Social-Emotional Development

In the area of social-emotional development, young children are learning how to regulate their emotions. Being able to regulate emotions is a necessary skill for future success in school and life. To support their social-emotional development, kids need exposure to people and situations that model effective behavior, healthy expressing of emotions, and positive social interactions.

The following is an activity that supports the social-emotional development of children and can be "played" at school or at home!

Activity: PUT-UPS and PUT-DOWNS

Skills/Learning about: Problem-solving, feelings, and respect

Materials:

• 2 hand puppets or stuffed animals named generically (i.e. Cat and Dog)

Directions:

• Gather your child or children and ask them to listen to and discuss a puppet show about name-calling.
• Use the puppets or stuffed animals to represent participants in a common problem among young friends - name-calling.
• Enact the following script:

Cat: (Cat is crying).
Parent (P) or Teacher (T): Asks Cat why she is crying.
Cat: Answers that Dog called her "dumb."
P or T: Tells children that "dumb" is a "put-down word." Then asks Dog if he said this.
Dog: Admits having said it.
P or T: Asks Dog to look at Cat crying. Asks Dog how he thinks Cat feels? (Look at children to answer for Dog).
Children: Children should answer for Dog.
P or T: Asks Dog why he would call Cat "dumb?"
Dog: Says, "Because Cat won't play with me!"
P or T: Says, "I think I understand how you feel. It sounds like you (Dog) were angry and disappointed. You really wanted to play ball with Cat."
P or T: Asks children if they can think of what Dog might have done differently when Cat said that she didn't want to play ball with him.
Children: Children answer.

• Encourage children to explore different problem-solving possibilities.
• After open discussion, ask children to give "put-ups" to Cat to help her feel better. Explain what "put-up words" sound like (i.e. "I think you are very fun to play with").

Benefit: While children are "playing" with you, they are learning a valuable lesson about healthy ways to express their emotions and how to have positive social interactions!

PLAY MAKES LEARNING RELEVANT AND FUN!