Personal Space Tool

Concept: All cultures, communities, and families have ground rules that determine the boundaries of their personal space. Often children don’t have an accurate notion of the physical space their bodies occupy, and how the rules might be different for people in different settings. Using the personal space tool, we want students to understand:

Each person has personal boundaries.

Each person has a cause (power) and an effect (i.e., we impact each other).

Each person has a right to his/her own Personal space.

Each person has the responsibility to respect other people’s Personal Spaces

Hand gesture: Have your students put their hand in front of them, palms facing outward, with the sides of their thumbs touching each other. They should move their hands away from each other, in a kind of curved motion to signify their Personal Space boundaries. “I have a right to my space and so do you”.

Suggestions on how to introduce the tool to your students:

  • Have a discussion with your students about the idea that everyone needs a certain amount of space, and the amount of space we need to feel comfortable can change depending on the situation. Different cultures have different idea on personal space.

    • Some kids sit on laps

    • Some give lots of hugs, some don’t

    • Some hold hands, some don’t

  • Give each student (or choose one to be an example) a length of yarn. Have them lay their yarn in a semi circle on the floor the distance that it feels comfortable and right to them

    • How does it feel to have a space that is yours? How does it feel to have a space that feels safe?

  • Walk to a student and stand right outside their circle, step inside, step one step away, step two steps away. Each time ask:

    • How does it feel when I stand this close to your Personal Space?

  • Have student adjust their yarn based on if the person is the following: mom/dad/guardian, sibling, babysitter, a stranger, standing in line at the movies, sitting at lunch tables, playing kickball, playing video games, sitting on the bus

    • Discuss when the space got bigger or smaller.

    • How does it feel to notice the space changing sizes?

  • Discuss strategies students can use when their space is not being respected.

    • They can move back and take their own space.

    • They can say:

      • Ooops, you’re a little too close.

      • Could you step back please?

      • Please don’t stand so close.

      • I’m not comfortable when you’re that close to me. Can you move away a little?

  • Teach students to use the Personal Space gesture to let others know they are getting too close. Practice using the tagline “I have a right to my space and so do you”.

Practice and implementation- choose from the following:

  • As an adult/teacher, tell students when you need personal space around yourself.

  • Invite kids to use their Personal Space Tool when forming lines or when sitting on the rug or circle

  • Use the gesture during class as a nonverbal signal to any student who needs a reminder to give someone else some space

  • Highlight students in your class who model giving others Personal Space or do a great job asking directly for Personal Space.