Turn-Taking and Sharing
The ability to wait for one's turn, share materials and space with others, and understand reciprocity in social interactions
What the research says
Referenced across 3 developmental frameworks: asq_3 · cdc_milestones · swedish_lpfo
Full quotes, source languages, and document links coming soon as we finish the source-evidence indexing pass.
Before this (5)
Required
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Helpful (2)
- Delayed GratificationMin: emergingAbility to delay gratification supports waiting for turns
- Impulse ControlMin: emergingMust control impulse to take immediately
How it's taught
Adults provide clear structures for turn-taking; use timers, songs, or visual cues; model sharing and turn-taking; acknowledge children's feelings while supporting waiting; create environment with sufficient materials to reduce conflicts; gradually reduce scaffolding as children internalize skills
Materials: Timers or sand timers; visual turn-taking charts; duplicate popular toys; materials that encourage sharing (large puzzles, group games); books about sharing and turn-taking
What mastery looks like
Child shows minimal ability to wait or share, focusing on immediate possession
- Takes toys from others without waiting
- Protests strongly when asked to share
- Does not wait for turn in activities
- Shows no awareness of others waiting
- Refuses to share materials
Child begins to take turns and share with significant adult support and structure
- Waits briefly when adult provides clear structure (timer, song)
- Shares when adult facilitates exchange
- Accepts turn-taking in simple games with adult present
- Shows some understanding that others also want turns
- Responds to 'in a minute' with adult support
Child regularly takes turns and shares in familiar contexts, though may need occasional reminders
- Waits for turn in familiar routines without prompting
- Shares materials with peers during play
- Understands and follows turn-taking in games
- Asks 'can I have a turn?' rather than taking
- Offers to share with friends
- Waits in line with minimal support
Child consistently demonstrates turn-taking and sharing across various contexts and helps facilitate this in others
- Independently manages turn-taking in peer interactions
- Shares generously even with highly desired items
- Helps organize turn-taking among peers
- Waits patiently even when wait is extended
- Suggests fair solutions when conflicts arise over turns
- Shows understanding of reciprocity
Child shows sophisticated understanding of turn-taking and sharing, adapts strategies to different situations, and promotes fairness
- Creates systems to ensure fair turn-taking in complex situations
- Recognizes when turn-taking rules need adjustment
- Helps younger children learn to take turns
- Balances own desires with fairness considerations
- Understands cultural and contextual variations in sharing expectations
- Advocates for equitable access to resources
Related activities
No activities directly mapped to this yet. These are age and domain-appropriate alternatives.
Share Bear
Parent and child practice sharing using stuffed animals or siblings. The agent coaches the parent to observe the child's willingness to share, understanding of fairness, and emotional response to giving and receiving.
Kindness Quest
Parent and child plan and do three kind things for family members. The agent coaches the parent to observe the child's empathy, initiative, and understanding that kindness makes others feel good.
Shape Explorer — Feeling and Sorting Treasures
Parent guides toddler through exploring objects of different shapes, textures, and sizes. Agent coaches parent to observe the child's understanding of physical properties through a natural sorting and exploring game with household items.
Tower Time — Stacking and Balancing Fun
Parent and toddler play a block-stacking game where the agent guides the parent to observe hand coordination, release control, and spatial understanding as the child attempts to stack objects. Celebrates every attempt and crash equally.
The Helping Game — Working Together
Parent and child complete a household task together while the agent guides a discussion about why we help others. The agent observes the child's cooperation quality, willingness to participate, ability to share tasks, and language around helping. This activity bridges prosocial understanding with real-world practice.
Your Turn, My Turn — The Sharing Game
Parent and preschooler play structured games that require turn-taking — rolling a ball, building together, or a simple card game. Agent guides parent to observe waiting ability, sharing, empathy, and social regulation during interactive play.
Formal assessments
No matching assessment items indexed yet.
Standardised assessment view
1 instrument measure this construct. The construct page shows how each one approaches it and at what age range.
View as assessment construct →