Teacher Script: Playtime Problem Solvers

Introduction (2 minutes)

(Display Slide 1: Playing Together is FUN!)

"Hello, awesome friends! Today, we're going to talk about something super important: playing with each other! Raise your hand if you love playing with your friends. What do you love about it?"



(Listen to a few responses. Validate their feelings about fun and friends.)

"Yes! Playing with friends is so much fun. We get to build, pretend, share, and laugh!"

What's the Problem? (4 minutes)

(Display Slide 2: Uh Oh! A Playtime Problem?)

"But sometimes, when we're playing, things don't always go perfectly, do they? Maybe two friends want the same toy, or someone isn't sharing, or you have different ideas about what to play. Has that ever happened to you? Give me a thumbs up if it has!"

(Wait for thumbs up.)

"It's okay! It happens to everyone. These are what we call 'playtime problems.' They are small bumps in our fun road, but the good news is, we can learn how to fix them!"

(Use Discussion Prompts: Solving Play Problems to guide the conversation.)

"Let's talk about some of these problems. What are some tricky things that can happen when you play with friends?"



(After a few responses, move to solutions.)

(Display Slide 3: Let's Solve It!)

"When a problem happens, what can we do? Instead of getting sad or mad, we can stop and think! What are some ideas you have to solve a playtime problem?"



(Guide them towards ideas like 'Share,' 'Take turns,' 'Talk about it,' 'Ask an adult,' 'Play something else.')

Problem Play Activity (5 minutes)

(Display Slide 4: Act It Out: Problem Play)

"Alright, fantastic problem solvers! Now we're going to practice. We're going to do an activity called Problem Play Activity! I'll give you a little story about a problem, and you'll show us how you can solve it!"

(Lead the Problem Play Activity as outlined in its material. Provide positive feedback.)

Cooperative Building Game (3 minutes)

(Display Slide 5: Team Up: Build Together!)

"Wow, you are all amazing at solving problems! Now, let's play a game where we work together as super teams! We'll play the Cooperative Building Game. Your job is to build something together with your teammates. Remember all those problem-solving ideas we talked about? Use them to help your team build something awesome!"

(Lead the Cooperative Building Game. Observe and gently prompt problem-solving as needed.)

Conclusion (1 minute)

(Display Slide 6: You Are Problem Solvers!)

"You did such a wonderful job today learning to be playtime problem solvers! You can now identify problems and think of great ways to fix them, so everyone can have more fun when playing together. Give yourselves a big pat on the back! You are ready to make playtime even more awesome!"

Discussion Prompts: Solving Play Problems

Introduction

"Sometimes, when we play, things can get a little tricky. Let's talk about some of these tricky times and how we can make them better."

Prompts for Identifying Problems

• "Imagine you and your friend both want to play with the same toy. What happens? How does that feel?"
  
  
  
• "What if you want to build a tall tower, and your friend wants to build a long train, and you both want to use all the blocks? What's the problem there?"
  
  
  
• "Sometimes, someone might not want to share, or they might take a toy without asking. How does that make other friends feel? What's the problem?"
  
  
  
• "Have you ever been playing a game, and someone changes the rules without telling anyone? What happened then?"

Prompts for Brainstorming Solutions

• "If two friends want the same toy, what are some different things they could do so both can be happy? (e.g., share, take turns, find another toy)"
  
  
  
• "If you and your friend have different ideas about what to build with the blocks, what could you say or do to solve that problem? (e.g., combine ideas, build separately, negotiate)"
  
  
  
• "If someone isn't sharing, what can you do? (e.g., ask politely, offer to share something else, ask an adult for help)"
  
  
  
• "If the rules of a game are changed, how can you make sure everyone knows and agrees? (e.g., talk about it, vote)"
  
  
  
• "What if someone is feeling sad or mad because of a playtime problem? What can we do to help them feel better and solve the problem?"

Problem Play Activity: Act It Out!

Objective

Students will practice identifying play problems and acting out possible solutions in short scenarios.

Materials

• Small toys or blocks (optional, can be mimed)
• Teacher Script: Playtime Problem Solvers (for guidance)

Instructions

1. Introduce: "Now it's time to be super actors! We're going to act out some playtime problems. When I tell you a problem, I want you to show me what happens, and then show me how you would solve it!"
2. Scenario 1: The Same Toy
   • "Imagine two friends, Lily and Tom, both want to play with the same red car. Lily grabs it, and Tom reaches for it too. What happens? How does that feel?"
     
   • (Have two students volunteer or guide the group to mime this. Ask them to show sad or frustrated faces.)
     
   • "Now, what could Lily and Tom do to solve this problem so they can both be happy? Show me!"
     
   • (Guide them to act out sharing, taking turns, or finding another car.)
3. Scenario 2: Different Building Ideas
   • "Maya wants to build a tall castle with all the blocks, but Sam wants to build a long bridge with all the blocks. They both want all the blocks for their own idea! What's the problem?"
     
   • (Have two students volunteer or guide the group to mime this.)
     
   • "How can Maya and Sam solve this? Can they build a castle and a bridge? Can they build something new together? Show me!"
     
   • (Guide them to act out combining ideas, splitting the blocks, or negotiating.)
4. Scenario 3: Not Sharing
   • "David has a big pile of awesome LEGOs, and Maria wants to play with some too, but David says 'No! They're all mine!' What's the problem?"
     
   • (Have two students volunteer or guide the group to mime this.)
     
   • "What can Maria do? What could David do? How can they share so they can both play? Show me!"
     
   • (Guide them to act out Maria asking politely, David offering some LEGOs, or finding a different activity.)
5. Wrap-up: "You are such great problem solvers and actors! See, even when problems happen, we can think of ways to make play fun for everyone!"

Cooperative Building Game

Objective

Students will work collaboratively in small groups to build a shared creative structure, focusing on communication and negotiating ideas to overcome challenges during play.

Materials

• A variety of building materials (e.g., large cardboard boxes, cushions, blankets, art supplies like paper and crayons) - enough for small groups.
• Teacher Script: Playtime Problem Solvers (for guidance)

Instructions

1. Set Up Groups: Divide students into small groups of 3-4 children. Give each group a pile of building materials.
2. Introduce the Challenge: "Alright, future builders! Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to work together in your team to build one amazing structure. It could be a tall tower, a long bridge, a cozy house, or anything you dream up together!"
3. Emphasize Teamwork: "Remember, this isn't about one person building. It's about everyone in your team working together. You'll need to share the blocks, talk about your ideas, and if a problem pops up, use those awesome problem-solving skills we just learned!"
4. Start Building: "Ready, set, build!"
   • (Circulate among the groups. Observe how students interact, share, and negotiate. If a small conflict arises (e.g., two wanting the same block, differing ideas), gently prompt them using the problem-solving language from the lesson: "What's the problem here? What are some ideas to solve it?")
5. Share and Reflect (Optional, if time allows): After a few minutes, have each group briefly share what they built and how they worked together as a team.
6. Wrap-up: "Great job, everyone! Look at all the wonderful things you built together. You showed amazing teamwork and used your problem-solving superpowers to create something special!"