**Lesson Plan: Civic Education for Toddlers**
**Topic: Forming Bonds**
**Duration:** 30 minutes
**Objective:**
To help toddlers understand the concept of friendship, sharing, and working together. This lesson plan aims to foster social skills such as empathy, cooperation, and communication.
**Materials Needed:**
- Puppets or stuffed animals
- Picture books about friendship and sharing
- Blocks or simple toys for group activities
- Music for a friendship dance
- Craft supplies: paper, crayons, stickers
**Lesson Outline:**
1. **Introduction (5 minutes)**
- **Greeting:** Start with a warm greeting to make the children comfortable.
- **Circle Time Discussion:**
- Have the children sit in a circle.
- Use puppets or stuffed animals to introduce the concept of friendship.
- Ask simple, open-ended questions like, "What is a friend?" or "What do friends do together?"
2. **Story Time (5 minutes)**
- Read a picture book about friendship and sharing.
- Pause to ask questions and engage the children in the story.
- Example Books: "Will You Be My Friend?" by Nancy Tafuri, "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister.
3. **Activity: Building Together (10 minutes)**
- **Group Play with Blocks:**
- Divide the children into small groups.
- Encourage them to build something together using blocks or simple toys.
- Emphasize the importance of sharing and cooperating.
- Walk around and assist groups, praising efforts to work together.
4. **Friendship Dance (5 minutes)**
- Play a cheerful song about friendship.
- Encourage the children to hold hands in a circle and dance together.
- This promotes physical coordination and a sense of unity.
5. **Craft Activity: Friendship Bracelets (5 minutes)**
- Provide paper, crayons, and stickers.
- Guide the children in making simple friendship bracelets or drawings.
- Suggest they give their creation to a friend.
6. **Closing Circle (5 minutes)**
- Bring the children back to the circle.
- Reflect on the activities:
- What did they enjoy the most?
- How did they feel while working with friends?
- Sing a goodbye song emphasizing togetherness and friendship.
**Assessment:**
- Observe children’s interactions during activities.
- Note if they share, cooperate, and communicate effectively.
- Encourage and praise positive social behaviors.
**Extension Ideas:**
- Plan regular play dates or group activities to practice these skills.
- Introduce more stories and songs about friendship in subsequent lessons.
- Encourage parents to reinforce these concepts at home.
**Note to Educators:**
Keep activities light-hearted and fun to match the attention span and developmental stage of toddlers. Always be ready to adapt based on the group’s dynamics and individual needs.