Songs with accompanying actions that require two or more people are great for social development! Most young children are working hard, all the time, on coordinating their social interactions.

'Ring Around The Rosie' provides the perfect opportunity to practice. There are clear rules, which help everyone sort out what they’re supposed to be doing (hard enough for a lot of young children), but within that you have to make a lot of choices. Where do you want to stand? What do you do if they won’t let you in? What do you do when someone wants to get in between you and the person you wanted to stand with? What do you do if the group starts without you? And how do we all figure out how to walk the same direction and not crash into each other or mush up the circle?

It’s a complicated for a toddler, but fortunately the game gives the opportunity to practice over and over again.

Steps:

1. Have the children form a circle holding each other's hands

2. Encourage children to stand next to 'new' friends

3. Sing 'Ring Around The Rosie' as the children work together to move around in the circle and fall to the ground at the end

4. You can build in new steps for children to follow (like hop, hop, jump OR sideways step, kick, sideways step etc.)