by using a simple spinner that designates “Speaker” or “Listener.” This helps them understand waiting their turn and giving full attention to classmates.

Objective:

• Students will demonstrate respectful turn-taking by speaking clearly when on “Speaker” and listening attentively when on “Listener.”

Materials:

• Turn-Taking Spinner (spinner divided into two wedges: Speaker, Listener)
• A small stack of simple topic prompt cards (e.g., favorite color, favorite toy, favorite animal)
• Circle seating area or small-group table

Instructions:

1. Setup & Introduce (2 minutes)
   • Show the spinner and point out the two wedges: “Speaker” and “Listener.”
   • Explain: “When you land on Speaker, you get to share. When you land on Listener, you listen quietly and look at the speaker.”
     
2. Teacher Demonstration (3 minutes)
   • Invite one volunteer to spin.
   • If the spinner lands on Speaker, model: “I’m the speaker. My favorite toy is a teddy bear.”
   • Turn the spinner for Listener: model attentive listening (look at speaker, quiet body).
   • Emphasize both roles are important.
     
3. Student Turn-Taking (15 minutes)
   • Have students sit in a circle.
   • Place prompt cards face-down in the center.
   • Student A spins the spinner:
     • If Speaker: pick a prompt card and share (e.g., “My favorite color is blue.”).
     • If Listener: listen quietly and use “listening face” (eyes on speaker, quiet body).
   • After each spin and share, pass spinner to the next student.
   • Continue until each child has spun at least twice.
     
4. Group Reflection (5 minutes)
   • Gather students back in a circle.
   • Ask: “How did it feel to wait and listen?” and “What was your favorite thing to share?”
   • Show Friendship Flashcards for Turn-Taking.
   • Encourage students to notice times they take turns in class and at recess.

Follow-Up Points:

• Give praise for clear “speaker voice” and attentive “listener face.”
• Remind students that good friends take turns talking and listening.
• Post a visual reminder of the Speaker/Listener roles near the group area for ongoing support.

Friendship Flashcards Activity

Description:
Flashcards illustrating the three friendship skills—Greeting, Sharing, and Turn-Taking—to reinforce learning and support reflection.

Objective:

• Students will recognize and name each friendship skill.
• Students will describe when and how to use each skill during playtime and class.

Materials:

• A set of three large flashcards:
  • Greeting (picture of children saying hello)
  • Sharing (picture of children sharing a toy)
  • Turn-Taking (picture of children taking turns talking and listening)
• Display area (board or chart stand)

Instructions:

1. Introduce Each Skill (6 minutes)
   • Hold up the Greeting card. Ask: “What is this?” and “What do we say when we greet someone?”
   • Repeat with the Sharing and Turn-Taking cards. Emphasize the key phrase printed on each card.
     
2. Student Examples (6 minutes)
   • Invite volunteers to pick a card and share: “Tell us about a time you used this skill.”
   • Encourage clear voices for greetings, polite words for sharing, and listening eyes for turn-taking.
     
3. Skill Selection (4 minutes)
   • Lay all three cards face-up. Ask: “Which skill will you practice first at recess?”
   • Students point to or name the card they choose.
     
4. Display & Reinforce (4 minutes)
   • Place the cards on the display area for the rest of the day.
   • Remind students: “Look at these cards whenever you need a friendship reminder.”

Follow-Up Points:

• Refer to the flashcards during future lessons or transitions.
• Praise students when you see them using these skills.
• Rotate student helpers each day to display and retrieve the cards.

Friendship Exit Ticket

Name: _______________________ Date: _______________

1. Which friendship skill will you use today?

Circle one:

• Greeting • Sharing • Turn-Taking

2. Draw a picture of you using that skill:

3. Label your picture:

I will _________________________________.

Great job! Bring this exit ticket to me when you’re finished.