Quick Preschool Lessons on Cooperative Activity
Preschool children struggle to participate in cooperative activities. The quest for greater autonomy and problems with impulse control compete with the child's natural desire to connect to and collaborate with others. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that preschool teachers demonstrate how to problem-solve with peers and nurture friendships. Introduce quick lessons that permit autonomy while teaching cooperation to preschoolers.
Other People Are Reading
-
Launch the Balloon Lesson
-
Let the children stand in a circle and cooperate to keep a balloon airborne. Give the children an inflated balloon, and tell them to keep the balloon in the air. Increase the difficulty level of the activity by asking the children, use their feet or elbows to keep the balloon aloft.
Safe Island Lesson
-
Designate a safe island area with chalk or masking tape. The area outside the safe island represents the ocean. The children pretend to swim in the ocean when music plays. When the music stops, the children avoid hungry sharks by escaping to the safe island. Ask the children to help the other swimmers avoid the sharks. Make the island smaller each time you stop the music. Encourage the swimmers to cooperate to ensure that everyone escapes the sharks.
-
Musical Hugs Lesson
-
Let the children dance to music. Ask the children to find a friend to hug when the music stops. Encourage the dancers to locate a new friend to hug every time the music stops. Modify the activity by instructing the children to learn one fact about their new friend before the music resumes.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Lesson
-
Ask the children to talk about what they see in a mirror. Chose one child to be the leader. The leader makes up silly movements that the other children imitate, or "mirror," as quickly as they can. Allow other children to act as the leader.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
