A fun sharing activity inspired by Mo Willems' Should I Share My Ice Cream? Includes a free printable ice cream activity guide!
Being twins, you would think that my boys are experts at sharing. They have been doing it since before they were born! And while they are good at sharing most of the time, like all preschoolers they could use a little help. Especially now that they are in school and are learning to share not only with each other, but with a new group of friends in an unfamiliar setting. I thought this was a perfect opportunity for us to try a little sharing activity, and I've created a super easy game your family can play too!
Should I Share My Ice Cream?
Did you know that National Ice Cream Day is in July? This year we are including it in our Family Dinner Book Club year of celebrations, and this activity is a super fun (and fat free) addition to your festivities.
Scroll down to grab your FREE printable National Ice Cream Day activity guide.
My boys absolutely love this Elephant & Piggie book. Gerald Elephant buys himself a yummy ice cream cone, then cannot decide if he should share with his best friend Piggie. With a lighthearted touch and lots of humor, Elephant eventually learns that ice cream is much better when shared with a friend. Along these lines, I thought we'd try to make our own "ice cream cones" and practice sharing them with each other. This activity was tons of fun and would make a wonderful activity for a preschool or playgroup too!
Sharing Activity Set Up
For this sharing activity, you will need:- Copy of Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems
- Beige Cardstock or heavy paper
- Black Marker
- Ruler
- Clear Tape
- Plastic Balls (we used ball pit type balls but anything lightweight will work, as long as it will fit inside your paper cones.)
This activity is really simple and takes just minutes to put together. Take your beige cardstock and use a ruler and black marker to draw horizontal and vertical lines on one side. This will be the outside of your cone.
Then roll the paper into a cone shape, making sure that the opening is wide enough for your ball to fit inside. Secure the edges with clear tape.
That's it! You're ready to play.
Sharing Activity for Preschoolers
Start by reading Should I Share My Ice Cream? with your kids. Talk about the importance of friendship and how it feels good to share with our friends.
Then give each child a paper cone. Put a ball inside one of the cones to serve as the "ice cream." Then encourage each child to take a turn sharing their ice cream with their friend - by passing it from one cone to another.
This is harder than it looks when you're little! But it was so much fun - my boys loved it! I encouraged them to say "Would you like to share my ice cream?" as they each took a turn - it's a great opportunity to practice politeness and saying "please" and "thank you" as well.
And if your ice cream gets stuck, no problem! That's what friends are for.
This activity is easy to adapt to a larger setting like a classroom or playgroup - it provides a way for kids to interact and get to know each other while also learning about sharing and friendship. All while having lots of fun!
Celebrate National Ice Cream Day with Family Dinner Book Club
This July our Family Dinner Book Club is celebrating National Ice Cream Day. As always, Jodie has a fantastic list of ice cream books for kids, and Sarah has created a yummy themed menu.
Finally, I have a printable activity guide to tie it all together! Simply enter your email below to have the activity guide delivered right to your inbox.
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