Everyone has a comfort zone when it comes to closeness, but personal space isn’t always easy to understand. It’s more than just how close someone stands — it’s about feeling safe and trusting others. Some may not notice when someone gets too close, or they might feel unsure about speaking up, which often means they’re still learning what personal space is and why it matters.
The Respecting Personal Space Worksheets include two worksheets, and a visual handout displaying the My Space Bubble illustration. Respecting Personal Space: My Space Bubble is a visual activity where users place names into circles based on where they are on their personal space bubble. My Space Bubble Reflection invites users to identify which types of physical closeness feel okay, and how they can respect the space of others. The My Space Bubble handout serves as a sample reference to support their answers.
Completing these worksheets encourages self-awareness and can lead to stronger boundaries and more respectful interactions. To build on this learning, adults can discuss real-life examples with their child, like asking for permission before hugging or recognizing when someone needs quiet time. A hands-on idea for kids and teens is to make their own life-sized “space bubbles.” This helps open up conversations about why personal space matters to everyone.
Our Respecting Personal Space handout can serve as a helpful supplementary resource to these worksheets.
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References:
- Hart, P. (2015). Young people negotiating and maintaining boundaries in youth work relationships: Findings from an ethnographic study of youth clubs. Journal of Youth Studies, 19(7), 869-884. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2015.1112881
- Scott Hoffman, M., Hanson, B. J., Brotherson, S. E., & Zehnacker, G. (2021). Boundaries: A boundary setting and social competence program for parents and youth. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. https://doi.org/10.54718/jsxi4975
