Provide stability in staffing, key person relationships and in grouping of the children.
Plan opportunities for children to spend time with their key person, individually and in small groups.
Create opportunities for children to get to know everyone in the group.
Plan the environment to create spaces for children to play alone, alongside or with others as they choose.
Provide time, space and open-ended materials for children to collaborate with one another in different ways, for example, in block play.
Provide play activities that encourage cooperation and collaboration, such as parachute activities and ring games.
Choose books, puppets, dolls and small world play that help children explore their ideas about friends and friendship and to talk about feelings, e.g. someone saying You can’t play’
For young children who are finding it hard to make relationships in the group, develop other situations such as a forest school activity or a creative arts project that may be more encouraging.
