Learning to share and take turns can be a difficult skill for children to master. However, you can help your child develop them by providing lots of encouragement, opportunities and time to practice. It is important to praise your child for taking turns and sharing as this will reinforce their actions in a positive way.

Being able to share and take turns are an essential life skill, they will enable your child to develop their social skills which includes making friends and playing collaboratively, to working as a team and building professional relationships in the future.

Sharing and taking turns will also teach your child about empathy, compromise, patience and how to manage disappointment.

Children learn and understand better through play. So, we have put together a range of activities that you can enjoy with them at home to help them learn to share and take turns. Make sure to give them lots of praise when completing their turn in the games, as well as encouraging them to cheer and congratulate others after their turn too.

Activity: Dice Play

This game may seem like a simplified ring toss. However, it incorporates so many learning and development opportunities, including their mathematical and gross motor skills, hand to eye coordination as well as encouraging them to take turns.

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Activity: Simon Says

This activity is perfect for the whole family to get involved and requires no additional resources to play – just your imagination.

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Activity: Alphabet Bottle

A game to encourage your child’s understanding of the alphabet and phonics, as well as including a fun scavenger hunt around the house to find the correct item.

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Activity: Alphabet Treasure

This will test your child’s understanding of letters and sounds using a variety of object to sort and categorise, all the while learning to be patient and to take turns.

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Activity: Penny Exchange

Children love to play with real items and penny exchange it a great game to encourage them to handle real coins whilst practising their mathematics. The more people to play the game will encourage your child’s sharing and turn taking as they will need to wait longer for their turn.

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