Social Interaction

As children grow, they must learn to play with others, not just for sake of 'getting along' but also because being able to interact with peers is an important part of becoming a successful learner. Sharing and taking turns are difficult lessons to master, but as children spend more time playing together, they begin to recognize each other's feelings and advance from parallel play (playing along side other children) to cooperative play (playing with other children).

In our Mom and Me class this week we saw a lot of good sharing, and a lot of good parallel play. We had a sound tube that each child was able to try out with their moms. I was so impressed with how patiently the other kids waited their turn! We are talking 2 and 3 year olds here and they understood that everyone would get a turn so they patiently waited. I think in the next few weeks as the kids get more familiar with each other and the Kindermusik routine they will begin to participate in more cooperative play.

IDEA: Use your Kindermusik songs and activities from class to inspire some parent-child play at home. You can also encourage your child's play by providing simple and developmentally appropriate play materials. Organize the items into labeled bins and place in easy reach on shelves or in the closet.