getting kids to understand the importance of rules

Every environment has rules. Although we often like to think about childhood as footloose and fancy free, this really is not the case. The average child hears the word "No" approximately 300,000 times by the time they are 3. In early childhood education we will often emilinate this word from our vocabulary for this reason. Many times the word, "No" has lost it's umph.
Young children are very tactile and visual. A way we help them understand rule are through the ways they learn. Here is a great activity that helps kids understand the importance of rules, why we have them, and what happens when rules are broken.

The Smiling Promise Chain Activity

The Beginning: Go over the rules of the classroom or home with the children. Keeping them simple and easy to remember is key for kids. Make sure they understand what the rules are by asking them questions to see where thier understanding is at. For instance, if a rule is to be "Safe", make sure the child/children understand exactly what you mean, and why. Allow children to help with making up rules. Explain to the child that rules are like a promise, promises and rules are something we must keep.

Materials: Strips of colorful paper, scissors, crayons, tape or stapler, a wall or area in view to adhere the promise chain.

Procedure: Write each rule on a strip of paper. If there are not a lot of rules to make a long chain if is okay to have the same rule written down more than once. Allow kids to color the strips and begin to adhere them to constuct a paper chain. If a rule is broken earn off the rule/promise and go over it with the child or as a group. Seeing a broken chain is also what happens when we are not keeping the promises me make or the rules we are to keep for a happy environment.
We constuct the chain again once we have found out a positive solution.