Helping toddlers learn to take turns

Try short toddler turn-taking with a ball or blocks. Name each turn, stay close, and give a child a simple activity while they wait.

Two toy blocks beside a simple circular arrow showing a turn passing from one person to another

Turn-taking grows through supported practice; it is not a sharing test. Around age two, the CDC describes children as often playing beside one another while still learning to share and solve conflicts. Try a brief back-and-forth with a ball or blocks, name whose turn it is, and help each child find something to do while waiting. CDC's age-two social-play guidance CDC's toddler activity suggestions

Key takeaways

Begin with an easy activity that naturally comes back to the other person.
Say whose turn it is and what happens next in a few words.
Stay nearby and calmly stop grabbing or hitting; do not force a child to hand over a comfort toy.
Notice a small wait, look, gesture, or offer without scoring the play.

A calm response when two children want the same thing
Both reach for one toy	Keep the toy safe, name the problem, and offer a short turn or a second activity.
One child is using it	Let them finish a brief turn; tell the waiting child what they can do meanwhile.
Waiting becomes too hard	Pause the shared game and help each child settle with a separate activity.
A child offers a turn	Describe the action warmly; there is no need to demand a repeat.

Try a two-person turn game

Choose a large ball to roll, a sturdy block to place, or another safe object with no small parts.
Show one turn: “I roll it to you.” Wait for the child to respond in their own way.
Pass the object back and name the next turn. Keep the activity short and easy to stop.
If children compete for the object, protect hands and bodies first, then offer another turn or separate play.

What you can observe

Notice whether your toddler watches another child, waits briefly, copies an action, or asks for help with a word or gesture. Context matters: an unfamiliar group, tiredness, and a new toy can change what you see.

What is useful to record

Write down the setting, what each child was doing, and the support that helped. “At the park, watched Mira roll twice, then handed the ball to Dad” is more useful than a label such as “good at sharing.”

A question for your clinician

At a routine visit, you might ask: “How can I support my child in a group when they want the same toy as another child?” Share an ordinary example from home, the park, or childcare.

Limits of this guide

A brief play moment cannot measure a child's social development. Children learn these skills at different times and in different settings. Tracking is not diagnosis; ask a qualified clinician about a lost skill, several concerns, or anything that worries you.

For a wider development picture, start with the milestone guide and see a gentle way to name big feelings. the baby milestones guide naming feelings with your toddler