Sharing and turns — sorting cards

Taking turns so both people play · 5–9 · Roo Bloom

How to use these pages

Print all the pages. A4, single sided, at 100% — not “fit to page”.
Cut along the dashed lines to make the cards.
Put the two mats on the table, a bit apart.
Read a card out, or let your child read it, and put it on the mat they choose.
The answer key on the last page is for you. It is not for marking — it is so you have the explanation ready when your child asks why.

Cut the cards, keep the two mats apart, and put anything you disagree about in the middle. The middle pile is the best conversation on the table.

BOTH PLAY

Helps you both play

HARDER

Makes playing harder

The cards

Cut along the dashed lines

Kai and Ruby build with one bowl of blocks.
Ruby: “I need long blocks too.”
Kai slides the bowl between them both.
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Omar is colouring his poster with the red texta.
Omar: “I'm doing the roof red.”
Zara takes the red texta from his hand.
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Finn brought his bunny to Hana's house.
Hana: “Can I hold your bunny?”
Finn: “Not this one. It's my special one.”
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Kai and Hana are lined up for the slide.
Kai: “I'm next after Hana.”
Tam walks past them and climbs the ladder.
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Nina wears her headphones on the drive home.
Beau: “Give me your headphones.”
Nina: “No, I'm using them.”
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Four class scissors sit on the craft table.
Jonah: “I want to keep these ones.”
Jonah puts three scissors in his own tray.
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Suri has a special lunch because of her nut allergy.
Tam: “Can I try some of that slice?”
Suri: “No, this one is only for me.”
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Noah and Priya both want the one swing.
Noah: “We can both squeeze on together.”
Noah climbs onto the swing beside Priya.
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Eli is holding the last class glue stick.
Ms Patel: “The glue sticks belong to the whole class.”
Eli: “You can have it after me.”
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Mia wears her chewy necklace on the mat.
Leo: “I want a go of that.”
Leo pulls the chewy off Mia's neck.
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Beau is mixing pancake batter with the big spoon.
Ines: “Pass me the big spoon.”
Beau: “I'm still using it. You can have it after me.”
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom
Finn has the yellow bucket for the whole sandpit time.
Ruby: “When do I get the bucket?”
Finn keeps using the bucket the whole time.
Sharing and turns · Roo Bloom

For grown-ups: what each card is about

Cards marked “either” are the interesting ones. Both answers are defensible and the conversation is the point.

1. BOTH PLAY
Both of them can reach the blocks at once.
Put shared things in the middle.
2. HARDER
Omar was still using it, so his colouring stopped.
Ask before you take something. — Ask Omar for the texta when he finishes.
3. BOTH PLAY
Finn needs his bunny with him, so it stays with him.
Keep your special things.
4. HARDER
The people who waited longest still got no turn.
Join the back of the line. — Go to the end of the line.
5. BOTH PLAY
The headphones keep loud sounds soft, so Nina still needs them.
Say no when you still need it.
6. HARDER
Now three people at the table have no scissors.
Class things stay on the table. — Keep one pair and put the rest back.
7. BOTH PLAY
Suri needs all her safe food, so this lunch is hers.
Some food is only for one person.
8. HARDER
The swing holds one person, so nobody swings properly.
Some things need turns, not squeezing. — Take turns and count to twenty each.
9. BOTH PLAY
Class things get used by everyone, one after the other.
Class things go round the whole class.
10. HARDER
Mia uses her chewy to feel comfy, and now it's gone.
Leave other people's helper things alone. — Ask the teacher for your own chewy.
11. BOTH PLAY
Ines knows a turn is coming, so she can wait.
Say when your turn will finish.
12. Either
If it's the park's bucket, they take turns. If Finn brought it from home, he chooses.
Check who the thing belongs to.