My Excited Wanted to Join In
Sometimes wanting to be part of the fun is easier than knowing how to join in.
A playful, thoughtful story about excitement, friendship and finding a way into someone else's play.
For young children, joining a group can involve many skills that are still developing — noticing what others are doing, understanding their ideas, communicating intentions and finding ways to contribute.
Sometimes a child's eagerness to belong can be mistaken for interrupting or taking over.
Watch the Story
Beyond the Story
When Wanting to Belong Becomes a Little Too Much
Imagine watching a group of children building something wonderful together.
There's laughter, conversation and excitement. Everyone seems to know what they're doing.
You want to be part of it too.
But how do you join?
Do you ask? Do you wait? Do you pick up a block and start building?
For young children, these decisions aren't always easy.
Sometimes excitement takes over before they've had time to notice what the other children are doing.
A child might rush into the middle of the play, change something another child has carefully created or begin directing an experience they weren't originally part of.
From the outside, this might look like interrupting, taking over or not respecting others' play.
But perhaps what we're really seeing is a child who desperately wants to belong.
Excited's story invites us to look beyond the interruption and consider the intention behind it.
Children don't automatically know how to enter an established group. They learn through observation, experience, guidance and opportunities to practise.
As educators, we can help children notice what's happening, listen to the ideas of others and find meaningful ways to contribute.
We can also support the children already engaged in play to communicate their boundaries, welcome new ideas and negotiate how their play might continue.
Belonging isn't simply about being allowed to join in. It's about learning how to participate in ways that respect everyone involved.
What might we notice if we began seeing a child's interruptions as attempts to connect rather than simply behaviour that needs correcting?
Let's Learn From One Another
Every educator brings different experiences, perspectives and ideas.
Inside our Inspired By Children Skool community, we're exploring the learning behind these stories, sharing observations and discovering new ways of supporting children.
Join our Beyond the Story conversations and share your experiences with other educators.
How do you support a child who is eager to join an established group but isn't yet sure how? What approaches have helped children find a place in the play while respecting the ideas of those already involved?
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