1 of 7

Smartboard Users

This slide deck features interactive activities for you and your students. To enable interactive features (sliders, word matching, etc.), please make a copy of this deck to your personal or school Google account.

2 of 7

Play Signals & Invitations

Activity

03.

3 of 7

4 of 7

What are Play Signals?

A play signal is how we show someone we want to play.

Signals Say: “This is fun — join me!”

Humans have play signals just like animals.

5 of 7

Human Play Signals

Smiling or laughing�
Handing someone a toy/object�
Repeating a funny phrase (scripting)�
Sitting nearby and copying (parallel play)�
Talking about a favorite interest

6 of 7

A play invitation says: “Want to play with me?”�Ways to invite:

Ask (“Do you want to play a game?”)�
Show (hold up a ball or toy)�
Copy (join in by doing the same thing)�
Share (offer a favorite activity or story)

Play Invitations

7 of 7

Student Activity: Print and hand out the Role-Play Play Signals Worksheet.

Teacher’s Instructions:

Introduce the worksheet: Tell students that they are going to practice play signals. They will work with a partner to give and notice ways to invite someone to play. Example of what you could say:

“Now it’s your turn to try these signals with a partner. You’ll use the Role-Play Signals Worksheet to guide you. Partner A will give a signal or invitation to play, and Partner B will notice and respond. Then you’ll switch roles. Remember, there’s no right or wrong — the important thing is to notice and have fun practicing.”

Demonstrate first: Show one signal (e.g., smile and hold a toy) while a volunteer guesses. Explain: “This is a play signal — it’s a way to show someone, ‘Let’s play!’”
Pair students: Each partner takes a turn being Partner A (giving the signal) and Partner B (noticing).
Support as needed: Walk around the classroom, give prompts or model the signals for students who are unsure.
Encourage reflection: After students have completed the worksheet, ask:
“Which signals were easiest to give?”
“Which signals were easiest to notice?”
“How do these signals help us play together?”