Snack preference is something that is likely to vary among a group of preschool children. Set out several healthy snacks such as apples, bananas, oranges, granola and dried apricot. Have the children select their favorite and place it on a paper plate before them. Take a vote of how many are happy with their snacks. Have all the children with the same snack join into an "army" and pit them against one another where the largest group wins. At the end, say, "If the winning army got to tell you what to eat, you'd all have the snack they are having." Take a vote of how many would be happy with that snack choice and use this to explain why popular control is not always for the best.
One great way to get younger children to engage in an activity is to place them in the role of an authority. Have each child take on the role of a person who has come to make peace between the Yooks and Zooks. Have each one draw a picture of what he would do to broker peace between the rival factions. When everyone is done, have each one present his plan before the class and have them vote which idea they liked best. Appoint the winner as "Peace Ambassador" and give them a ribbon as a prize for their efforts.
After reading "The Butter Battle Book" many students are likely to identify with the struggle between the rival Yooks and Zooks. Have the children raise their hands and describe a conflict they deal with in their lives, such as having to share toys with a sibling or wanting to have something and not being able to get it. Write down the ideas and take suggestions from classmates on how to deal with the conflicts. Feel free to suggest ideas to help them come up with potential conflicts or resolutions.
Getting children to see the other side of an argument is one of the first steps to help them resolve conflicts. For this activity, have the children vote for a side that they identify with (either the Yooks or Zooks) and offer them a buttered bread snack in the style that their foe would take. Have them explain the advantages of having their snack that way. You can use leading questions such as "Does it taste good?" or "Is it messy?" to elicit further responses.