C is for Choice

Help children build awareness of the concept of making choices by playing this game in which Abby’s mommy, Maggie, presents her with choices about what to wear, eat, and play. Abby also makes decisions about what kind of art to make and how to move her body. And she has choices about whether she plays alone or with her mommy and how to transition from one activity to the next.   

In the game, children help Abby think through her choices and enjoy the outcome of each.   

After playing, you can teach children three phrases that can help them as they make choices big and small (for instance, if it’s time to rest, they may have a choice of cuddling, sharing a story together, or lying down alone and listening to music). Teach a simple hand gesture for each:   

• Stating the choice: Point to themselves, say “I have a choice,” and describe the situation.  

• Thinking about the consequences: Point to their temple as they say, “I think about my choices.”  

• Choosing what’s best: Hold their hands in the shape of a heart as they decide “what is best for me.” (Depending on the situation, it may be “best” because it’s the healthier choice, the choice that reflects what’s important to the child, the choice that leads to the desired outcome, the choice that keeps them safe, and so on)  

This game celebrates the idea of choices, so it doesn’t focus too much on more complicated choices, and there are no wrong answers. It’s a good foundation for understanding the basic idea of decisions, though, so you might “level up” choices by asking questions after each turn. For instance, “What would happen if Abby chose a bathing suit to wear in the rain?”

And whenever you’re helping children make a challenging choice, try saying the phrases and doing the gestures together. For instance, if they only have a short amount of time to play on a screen, they might choose a game they can play quickly so it won’t be frustrating to stop!