What Could You Do? Playground Problems
Seven common playground problems. The student chooses a solution that could work for everyone.
You and a friend both want the same swing. What could you do?
Session summary (SOAP)
Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.
Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Read each problem aloud and ask the student what they could do before showing the choices. Write their ideas down, then compare them with the choices. Talk about how each person in the problem would feel with each solution. Role-play one or two problems, especially joining a game, with you playing the other children.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentSet up the situation and wait for the student to respond on their own.Log as correct
- Nonverbal cueUse a look, a gesture or a point to the visual cue card.Log as cued
- Indirect promptAsk 'What could you say now?' or 'What might they be thinking?'Log as cued
- ModelShow what to say or do, then run the moment again so the student can try it.Log as cued
Adjust it
Talk through one problem at a time and offer two solutions to compare side by side.
Ask for two solutions of the student's own before showing the choices, and what might happen next.
Matching IEP goal
Given social problem scenarios, with the clinician asking for two solutions of the student's own before showing the choices, Student will name the problem and choose a solution that could work for the people involved, giving a reason, in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Seven problems that happen at recess: two children and one swing, wanting to join tag, a ball rolling into another game, friends wanting different games, an accidental bump, a scraped knee, two teams both wanting you. The student chooses a solution that could work for everyone. Each problem is small and familiar, so the student can practice thinking through options before the real thing happens.
What to listen for
Notice whether the student generates more than one idea. Problem solving is about options, and students who can only think of one solution often get stuck. Listen for solutions that consider the other person. Notice whether the student knows when to get an adult, as in the scraped knee item, and when a problem is theirs to solve.
Carrying it home
At home, when a small problem comes up, ask what are some things we could do? and list them together before choosing. Talk through problems from stories and shows. Praise the thinking, not only the solution, so the child learns that considering options is the skill.
What's in this activity
- You and a friend both want the same swing. What could you do?
- Take turns and count to twenty each
- Push your friend off
- Cry until you get it
- Kids are playing tag and you want to join. What could you do?
- Grab someone
- Ask can I play too?
- Stand and watch all recess
- Your ball rolls into another group's game. What could you do?
- Wait for a pause and ask for it back
- Run through their game
- Leave it there forever
- Your friend wants to play tag and you want to play on the slide. What could you do?
- Go home
- Play one game first and then the other
- Tell your friend tag is dumb
- Someone bumps you by accident in line. What could you do?
- Say it is OK. Accidents happen
- Bump them back
- Tell everyone they are mean
- You fall and scrape your knee at recess. What could you do?
- Hide it
- Keep playing and say nothing
- Tell the recess teacher
- Two friends both want you on their team. What could you do?
- Pick one and play on the other team next time
- Do not play at all
- Yell at both of them
Questions
- Who is this for?
- Children in kindergarten through third grade working on social problem solving, including students who get stuck or upset when play does not go their way.
- Can I change the items?
- Yes. Open it in the Activity Studio, edit or add items and keep the same board, or switch it to another template that fits the content.
- Is it free?
- Yes. It plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.