So you have started a play group or you are working in a child care center. The majority of the children are going to be meeting for the very first time. This can be a scary situation for them, especially if they are shy children. You can help them to get used to each other and make friends, but you will need patience and a plan. Some children are going to break out of their shell before others, so you should plan out a few group activities to break the ice. Plan them out in a specific order that will allow children to get used to the idea of being around other children, speaking out or singing in front of them, and playing together. Here are a few ideas for ice breakers for shy kids.
Introduce The Children.
Getting children to introduce themselves to one another can be harder than you think. They’re shy, scared, and don’t want to speak out loud. What you can do is get the names, ages, and even two or three interests of each of the children. Explain to the children what you are doing, so he or she can think of the interests they want to include. As the children arrive or when they are all present, you can introduce the children to each other yourself and include their ages and interests. For example, you can say “This is Susie and she is eight years old. Susie likes to color, play with dolls, and help her Mommy in the garden”. This will help the children get to know each other a little without feeling uncomfortable.
Watching a Movie.
If it is possible, put on a movie for the children to watch. This will help to take off the pressure and let the children get used to the presence of one another. Since they are concentrating more on the movie rather than getting to know one another, this may help to calm their nerves. The children will still need to interact later, so just keep down to one movie.
Storytelling.
Storytelling is kind of like watching a movie, except there will be a little more interaction. You can pick a funny book or a book that requires some form of participation. This will give the children more time to get used to one another without having to concentrate on the television set.
Sing-A-Longs.
Now that they have had time to get used to be around one another, you can try to get them more vocal and active with a sing-a-long. This will help them to get used to speaking around each other without much pressure. Sing-a-long songs include “The Alphabet Song”, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “I’m A Little Teapot”, “Mary Had A Little Lamb”, and “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”.
Arts and Crafts.
It is now time to try and get the children more interactive. Since kids are shy and break out of the shell at different times, you want an activity that will allow them to play near each other but still on their own. This is where arts and crafts come in. The children will be able to sit at the table near each other and share the materials, but they will still be able to work on their own project. Arts and craft projects include coloring, drawing, finger painting and watercolor painting, Play Dough or clay, creating animal masks and paper bag puppets, using colorful cotton balls and pipe cleaners to make animals, making tissue paper flowers, jewelry making, and much more! The crafts you choose will depend on the age group of the children.
Group Games.
When you feel it is time to get the children more active with one another, you can plan out some group games. The games will get the children moving and playing together. Group games can include “I-Spy”, “Mother May I”, “Simon Says”, “Duck Duck Goose”, and “The Hokey Pokey”. You can even include a few board and card games, such as “Candyland”, “Chutes and Ladders”, “Hi-Ho Cherry-O”, “Go Fish”, and “Uno. This will help to get the children used to interacting with one another.
Pretend Play Games.
After you have played a few group games, try to engage the children in pretend play games. This can include “House”, “Doctor”, “Store”, and “Restaurant”. Provide them with dress-up clothing, props such as toy food items, phones, and cash registers, and baby dolls, stuffed animals, and pretend baby supplies. You would be surprised how many children will play together when they want to play the same game. Try to give everyone the chance to play the game they want. This will help to get the children talking and playing together.
Team Work Games.
As the children begin to interact and play together, you can provide a few games that require a little team work. Use a beach ball to get the children playing “Moon Ball”. Moon Ball is a game where the children must work together to keep the beach ball from hitting the floor. Provide them with building blocks to build a city together and jigsaw puzzles to put together as a team. You can also give them fun worksheets of puzzles and riddles to solve together.
Free Play.
By now the children may have come out of their shells and started playing together. Give them some free play time and provide them with toys, games, puzzles, books, and arts and craft materials. Let them know they must play nicely. You may notice children going off to play together.
These ice breakers for shy kids can be a big help with getting the children to come out of their shell and play together. You may need to work a little harder to get one or two shy children playing. Do not push them, but try to make them feel comfortable with playing with the other children. Everything will fall into place and the children will eventually socialize together, but you need to have patience and remember what it is like to feel as shy as they are. With patience, understanding, and comfortable situations, the children in your play group will be buddies before you know it!
