Book Nook

Ideas for Using Books to Support Social Emotional Development

I Can Share
By Karen Katz

I Can Share is a ‘Lift-the-Flap’ book geared for toddlers and young

preschoolers which can be used to help teach about sharing. This is a
fun and interactive book. Each page shows a different scenario that is
solved by sharing.
(Ages 1-3)

Examples of activities that can be used while reading I Can Share and throughout the day to
expand on social and emotional concepts:

• Read this story to a few toddlers at a time. Let them participate by flipping up the pages and
answering questions based on the pictures.

• Tell the children that you will be sharing a new book with them. Read them the story and ask
open ended questions like, “Can you show me how you share the box of crayons?” “How would
you share this shovel and bucket?” “Here are two baby dolls, can you share one with a friend?”

• While reading the story, have the children come up and take a prop that represents that page (a
shovel, a doll, a snack, etc.). These props can be pictures or the real objects. When you get to the
corresponding page, have the children demonstrate how to share. Hand each child a set of the
items pictured in the book. Then cue the child to share one with a friend. (See corresponding
picture cues at the end of this book nook. Cut and laminate the pictures. Glue each picture to a
craft stick. Using an egg carton turned so that the top lays flat on the ground, push the stick cues
into the bottom of the carton so they stand on display for children to choose what they want to
share. See photo below.)

• Sing a song after the story that discusses sharing with friends. Don’t have a song to sing? That’s
okay, make it up! Use a well known tune and just put your own words in!
To the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Share, share, share your toys; share them with a friend. Share, share, share your toys,
let’s all play pretend.

Office of Child Care

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Head Start Bureau
Book Nook
• Mash Potato Play Dough: Mix instant mash potatoes and cold water together to make play dough.
Divide the dough into different bowls and use food coloring to make different colors. Place all the
different colors on one table. Let the children share the table space and colored potato dough.

Reading the same book for several days in a row is a great way to provide opportunities for infants,
toddlers, and preschoolers to develop a sense of competence and confidence, which is an important part
of social and emotional development. They become able to turn pages, point at and label pictures, talk
about the story, predict what will happen next, learn new vocabulary words, talk about their own
experiences in relation to the story and even make up their own story! Try reading I Can Share for several
days in a row and use some of the ideas, activities, and teaching opportunities listed below to enhance
social and emotional skills.

Sharing
Circle:
Share Box—Create a special share box that is only introduced during circle time. Decorate the box so it is
attention grabbing: use colors like black, red, and white or one with a bold checker pattern. Inside the
box place items that can be shared like bubble with several wands, musical instruments, a baggie of gold
fish crackers, a box of chunky sidewalk chalk, play dough, or several water-shakers.Be creative!
Show and Tell—Have each child bring in a toy from home that they would like to share at school.

Centers:
Together We Share—In the mornings introduce side-by-side play. Have the children read books next to
each other or with each other. Let them know that they have to share the reading area, bean bag, or the
books. Stay close by to support children as they try to practice sharing with each other.
Reading Buddies—Create a fun and exciting reading area where the children can read their books. Have
each child find a friend to sit with, let him/her know the different ways they can share the sitting area.
You could bring in a hula-hoop for two children to sit in, a special rug, a child-size couch, or beach
towels. Make it different from the normal routine and try changing it up every once in a while.
Blocks—Teach the children to share with friends by building blocks. Build a tower of blocks and have
one child push it down. Then build it again and allow a different child to push it over. Teach them to play
together by building blocks and pushing them over. Teaching side-by-side play will help teach young
children the beginning steps of sharing. During block clean-up, all children can help by putting the blocks
into a bin or small laundry basket.
House—Teach children how to share some of the toys in the kitchen area. Show them how to share the
food and the dishes while they are making ‘dinner’. (Note: There are great play food sets on the market
that are cut in half and attached back together with Velcro. This would give toddlers the opportunity to
practice “cutting” with a plastic knife and then sharing the food either with a peer or a baby doll.) They
can share the responsibilities it takes to serve a great dinner. One can set the table, one can get the
drinks, one can cook the food, one can clean, etc. When finished pretending to eat, then they can share
the cleaning responsibilities. Everyone puts away the items and then children work together, sharing the
job of cleaning the table with wet-wipes.
Extension activity: Young children love water play, put soapy water in your housekeeping sink and allow
the children to use rags (teaching them to squeeze out the extra water) to clean the table.

Outside Play:
Bubbles—Play bubbles with a group of children. Let them know that you all will be playing bubbles
together. Have one big bubble bottle and give each child a bubble wand. They all share the bubble bottle
by dipping in their individual wands to make bubbles in the air. Extension activity: Once children are able
to do the activity above, increase your expectations and begin teaching “turn-taking” with the bubbles.
The teacher will hold the wand and the solution, one at a time let the children blow into the wand to
make bubbles. Keep commenting on how wonderful they are sharing the bubbles and taking turns. It is
important to note that sharing is easier for young children than taking turns, due to the wait time
involved in turn taking.
Book Nook
Push/Pull Toys—Teach side-by-side play while children are playing outside with the push toys. Show
them that they can share the push toy by having one of them push and the other ride. Then have them
switch roles. They could also stand side-by-side and push the toy together.
Water Play—Use one big water tub, something that allows all the toddlers to play in the water at the
same time. Use toys that promote playing together like water wheels, funnels, measuring cups, plastic
cups and small buckets. Note: Sometimes it’s hard for toddlers to share the same activity. One way of
preventing children from getting into another toddler’s space is to draw big squares on the sidewalk with
chalk (or tape if inside the classroom) all around the water tub/table. Prompt the children that when at
the water area, they sit or stand in their personal square. If children begin to increase their skills with
sharing items and space you can increase the size of the square to a rectangle and allow two children to
share the same space while they play.

Art:
Color—Use one long sheet of paper that everyone will color on. Then give each child a crayon, chalk,
paint, etc. Let them know that they need to try to share the paper and the different colors.
Paper Collage—Take different colored papers and cut it into small squares (not too small, keep your age
group in mind). Mix non-toxic glue and water together in a small bowl. Place a large sheet of paper on
the table and have the children make a paper collage by dipping the squares into the glue solution and
then placing them on the long paper. You could have one child be in charge of painting the glue solution
on the paper.
Colored Ice Cubes—Make ice cubes that are different colors by using food coloring. Use the frozen ice
cubes to draw on a long sheet of fabric (try old bed sheets), give each person a sheet to share with a
friend. You can also try drawing a picture with a permanent marker and letting the children color it in!
Golf Ball Can Art—Each child does this art project with a buddy. They each put their golf ball in a color
they choose. Then they drop their two balls in a coffee can that has been lined with paper. The lid is
placed on and then they share in the activity by rolling the can back and forth to create a shared art
project. The paper is then taken out to dry and displayed on the wall.
Extension activity: The teacher could take a photograph of the children doing their shared art project
together and then display the photo with their art work.

Snack Time:
Fruit Share—Serve fruit and have the children help you find a way to serve all the children with only 2
apples. Show them how you can cut the fruit to share a bit of the apple with everyone. Other possible
fruits to share could be an orange, pear, or grapes.
Extension activity: Have your children eat with dolls and see if they can pretend sharing some of their
food with their dolls.

Nap Time:
Baby Doll Share Time—A great way to introduce sharing during nap is by allowing the children to take
a doll to nap with them. Explain that they only have 1 blanket so the two of them (the child and the
doll) will have to share. Let them tuck the doll in and then you tuck them in.

Good-Bye Time:
Share the Day—Prompt your children to share what they did at school with their mommies and daddies
during dismissal time. You can ask them to give their parents something that they made or cue them to
tell their parents what they did that day. You could also have them share photographs with their parents
demonstrating how they share with their friends.

This Book Nook was developed by Anne Taccetta and Rochelle Lentini
I can Share:
2 Dolls
2 bikes
1 shovel and 1 bucket
2 snacks
3 Friends I can Share:
Boxes of Crayons?? •Printing: Print these
colored as handouts with 2
to a page.
•Cutting: Cut on dotted line