Making Choices
Being able to make their own decisions without the support of an adult is a big part of growing up.
At school, children are asked and encouraged to make choices as well as communicating when they do or do not want to do something.
In Reception class, children might:
- Choose which fruit/snack they would like.
- Decide what toys they’d like to play with.
- Decide where they’d like to play (e.g., inside or outside).
Top Tip
Ideas to try at home
Daily choices
Think about when you could offer choices. Start with two choices and build it up as your child becomes more confident.
They could choose:
1. Their cereal bowl.
2. Between two pieces of fruit.
3. What clothes to wear.
4. Which pyjamas to wear at bedtime.
Junk modelling
Junk Modelling is an easy and cheap way for children to use their imagination.
Start by keeping any household items such as cardboard rolls, cereal boxes, yoghurt pots and old birthday cards/magazines. Let your child choose what they want to create or build. You could even brave the paints/ crayons to add some colour to their ‘robot’ or ‘spaceship’
Where to start
- Allow your child to be involved in everyday decisions like what they would like to wear or what they would like to play with.
- Create an obstacle course at home using different items. Encourage your child to choose where they would like the things to go.
- Let your child choose between 3 pieces of fruit at snack time.
- When singing rhymes, such as Wheels on the Bus or Old McDonald, let your child choose what comes next in the rhyme. E.g., “the wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish or the doors on the bus go open and shut?”
Things to try next
- Involve your child with making decision at home – what shall we cook for tea? Get them involved with shopping (this could also have a positive impact on mealtimes).
- Pretend café roleplay.
- Play ‘would you rather game’.
- Junk modelling activities allow children to make choices and practise trial and error.
How to adapt
- Start with a choice of two things and then build it up when they are ready. E.g., would you like to wear this t-shirt or that t-shirt?
- Using images to help a child choose between two items so they can point to what they would like.
- Give your child a choice of a preferred and non-preferred item and give them what they choose (even if you think they would prefer the other item), e.g., their favourite toy and a sock. If they choose the non-preferred item, they may give it back and swap for the preferred, this is okay! Once they start regularly picking the preferred item over the non-preferred item move onto giving them a choice of two preferred items.
Helpful links
Books
- My Magical Choices by Becky Cummings (Boundless Movement LLC., 2019)
- Johnny’s Decisions by Jeff Felardo (CreateSpace, 2014)
This page is part of our Ready Steady School series, helping you and your little one get ready for school.
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