Printable Social Story: Asking a friend to play

Learning how to ask a friend to play and share toys is an important part of building social confidence.

For some children, especially those who experience anxiety, communication challenges, or social uncertainty, these moments can feel overwhelming without clear guidance.

To support children through these everyday interactions, we're sharing a printable Social Story that gently explains how to ask a friend to play, take turns, and manage nervous feelings in a positive and reassuring way.

Why Social Stories support social confidence

Social Stories help children understand social situations by breaking them down into clear, predictable steps. They use simple language and positive reinforcement to help children know what to expect and what they can do.

This Social Story supports children to:

• Recognise opportunities to play with friends
• Ask to join in using clear and polite words
• Understand sharing and turn-taking
• Learn strategies to manage nervous feelings during play

By practising these steps ahead of time, children can feel calmer and more confident when interacting with peers.

About this Social Story: asking a friend to play and share

This Social Story is suitable for use at home, in early learning settings, and in primary school classrooms. It focuses on both starting play and feeling regulated while playing with others using language that is simple, encouraging, and focusses on positive outcomes.

Supporting children when they feel nervous

Many children feel nervous when approaching peers or navigating shared play. This Social Story normalises those feelings and provides clear, practical strategies children can use to self-regulate, such as:

• Asking a trusted adult for support
• Using a fidget tool
• Taking a moment to have a drink of water

These strategies help children feel more in control and supported during social interactions.

How to use the printable Social Story

This Social Story can be used as part of NDIS-funded supports that focus on building social communication, emotional regulation, and community participation skills.

It may be helpful for children working towards goals related to:

• Initiating and maintaining peer interactions
• Developing play and turn-taking skills
• Building confidence in social environments
• Managing anxiety or nervous feelings

Families may choose to use this Social Story alongside supports provided by support workers, educators, or allied health professionals, such as occupational therapists or speech pathologists, depending on their child’s individual goals.

Download the Social Story PDF

You can download the Asking a friend to play Social Story as a printable PDF to use at home, school, or in therapy settings. It’s designed to be easy to print and revisit whenever your child needs extra support with social interactions.

Building friendships and learning to share takes time. With the right tools and gentle guidance, children can develop the confidence to connect with others and enjoy playing together.