

Pass the Ice Cream: Sharing Activity for Preschoolers – A fun sharing activity for preschoolers inspired by Mo Willems’ Should I Share My Ice Cream?Each child takes a turn sharing their ice cream with their friend – by passing it from one cone to another.

Every preschooler can relate to the struggle of sharing but The Doorbell Rang presents several mathematical concepts as well. The patterned text of the story reveals an engaging tale that presents a real-life math challenge. The Doorbell Rang – Sharing and Math Activity – The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins is a classic children’s book loved by teachers, parents, and children alike. The Sharing Song – teach children The Sharing Song by Jack Johnson. When the music stops, whoever is holding the ball says one thing he/she can share with someone else. Pass the Ball – Have the kids sit in a circle. Ask the children to say how they felt when they shared their objects with others, as well as how the Show and Tell would have been different if they had not been able to see and hold the objects that their classmates brought in. When all of the objects are returned to the original owner, point out that they each shared their objects with their classmates.

After they finish describing their objects, ask them to pass the object around to the rest of the children. Show and Tell Sharing – Allow children to bring a toy or item in for Show and Tell. Have them take turns passing the supplies back and forth until their picture is complete. Pair up children and have them decide what to draw or paint. Paint or Draw a Picture Together – Set up a large white piece of paper and either painting supplies or crayons/markers. As with all interactions with children, be sure to praise the praise the positive, provide words and phrases to use, role play, and lead by example. In addition, guide children to come up with solutions when sharing (or lack thereof) becomes an issue. These sharing activities can be used to enhance the importance of sharing with others.

Often we tend to think that they already know what it means to share or take turns. Young children can have a hard time sharing… and depending on their age, they really aren’t capable of thinking much beyond themselves to understand sharing.
