Skill
Takes Turns
Child takes turns with others during play, with support.
Ages 30–54 months
Why it matters
Turn-taking is an early cooperation skill that builds the give-and-take of relationships and the impulse control needed for group learning.
Builds toward this milestone
- engages in cooperative play with other children. — Head Start ELOF
What mastery looks like
- Waits for a turn in a simple game with reminders.
- Hands a shared item to a peer when their turn ends.
How to observe it
- During a turn-taking game, can the child wait briefly and then take a turn?
- Does the child share materials with a peer when prompted?
Accessibility
- Use a visual or object cue (a "my turn" card) to make whose-turn-it-is concrete.
- Keep waits short at first and lengthen them gradually.
Activities
Evidence
- CDC "Learn the Signs. Act Early." Developmental Milestones — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · 2022 · U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) — U.S. Office of Head Start · 2015 · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Early Atlas