This game can support turn taking skills needed for interactions and conversations. Begin by thinking of a topic, such as food, books, movies, or animals. As you pass the ball back and forth, take turns saying something that fits within the selected topic. When the ball is in your hand it is your turn to talk and when the ball is in your partner’s hand it is their turn to talk.
To make this game trickier try telling a story together by passing the ball back and forth like this each person only adding one word to the story on their turn. Playing this way can get pretty challenging, as it requires skills of ideation and working memory to keep track of what is happening in the story and come up with ideas for the story. This will also challenge emotional regulation and accepting the influence of others, as children may feel disappointed if the story begins to go in a way they did not initially want. To support any feelings of disappointment or frustration you can prompt your child to hold on to their version of the story for after or pause the game so they can write down their story before they forget.
Tips: If your child is having a difficult time waiting their turn in the game, it could be that they are really excited to share their ideas and don’t want to forget it before their turn comes again. If this is the case, try having a sheet of paper and a pencil next to your child so they can write down their ideas if it is not their turn. Additionally, if your child is having a difficult time coming up with ideas, you can prompt them to look around the room- or before the game starts write a list of ideas with them. Finally, remember to model skills of asking for help thinking of an idea or model safe and emotionally regulated ways to remind your child to wait their turn if interrupted. For example, ‘It’s still my turn’ or ‘Please wait, I’m not done talking yet’.
