Turn-taking game with a talking object: a 10-minute K–2 activity

1. Start small. Three or four students and one adult, sitting in a circle on the floor or at a table. A big group makes the wait too long at first.
2. Introduce the object: "This is our talking ball. When you hold it, it's your turn. When you pass it, it's someone else's turn." Show the "my turn" card as you hold it.
3. Model with an easy prompt the group can answer in one word or one gesture: "Show me your favorite animal." Answer, then pass to the next person while saying, "Your turn."
4. Each student answers and passes. Prompts to rotate: a color you like, a food you like, something you see out the window, a sound an animal makes. Fall prompts work well this time of year: "Show me how leaves fall."
5. Praise the waiting, not only the talking: "You kept your hands on your lap while it was your friend's turn."
6. Add a challenge once the group is comfortable: pass across the circle instead of next door, so students must watch to know whose turn it is.

Tip: keep turns short. If a student holds on too long, show the "your turn" card as a gentle cue.

Differentiation: for students new to group play, start with just the student and one adult trading turns with a toy, then add a peer. For students ready for more, add a follow-up question: the next person asks one question about what the last person said. For English learners, accept answers in any language, a gesture or a picture. For students who use AAC or are nonspeaking, a device message, sign, pointing or a picture counts as a full turn. For students who avoid certain textures, let them choose the object or pass a small box instead. Ask the student's speech-language pathologist or IEP team which prompts match current goals.

Quick check: during the last round, notice whether each student waits without reaching for the object and passes it when their turn ends.

If you try it, tell us what talking object your group liked best.