Playground Pals Lesson Plan Playground Pals
Tier 3 Individual Social Skills Session
30 Minutes
Why This Matters
These core social skills support the student’s ability to form friendships, cooperate with classmates, and participate positively in group settings, enhancing peer acceptance and self-esteem.
Session Objective
Teach the student how to greet peers, practice taking turns, and share items on the playground through structured, engaging activities to build confidence and positive interactions.
Preparation (5 mins)
Print and laminate Greeting Visual Cue Cards , Turn-Taking Scenario Cards , and Sharing Practice Tokens .
Post Positive Reinforcement Chart on a visible wall.
Familiarize yourself with the Playground Social Story .
Audience
2nd Grade
Approach
Guided practice with visual supports and hands-on activities.
Materials Needed
Greeting Visual Cue Cards
Turn-Taking Scenario Cards
Sharing Practice Tokens
Positive Reinforcement Chart
Playground Social Story
Instructional Steps
5m
1. Warm-Up Greeting Practice
Show one Greeting Visual Cue Card at a time.
Model greeting (e.g., “Hi, Sam!”) and have the student repeat.
Provide positive feedback using the Positive Reinforcement Chart .
Aim for 5 successful greetings.
10m
2. Turn-Taking Activity
Introduce two Turn-Taking Scenario Cards .
Role-play each scenario with teacher: student taps card and waits.
Swap roles: student prompts teacher and practices waiting.
Mark each successful turn with a token.
10m
3. Sharing Practice
Present a toy or object and a set of Sharing Practice Tokens .
Prompt student to offer the toy to the teacher and say, “Your turn.”
Rotate sharing back and forth three times.
Award a token each time student correctly shares.
5m
4. Wrap-Up and Feedback
Review the three skills: greetings, turn-taking, sharing.
Ask student what they did best and one area to improve.
Place a sticker on Positive Reinforcement Chart .
Read a brief excerpt from Playground Social Story to reinforce skills.
Playground Pals Slides Playground Pals
Social Skills Adventure
Greet
Turn-Taking
Share
Teacher Notes: Welcome! Today we’re doing our Playground Pals session. We’ll practice greetings, taking turns, and sharing. Let’s have fun and learn together!
Session Objectives
Greet classmates confidently
Practice taking turns with friends
Share toys or games politely
Teacher Notes: Point to each objective and read aloud. Ask the student if they remember what each skill means.
1. Greeting Practice
1
Look at the Card
2
Listen to Teacher
3
Repeat the Greeting
4
Earn a Point!
"Hi, Sam!"
Example Greeting
Teacher Notes: Show each Greeting Visual Cue Card. Model “Hi, [Name]!” then have the student repeat. Mark each success on the reinforcement chart.
2. Turn-Taking
"You see a friend on the slide. You want to go next."
Wait Patiently
Ask for a Turn
TAP THE CARD & WAIT YOUR TURN
Teacher Notes: Introduce two Turn-Taking Scenario Cards. Role-play first (teacher goes then student). Swap roles so the student prompts you. Reward each wait with a token.
3. Sharing Practice
Your Turn
When we play together, we pass objects back and forth.
How to Share:
Hold the toy out
Say "Your turn!"
Wait for your friend to play
Teacher Notes: Present a toy and Sharing Practice Tokens. Prompt the student to say “Your turn” and pass the toy back and forth three times. Give a token each time.
Positive Reinforcement
Watch your progress fill up the chart!
Teacher Notes: Point out how many stickers/tokens have been earned so far. Explain that we’ll add one more for our wrap-up reflection.
Wrap-Up & Reflection
Social Story Excerpt
"By greeting, waiting my turn, and sharing, I help make the playground a friendly place."
Thinking Time
What did you do best today?
What can we practice next time?
YOU DID IT!
Final Sticker Earned
Teacher Notes: Review what we learned: greetings, taking turns, sharing. Ask: “What did you do best?” and “What can we work on next time?” Then read a short excerpt from our Playground Social Story to reinforce these skills. Place the final sticker!
Greeting Visual Cue Cards Greeting Visual Cue Cards
Practice greeting your friends with a smile!
NAME: ___________________________ DATE: ___________________________
How to use: Fill in a friend's name, then draw a picture of you waving or smiling at them!
"Hi, ________!"
Write friend's name above
Draw picture here
"Hello, ________!"
Write friend's name above
Draw picture here
"Good morning, ________!"
Write friend's name above
Draw picture here
"How are you, ________?"
Write friend's name above
Draw picture here
"Hey, ________!"
Write friend's name above
Draw picture here
Turn-Taking Scenario Cards Turn-Taking Scenario Cards
"Patient waiting makes playing fun!"
NAME: ___________________________ DATE: ___________________________
SCENARIO 1
The Slide
“You’re at the slide and see one friend is still climbing up. You’d like a turn next.”
What can you say to wait your turn?
"________________________________________________"
Draw a picture of you waiting patiently:
SCENARIO 2
Jump Rope
“Two friends are jumping rope together. You’d like to jump after them.”
What can you say to wait your turn?
"________________________________________________"
Draw a picture of you waiting patiently:
SCENARIO 3
The Swing
“There’s only one swing available and another child is swinging. You’d like to use it next.”
What can you say to wait your turn?
"________________________________________________"
Draw a picture of you waiting patiently:
SCENARIO 4
Rolling a Ball
“You and two friends are taking turns rolling a ball back and forth. It’s your turn but you need to wait.”
What can you say to wait your turn?
"________________________________________________"
Draw a picture of you waiting patiently:
Sharing Practice Tokens Sharing Practice Tokens
Cut these out and earn them by sharing!
Teacher: Cut out these tokens. Give one to the student each time they correctly share an object and say, "Your turn!"
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Playground Social Story My Playground Story
"When I go to the playground, I feel happy and excited. There are swings, slides, and places to play games with my friends."
Greeting Friends
When I see my friends, I can say “Hi!” or “Hello!” with a big smile. I look at them and use their name if I can. For example, I might say, “Hi, Jordan!” Saying a friendly greeting helps my friends know I’m happy to play with them.
Waiting My Turn
Sometimes my friends are playing on the slide or the swing. I can wait my turn by standing in a quiet spot and watching politely. I take three deep breaths while I wait. Then, I can say, “May I have a turn, please?” Waiting is patient and shows I care about everyone having fun.
Sharing with Friends
When I have a toy or a ball, I can share it by saying, “Your turn!” and passing it to my friend. After they play with it, they will say, “My turn is done—your turn!” Sharing is caring and helps everyone play together happily.
I am a great playground friend!
Say "Hi!"
Wait quietly
Say "Your turn!"
Positive Reinforcement Chart My Success Chart
"I am a Playground Pal!"
NAME: ___________________________ DATE: ___________________________
Greeting
1
2
3
4
5
Turn-Taking
1
2
3
4
5
Sharing
1
2
3
4
5
Earn a sticker for every great choice you make!
Playground Pals Quiz Playground Pals Quiz
NAME: ___________________________
DATE: ___________________________
1. What can you say to greet a friend on the playground?
Hi, [Name]!
Goodbye, [Name]!
May I have a turn, please?
Your turn!
2. Which of these is a polite way to ask to wait your turn on the swing?
Move to the front of the line.
May I have a turn, please?
Your turn!
Hi, friend!
3. Write one sentence you can use when sharing a toy with a friend.
4. How confident do you feel about taking turns and waiting patiently on the playground?
Not Confident
A Little
Somewhat
Confident
Very Confident
5. How comfortable are you greeting your friends by name?
Not Comfortable
A Little
Somewhat
Comfortable
Very Comfortable
Quiz Answer Key Quiz Answer Key
Material: Playground Pals Quiz
Question 1: Greetings
"What can you say to greet a friend on the playground?"
Correct Answer: “Hi, [Name]!”
Rationale:
The objective is to practice starting social interactions (see Greeting Visual Cue Cards).
“Hi, [Name]!” is the modeled friendly greeting.
Other options are either for leaving, requesting, or sharing.
Question 2: Turn-Taking
"Which of these is a polite way to ask to wait your turn on the swing?"
Correct Answer: “May I have a turn, please?”
Rationale:
The focus is on polite requesting and patience (see Turn-Taking Scenario Cards).
This phrase uses "please" and asks for permission, showing respect for the peer.
Question 3: Sharing (Open Response)
"Write one sentence you can use when sharing a toy with a friend."
Guidance for Scoring:
Look for a clear sharing phrase modeled in the Social Story or Slides.
“Your turn!”
“Here you go—your turn!”
“I’d like to share. Your turn now!”
Questions 4 & 5: Self-Assessment
Likert Confidence and Comfort scales.
Scoring Note:
There is no "correct" answer for these items. Use the student's response to gauge self-perceived mastery and identify areas for follow-up support. If a student marks 1 or 2, consider more role-play in future sessions.
End of Quiz Answer Key
Playground Pals Rubric Playground Pals Rubric
Session Assessment Resource
STUDENT: ______________________
DATE: ______________________
Use this rubric to assess the student’s performance during the 30-minute social skills session. Score each criterion on a 1–4 scale based on independence and accuracy.
Criterion 4 – Exemplary 3 – Proficient 2 – Developing 1 – Emerging Greeting
| Independently offers clear greeting with peer’s name on first try. Eye contact/smile present. | Offers greeting with peer’s name with minimal prompting. Eye contact present. | Attempts greeting but may omit peer’s name. Requires moderate prompting. | Rarely initiates greeting or uses name. Requires full prompts for correct phrasing. |
|
Turn-Taking
| Waits patiently without prompts. Uses polite waiting phrase independently. | Waits with minimal reminders. Uses appropriate waiting phrase with a prompt. | Requires repeated reminders to wait. Phrase is incomplete or delivered with hesitation. | Struggles to wait for turn; may interrupt. Does not use phrase without full prompt. |
|
Sharing
| Consistently offers object and says “Your turn!” independently. Hands over smoothly. | Shares and says “Your turn!” with a brief prompt. Object passed correctly. | Shares after reminders. Phrase may be incomplete (e.g., “Here…”). | Rarely initiates sharing without full cues. Requires physical guidance to pass object. |
Scoring Key
4 = Exemplary: Fully independent and accurate.
3 = Proficient: Mostly independent; clear evidence of skill.
2 = Developing: Emerging ability; moderate prompting required.
1 = Emerging: Beginning stage; frequent or full prompts required.
Total Score
/ 12
Use the total score to guide follow-up support and future session goals.
