Friendly Forest Adventure Game

Goal: Work together to help all the friendly forest animals reach the picnic blanket before the sun sets!

Players: 3 Kindergarten Students

Materials:

• Friendly Forest Adventure Game Board: Imagine a winding path through a colorful forest! It starts at a big, leafy 'Start Tree' and leads to a cozy 'Picnic Blanket.' The path has 15 spaces.
  • Spaces 1-3: Grassy Meadow (Green Circle)
  • Space 4: Sparkling Stream! (Blue Wavy Line - lose next turn or move back 1)
  • Spaces 5-7: Sunny Flower Patch (Pink Flower - draw a Kindness Card!)
  • Space 8: Winding Path (Brown Square)
  • Space 9: Whispering Woods (Dark Green Tree)
  • Space 10: Sparkling Stream! (Blue Wavy Line - lose next turn or move back 1)
  • Spaces 11-13: Butterfly Garden (Orange Butterfly - draw a Kindness Card!)
  • Space 14: Rocky Path (Gray Stone)
  • Space 15: The Picnic Blanket! (Red & White Checked - ALL ANIMALS MUST REACH HERE TO WIN!)
• 3 small animal pawns (e.g., a bear, a bunny, a fox) - one for each player.
• One spinner with numbers 1, 2, 3 (or a die with 1, 2, 3 on its faces).
• Kindness Cards (Optional): Small cards with simple prompts for positive social interactions. Examples:
  • "Tell a friend something you like about their playing!"
  • "Give a high-five to the person on your right!"
  • "Say something encouraging to a friend!"
  • "Help a friend move their animal one space forward!"

How to Play:

1. Set Up: Each player chooses an animal pawn and places it on the 'Start' tree space. All pawns start at the same spot.
2. Taking Turns: The youngest player goes first, then play moves around the circle.
3. Spin and Move: On your turn, spin the spinner (or roll the die). Move any animal pawn (yours or a friend's) forward the number of spaces indicated by the spinner.
   • Teacher Note: This is where the 'cooperative' element comes in. Encourage students to think about which animal needs to move to help everyone get closer to the picnic.
4. Special Spaces (Optional - for extended play or redirection):
   • Flower Space: If you land on a flower, draw a 'Kindness Card.' (Example: 'Tell a friend something you like about their playing!')
   • Stream Space: If you land on a stream, you lose your next turn (or move back 1 space) – emphasize that this is just part of the game and it's okay! (Good for practicing appropriate responses to losing/not getting their way).
5. Winning: All three animal pawns must reach the 'Picnic Blanket' area. When the last animal arrives, everyone wins together!
6. Being a Good Sport:
   • Winning: If your animal gets to the picnic first, cheer for your friends! Wait for everyone to arrive.
   • Losing/Challenges: If you land on a stream or don't get to move your chosen animal, remember it's just a game. You'll get another turn! Say 'Good try!' or 'It's okay!'
   • Turn-Taking: Remind everyone to wait for their turn. You can say 'My turn,' 'Your turn,' or 'Whose turn is it now?'

Teacher Facilitation Notes:

• Emphasize Cooperation: Frequently remind students that the goal is for all animals to get to the picnic, not just one.
• Support Emotional Regulation: For the student who gets upset, gently narrate feelings ('I see you're feeling frustrated, it's tough when things don't go our way. Let's breathe together, and then we'll see what happens next turn.'). Highlight their efforts and positive contributions.
• Gentle Redirection for Stimming: For the student who stims, allow natural movement if it doesn't disrupt others. If it becomes distracting, gently guide their hands to the spinner or pawn, or offer a fidget toy if appropriate. Frame it as 'It's time for our game now, let's focus on the spinner!'
• Praise Specific Behaviors: 'I loved how you waited patiently for your turn, [Student Name]!' or 'You helped [Student Name]'s animal move forward, that was very cooperative!'

Cooperative Play: Reflecting on Our Game

Objective: To help students reflect on their experience with cooperative play, focusing on turn-taking, initiating play, and responding appropriately to outcomes.

Time: 5-7 minutes

Instructions for Teacher: Gather the students in a circle. Encourage open and honest sharing. Validate all feelings and experiences. Use specific examples from the game if possible.

Discussion Prompts:

1. Opening the Conversation:

   • "How did everyone feel playing the Friendly Forest Adventure Game today? What was your favorite part?"
   • "What did we do to help all the animals get to the picnic blanket?"

2. Turn-Taking and Sharing:

   • "Was it easy to wait for your turn? How did you remember whose turn it was?"
   • "Did anyone choose to move a friend's animal? Why did you do that? How did that feel?"

3. Handling Challenges:

   • "Remember when an animal landed on the stream space? How did you feel when that happened? (Acknowledge and validate feelings like frustration or sadness.)"
   • "What did you do when you felt frustrated or when things didn't go exactly as you wanted?"
   • "What can we say or do when we win, or when a friend wins?"

4. Connecting to Real Life:

   • "How can we use these 'playing nicely' skills when we play with friends outside, during free time, or at home?"
   • "Why is it important to play nicely and help each other?"

5. Closing:

   • "What is one thing you learned today about playing cooperatively?"
   • "Great job playing and sharing your ideas today! Give yourselves a pat on the back!"