The Waiting Game — Patience and Turn-Taking Kit (K–1)

About this resource

Waiting for a turn is one of the first things school asks of young children, and one of the hardest. The Waiting Game is a patience and turn-taking SEL activity kit for kindergarten and Grades K–1 that turns it into a circle game where only the child holding the block gets to talk. It builds self-control, a Self-Management skill.

What students practice

• Waiting for a turn
• Listening quietly while others speak
• Sharing a time they had to wait
• Noticing how waiting feels
• Connecting the game to lining up or waiting for the slide

What’s inside

• A teacher script with timed steps, plus a flexible outline for teachers who prefer their own words
• Waiting Game Instructions, a five-step poster in two versions
• When Do We Wait Our Turn?, ten everyday waiting moments, in two versions
• A Feelings Chart for before and after the game (two versions)
• Reflection Questions (eight circle-the-answer questions, two versions) and a Reward Chart with certificate; 22 pages in all

A look inside

• Game rule from the script: “Only the person holding the block gets to speak.”
• When Do We Wait Our Turn? poster: “Waiting in line to get on the bus”
• Reflection Questions: “How did it feel to wait for your turn?”

How to use this waiting game patience kit

• Introduce waiting with familiar examples, then sit the class in a circle with a block or small ball
• Model first, pass the block and keep going until every child has had a turn
• Hold a five-minute discussion on how it felt to wait
• Use the Reward Chart to track patience over the following days

Grade fit

The circle game, picture-friendly poster and circle-the-answer reflection suit kindergarten and first grade. Among SEL activities, it works as a circle-time routine you can reuse all year.

Good to know

You will need a block or small ball as the talking object.

Pairs well with

Pair it with Think Before You Act Game or Listening Ears.