A simple activity for teaching perspective taking to kids. Plus, a definition of perspective taking and what it means.
Wondering how to teach perspective taking skills to kids? Wish you had a simple activity to do so?
Well, that's where this super simple perspective taking activity comes in. It only takes a few minutes to do, but it's an incredibly powerful way to show kids how to consider and understand another person's perspective.
So, if you're ready to start teaching perspective taking to kids, then you'll love this activity idea! But first, let's define what perspective taking is.
Perspective Taking Definition: What is it Exactly?
Perspective taking is the ability to perceive or understand another person's point of view besides your own. It's where you consider someone else's thoughts and feelings about something in order to see things from their perspective.
An Easy Perspective Taking Activity to Try with Kids
This activity involves physically putting yourself into someone else's place so that you can see what they see from their perspective. It's almost like you're asking the question, "Do you see what I see?" Which kind of reminds me of that Christmas song, Do you hear what I hear?
Anyway, for this perspective taking activity, you'll need:
2 chairs
2 people
Both people sit in a chair, facing each other.
One person (person A) says, "Tell me what you see behind me," and the other person (person B) names a few objects that they can see.
If you want to be more specific and concrete, you can say, "Name two (three, four, etc.) objects that you see behind me."
Now it is person B's turn to ask person A to describe or name the objects that they see behind person B.
Both people will likely respond with different objects because they are each seeing the room from their own unique position in the room. They are simply sharing what they see from their point of view and perspective. For example, person A might see a poster and a window while person B might see a stack of books on a table and a bowl of fruit.
Next, both people switch chairs.
Once seated in the opposite chair, both people can begin to see the room from the other person's perspective and position in the room. They start to see the objects that they couldn't see previously because they now sit in a different position and have a different point of view.
And that's it! I told you it was super simple.
Teaching Perspective Taking is Easy with this Social Story!
Want to go a bit further in teaching your child about why it's important to consider other people's perspectives? Then try this perspective taking social story!
Have you gone on a feelings walk before? This simple emotions activity will help kids of all ages notice how different emotions feel in their body. It's great for toddlers and preschoolers too!
Not only do kids need to be able to identify and name their emotions, but they also need to learn how to recognize those emotions in their own bodies.
Then eventually they have to learn how to manage and cope with those emotions too.
As you're probably already aware, there are a lot of skills to develop and plenty of practice to be had when it comes to emotions. So, it's not surprising that it takes years to develop strong emotional awareness and coping skills.
However, there are lots of simple activities that you can do to start building emotional intelligence with your children, regardless of their age, skill level, or abilities.
For instance, this feelings walk emotions activity focuses on teaching kids how to recognize the signs of different emotions and feelings in their bodies. It can be done wherever and whenever and requires nothing more than using your body and a bit of mindfulness practice.
How to Do a Feelings Walk with Kids
This mindfulness and emotions activity focuses on teaching kids how different emotions present themselves in our bodies. It encourages kids to focus specifically on how their body changes when we are feeling a wide variety of emotions and requires paying attention to both internal (interoception) and external signals.
Here's how this emotions activity works:
Step 1: Pick an emotion or feeling
The great thing about this activity is that you can try a wide variety of different emotions. You could try frustrated, excited, sad, angry, worried, happy, nervous...anything really! So start this activity off by picking one particular emotion to focus on.
Step 2: Walk as if you are feeling that emotion
Now imagine that you are feeling the chosen emotion from step one. Start walking as if you are feeling that way. For example, if you're happy or excited, you might have a bounce in your step. However, if you're angry, you might be stomping around.
Step 3: Notice how your body feels
This step is all about being present and noticing how your body feels as you act out the emotion. Depending on the age and skills of your child, you might need to point out some of these movements and signs. Using declarative language will be really helpful here (e.g., I noticed that you were walking slowly with your head down).
Here are some questions to consider during this step:
Do you drag your feet?
Do you have a slight bounce in your step?
Are you moving fast or slow?
Are you slouched over or do you hold your head up high?
What are your hands and/or arms doing?
What does your facial expression look like?
Are you making any noises as you walk? (e.g., sighing, grumbling, etc.)
Then repeat the process over with different emotions each time. That way you can compare and contrast the different ways a body moves when expressing certain emotions.
How to Adapt this Emotions Activity
While this activity might sound simple to do, it can actually be quite challenging for some kids and adults. However, there are lots of ways you can adapt this activity to make it more successful.
One idea is to have you, an adult, do the movements so that your child can watch you do the feelings walks. I recommend exaggerating the movements and actions to really draw attention to how the body changes for the given emotion. Make it obvious for your child to spot how the body acts. Narrating what you are doing can also be helpful here.
Another idea is to do these feelings walks in front of a large mirror so that your child can observe the way the body moves or looks. They can watch themselves in the mirror, which makes it easier to spot how the movements change for different feelings.
You can also encourage your child to make notes about how the body moves, looks, and feels for each emotion you walk to, kind of like an emotions journal or something. Basically, you want your child to write down the main features of how the body changes. For example, if you are doing a feelings walk for the emotion frustrated, your child might jot down notes about clenched fists, angry eyebrows, stomping feet, etc.
If your child is a gestalt language processor, then this emotions activity can be a great way to incorporate some natural language models around emotions. For instance, you might say something like, "I'm so happy!" or "I feel frustrated!" or "I'm stomping" as you do your feelings walk.
Finally, skip the walk entirely and focus purely on facial expressions instead. To do this, you will need a mirror. Then have your child sit in front of the mirror and act out various emotions. Encourage them to notice what their face is doing when acting out different emotions.
Make the Feelings Walk Easier to Understand with These Social Stories!
Want to better prepare your child for this feelings activity? Then teach them about their different emotions first using these social stories.
Emotions Social Story - A great introduction to how we all have a wide variety of emotions.
Once you read through a few of these stories a few times, this feelings walk emotions activity should be much easier for your child to participate in. What do you think? Will you be giving this activity a try?
A collection of free social stories for spitting. Printable and video social stories for kids are included below.
When some kids get angry or frustrated, they might resort to hitting, biting, or even spitting on other people. Obviously, we want to find better ways for kids to regulate in these instances.
That's where these free social stories for spitting come in handy. They can be a good way to start a conversation with your child about why spitting on others isn't okay.
Obviously, you'll also want to discuss times when it's okay to spit and alternatives to spitting. Something that a lot of the following stories, sadly, do not discuss. But let's take a closer look at what's available out there on this particular topic of spitting.
Free Social Stories for Spitting
Have you been looking for a social story on spitting? Then look no further than these free printable no spitting social stories. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.
I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best spitting related social story for yourself or your child. Or you can simply use ideas from different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).
Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them.
2. Social Story on Spitting from McKSpeechie on TPT - There are actually 4 one-page social stories here, but spitting is one of the topics included. It is mostly text based.
3. Spitting Social Story from Miss Wanda's Classroom on TPT - Here's another one-page social story that is really simple. It does include color photos though, which is great. There are three other stories included as well.
4. Spitting to Gain Attention Social Story from Changing Special Latitudes on TPT - This story uses SymbolStix illustrations to accompany the words. It covers why spitting isn't okay and offers alternative ways to gain attention.
5. My Mouth is Not for Spitting Social Story on Boardmaker - This story talks about different things mouths can do and why you shouldn't spit on others. It uses clipart throughout.
6. Spitting is Gross! I Do Not Spit! Social Story on LessonPix - A 17 page social story that actually talks about places you can spit (something most stories leave out!) and uses colorful clipart throughout. Heads up though, the free sample has giant watermarks on it, but you could always use the story as inspiration to write your own.
7. Social Story About Spitting by Casey Simpkins on TPT - I feel like this story has the wrong image shown in the preview (it looks like a preview for a story about throwing), but it is supposed to be about spitting.
Video Social Stories About Spitting
Here are some video social stories that talk about not spitting on others. You can use these in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, at home, and/or classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.
Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for helping your child understand why they shouldn't spit on others.
Teach Kids Other Ways to Manage Their Anger (Besides Spitting!)
Does your child spit on others when angry? Help them learn more about their anger and find suggestions for managing and coping with anger (besides spitting!) with this anger social story.
While the bulk of the free social stories for spitting listed above focus on the germ aspect, remember to also discuss with your kids when it's okay to spit (e.g., while brushing your teeth) and offer them alternative ways to get rid of excess spit (e.g., spitting into a sink or trash can).
A collection of free social stories about going on an airplane, airports, and flying. Printable and video social stories for kids are included below.
Is your child going on an airplane for the first time? Or maybe it's been awhile? Well, I know it can be overwhelming to think of everything you need to do to prepare for your flight, from packing to preparing your child for this new experience.
And that's where these free social stories about going on an airplane, airports, and flying come in. They are a great way to help prepare your child for an airplane ride.
These social stories talk about everything from checking in, carrying your luggage, going through security, takeoff and landing, and so much more. So let's dig in!
Free Social Stories About Going on an Airplane, Airports, & Flying
Have you been looking for a social story about flying on an airplane? Then look no further than these free printable airplane social stories. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.
I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best airplane travel social story for yourself or your child. Or you can simply use ideas from different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).
Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them.
Also, be sure to check your local airport or airline in case they have premade stories for you to download. Sometimes they do!
1. Going on an Airplane Social Story & Song from Project Play Therapy - This story looks really great and pretty neurodiversity-affirming. It's pretty detailed and uses colorful clipart with diverse people in it. By the way, the song would be great for gestalt language processors.
2. Going on an Airplane Social Story from Autism Little Learners - Here's another really detailed story that uses colorful clipart with diverse people.
3. Preparing for a Trip on an Airplane Social Story from Kidmunicate - I like that this story uses real photos instead of clipart. This story uses pretty simple text so it doesn't provide a lot of depth or explanation for some steps.
4. Social Story About Going on an Airplane from Social Stories: Power Tool for Autism - This social story uses a lot of text, but does include three color photos.
5. Social Story About Traveling on an Airplane from Materials for Autism on TPT - Another story that uses real photos to accompany the text. It covers what to expect in TSA lines, waiting, getting on the plane, things to do while in the air, and landing.
6. Airplane Social Story from Shelby Vigue on TPT - This story comes as a Powerpoint so it's likely editable. It includes a mix of clipart and photos.
7. Helping with My Luggage Social Story from SLP Phoebe on TPT - Here's a short story that focuses on carrying your own luggage at the airport. It uses simple icon style clipart to accompany each line of text.
8. Social Story: Going on a Plane from Emma Spink on TPT - It says this story is fully customizable and comes as Word document. It uses lots of clipart images, but does look like it includes a photo or two as well.
10. Waiting to Fly Social Story from Carol Gray Social Stories - Here's a super short story about waiting. It uses full color photos throughout.
11. Learning About Toilets in Airplanes Social Story from Carol Gray Social Stories - Kids might be wondering about toilets on the airplane so here's a story for that. It includes full color photos.
12. Riding in an Airplane Social Story from the Watson Institute - This story talks about flying to Disney, but you could edit it to suit your needs. Most of the images in this story are clipart.
13. Social Story: We Are Going on a Plane from Love Many Trust Few - This story comes as a Powerpoint so you should be able to edit it to fit your needs, especially since it includes a specific destination and names.
14. Airplane Trip Social Story from Party Through the USA - Here's a story that includes a one page visual schedule that might be handy to keep on hand during your flight. Both the schedule and story uses colorful clipart.
15. Airplane Social Story from Boardmaker - This story uses a mix of Boardmaker images and real photos.
16. Airport Social Story from Every Star is Different - Scroll all the way down and look for the link that says airport social story. While this story includes some photos, there are also spots for you to add your own images.
Video Social Stories About Airplane Travel
Here are some video social stories that talk about different aspects of flying on an airplane and going to an airport. You can use these in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, at home, and/or classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.
Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for helping your child understand different aspects of what it's like to travel by airplane, go through airport security, and so on.
Preparing your child for their first airplane flight can be a bit overwhelming since there are so many things to talk about and consider. Everything from packing and boarding the plane to going through security and passing time while flying on the airplane.
