I Am Patient
Practice waiting
Patience is about learning to wait for a turn, be with the group, and stay calm. These skills help children join class activities and make friends.
- Audience
- Caregiver
- Subject
- School Readiness
- Age
- KindergartenPre-KPreschoolToddler
- Languages
- Brazilian PortugueseEnglishHaitian CreoleSimplified ChineseSpanish
- Materials
- Aprons, blocks, cardboard tube, copy paper, clipboard, markers
It takes patience for children to stay engaged in activities like circle time, instead of doing something else they want to do. Practicing patience also helps children manage emotions like frustration. When children are able to manage feelings, it can be easier for them to work with others and learn together.
Try these activities together!
Nature observation
Cardboard tube viewer
- Go outside with your child, or look through the window.
- First, look at a specific area in full view. Then, look through the cardboard tube to focus on something.
- Ask you child what they notice, then share what you see. Practice taking turns sharing your observations with each other.
Freeze dance
- Play music and pause it after a while.
- When you pause, ask your child to stay in the pose by saying “freeze!”
- Take turns being the leader and the follower, or dance together!
Drawing what you see
- Place a piece of copy paper on a clipboard.
- Ask you child, "What do you notice?" Encourage them to draw what they see with markers.
- Young children might simply scribble, but they might try using colors they see.
- You and your child might not find what you want right away. Take a deep breath and look carefully. If you see a bug or animal, it may move before you can draw it. Nature is unpredictable. Staying calm and waiting helps build patience.
Building together
- Build together with blocks! Take turns placing a block in your creation. Say, "Let's take turns. Would you like to go first?" or "First I place a block, then you place a block." Waiting for your turn requires patience.
- Knocking down a block tower is fun! Encourage your child to ask for permission first before knocking down a creation. This is a great way to practice patience and being kind to others.
Everyday Interactions
Cook or bake together! Put on an apron and tell your child that they are your helper. Let them stir the eggs and flour until the batter is smooth. It takes patience! Waiting for the oven to heat or the break to cool can take time, too.
Some kitchen tasks might be too hard for you child. Set a timer and ask them to come back when the time is up. While they wait, you can handle the harder parts.
Ways to Support Your Child
“We are eating dinner together now. Let's sit in our chair.”
“Can I use this block? " "No, but when I'm done, I will give it to you. ”
Just for the grown-ups
Saying goodbye when going to school can be hard for both children and adults. It's normal to feel sad, but try to stay calm. When adults show confidence, it helps reassure children that everything will be okay.
Related Resources
CaregiverActivitySnip, Stick, Scribble!
In school, children do lots of activities. They write, draw, paint, and build with different materials. As children do these things, they use tools–scissors to cut paper, paintbrushes to mix colors, and pencils to write letters and numbers.
CaregiverActivityI Can Do It
At home, children can often get one-on-one help with what they need. At school, teachers have many children to care for and may not be able to assist right away. This is why it is important for children to learn to do tasks like zip jackets, put on shoes, and open snack containers. These everyday tasks use fine motor skills—small movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
CaregiverActivityI Can Listen
Listening to and following directions happens throughout the school day. A typical school day includes circle time or morning meetings, where the class learns what happens during the day. During activities, they need to know what steps to follow. These skills help children feel like part of the group. When children feel that they belong, it’s easier to make friends, work together, and be ready to learn in school.
CaregiverActivityLet’s Be Friends
Children spend lots of time with friends at school. Being kind and understanding others’ feelings helps children have positive interactions.
CaregiverActivityAll About Me
Starting school is exciting! But it might also feel a little scary. Children can start to connect with their new friends at school by talking about themselves and their families.
EducatorGuideOn Our Way To School – Playgroup Guide
You can use or adapt this playgroup structure to maximize school readiness skill development during your playgroup. Be sure to also visit the On Our Way to School collection to download the accompanying Family Activity Sheets. This playgroup guide includes:
CaregiverActivityFiguring It Out
Stuck zippers! Snatched toys! Spilled milk! Learning to be a good problem-solver helps children be independent and feel more comfortable trying new things. It also helps them enjoy playing with others.
CaregiverActivityUp, Down, and Around
When children crawl under a table, fit toys in a box, or figure out how to get through a narrow path, they are thinking about how to move through or fill up a certain space. Moments like these support spatial thinking—how we understand where objects are and how they move or fit together.