Kindness and taking turns — Wellbeing, 4–6 years
Children learn that fair turns and considerate actions help shared play feel safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Making room for others
Kindness means noticing that other people have needs and feelings too, then choosing an action that does not hurt or leave them out. Taking turns is one kind way to share time and toys. It does not mean always giving up; it means making play fair enough for everyone.
Why share turns?
Without turns, the fastest or loudest person can take everything, while others wait, argue or stop joining in. People created turn-taking to solve that problem: it gives each person a clear chance and makes the rules easier to trust. Kind actions help a group stay connected after small disagreements.
A fair turn
Four children want the same red scooter. First, an adult helps them make a line: Ana, Ben, Chiara, then Dani. Each child rides for three minutes while the others wait safely. After Ana’s three minutes, she parks the scooter and Ben takes the next turn, so everyone knows what happens.
The trap: kindness means always giving in
A child may think being kind means letting someone else go first every time. This is a reasonable idea because sharing and giving can look caring, especially when someone is sad. But your turn matters too; kindness can mean using a fair order or finding another game that includes both people.
Kindness beyond games
Taking turns helps with swings, slides, board games, stories and choosing a song in the car. Kindness also appears when someone saves a place, holds a door or notices that a friend needs space. These actions work best when they are safe and do not require giving away something that belongs to you.
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