Foundations of Interaction

Skills We Are Strengthening:

Shared Attention

Taking Turns

Engagement

Waiting Skills

Activity: Basket Ball Toss

A soft ball + a small bucket\basket.

Duration: 3 - 5 mins\ 1 to 2 times daily.

Try This Technique: Pause and Wait

Place the basket\bucket in front.

You throw first "My Turn".
Then hand the ball to your child.
Pause and wait with an expectant face at your child.
Wait for any signal.
Then say "Your turn! Throw!"
Continue for few minutes.
If your child immediately continues the game without waiting, pause before your next turn and give them a chance to notice you before continuing.

End while engagement is still high.

Remember: any signal counts (a look, smile, sound, gesture, word, or attempt to continue)

Small Wins To Celebrate:

Child checks in with you before tossing.

Child waits for his\her turn.

Child stays engaged for several tosses

What Not To Do

Do not force eye contact.
Do not keep asking, “Look at me.”
Do not rush the activity.
Do not worry about perfection.

Remember: the goal is shared interaction, not perfect performance.

What To Notice:

After the activity, ask yourself:

Did my child choose to join the activity?
Did they need prompts to continue?
Did they try to keep the game going themselves?

Ready to Level Up? — When your child consistently checks in with you during their turn and waits, then it may be time to introduce a new interaction activity.

Foundations of Interaction

Skill We Are Strengthening:

Shared Attention, Taking Turns, Looking Back and Forth, Playing Together

Useful When:

For child who -

Still needs support with turn taking
Engages in shared play only briefly or inconsistently
Finds it difficult to sustain back-and-forth interactions
Is more interested in the activity than the person
Shows moments of connection that are difficult to maintain

Activity: Rolling Ball

A soft ball that can roll easily on the floor or a smooth surface.

Technique: Pause and Wait

Sit facing each other with a ball.
Before rolling the ball, pause and wait for the child to look at you or give any signal that they are ready. As soon as they do, acknowledge the signal and roll the ball.
When the child receives the ball, pause again for a few seconds before continuing. Wait for another look, gesture, sound, smile, word, or attempt to continue the game.
Once the child signals, encourage the interaction and continue the activity.
Repeat this simple back-and-forth several times, creating opportunities for shared attention before each turn.
End the activity while engagement is still high.

Remember: any signal counts — eye contact, gestures, sounds, words, smiles, or attempts to continue the game.

Duration:

5 mins.

Small Wins To Celebrate:

A glance before the ball rolls
Waiting for your turn
Returning the ball even once
Looking at you after receiving the ball
Staying engaged for a few back-and-forth turns

Even one or two of these count.

What to notice:

After the activity, ask yourself:

Did my child choose to join the activity?
Did they need reminders to continue?
Did they participate without prompting for a short time?
Did they stay engaged in the back-and-forth interaction?
Did they try to keep the game going themselves?

When the child begins keeping the game going independently and consistently, the activity has done its job. Consider introducing new activities that create opportunities for interaction.

Reflection:

The rolling ball itself is not the goal. The same idea can be used with catch, bubbles, cars, drawing, or any activity the child enjoys.

The goal is the moment where the child notices both the activity and the person sharing it with them.

Those brief looks, pauses, and back-and-forth turns are often where shared interaction begins.

Aisha, The Beacon

Sunday, June 7, 2026

Activity Card #2: Basket Ball Toss