Book Logo Social-Emotional Learning icon.

Social-Emotional Learning

Materials:

Purple flower

Paper and crayons or markers

A small box or container (for a ballot box)

(optional) Names or pictures of family members

Your Child Will Learn

how to make choices by voting.

voting-on-our-family-leader

Voting on Our Family Leader

Here's What To Do

1

Invite your family to pick a leader for the day. The leader will get to choose an activity and be the helper for the day.

2

Ask your family who they would like to vote for to be the family leader. Help them write the name or draw a picture of the person they choose on a piece of paper, or have them say their vote out loud while you write it.

3

Let other family members’ vote, too, putting the papers in a box or bowl.

4

Have your child count the votes with you together, and announce a “winner”. Make sure to play enough times that every family member gets a chance to lead!

Mother and child play together (animated).

Put PEER Into Action

P

Pause:

  • Ask your child to help you get the family together.
E

Engage:

  • "What do you think makes a great family leader?"
  • "If you were the leader, what would you choose for us to do?"
E

Encourage:

  • "You voted all by yourself! That’s how decisions are made in a group!"
  • "Even if your choice didn’t win this time, we can vote again tomorrow!"
R

Reflect:

  • "What did you like about voting for a leader?"

Not quite ready?

Let your child vote by pointing to a picture instead of writing or drawing.

Ready for more?

Have the family leader take on small responsibilities, like choosing a snack or leading a song.

Variable color muffin tins (animated)

As your child masters this skill...

they will feel more confident in making decisions.

How do you feel about this activity?
How much do you think your child enjoyed this activity?
How clear were the activity instructions?
Did you use the provided wording prompts to complete the activity?
Would you recommend this activity to another family?
If you are reading this activity in a language other than English, how would you rate the quality of the translation?