• Reading
  • Writing
  • Math
  • Science
  • Gardening
  • Recipes
  • Cultural

The Educators' Spin On It

Learning Games and Activities

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Contact

By Amanda Boyarshinov 7 Comments

Teaching Kids How to Make Friends

As we head back-to-school this year, the topic of how to make friends once again becomes the focus of our character development conversations around the dinner table.  Friends are an important part of our lives. They bring value to our lives in numerous ways. As my children get prepared to start a new academic school year, we focus on remembering how to make new friends.

 

How to Make Friends

Although my children are extraverts, they have struggled at different times throughout their early childhood years with making and keeping friends (hey, I’m an adult and I am still practicing this skill of making new friends)  These are our tried and true methods for making friends:

Tips for teaching kids on how to make friends.

1. Smile. 
Yes, this sounds so very simple, but our number one tip for making new friends is to “look friendly” to others – one way to do this is to smile. If you are in a classroom with 20 new children, a smile can be a ray of sunshine in your day.  If you are a little nervous about making new friends, a smile may give you a boost of confidence as it is a reminder that you are a kind and happy person that others want to spend time with.

2. Listen to what the other person has to say.  
This is a big deal in our house. We find that the kids are so excited to talk that they forget to listen.  We are practicing being a good listener:

  • maintaining eye contact
  • repeating back what we hear
  • not interrupting
  • asking questions about what the other person has to say

3. Be Yourself.  
My kids are funny, quirky and creative.  It is my hope that they find friends who value who they are on the inside.  It is important when making friends to be yourself. Not every child will connect with each other in the same way.  If you don’t like horses and someone asks if you do, do not pretend to like them. Be honest.  Your friendships will have a stronger beginning. *I find that the kids start to notice this more around 2nd grade, but some do earlier.

4. Ask others to play with you. 
My daughter had a really hard time making friends last year.  It was a new school and friendships had already formed.  She really felt sad about not having anyone to play with on the playground.  We practiced inviting each other to come play with us and she eventually starting asking children to come play with her on the parallel bar.

5. Say Hello and Good Morning.  
These words are simple and a great way to start connecting with others.   Practice saying them at home prior to school. Make it part of your daily routine and soon your child will be saying them too.

 

ACTIVITY: Write about Making Friends

Kids as young as toddlers  can help write and draw about making friends. In fact, this activity is one of my favorite first week of school activities to do with kids from preschool to first grade.  You could illustrate several pages each day and combine them together at the end of the week for a delightful home-made book that children can re-read with family members.

 
 
CLICK HERE FOR FREE ECE PRINTABLES including the Friends Can booklet
 

For younger children: limit the pages to 4.  Encourage them to trace 2 circles on each page to represent the friends.

For older children: allow them to complete the book independently.  Encourage them to write and label their drawings.

Learning Objective: Create a DIY book to represent being a good friend with drawings and words.

Focus Skills
– fine motor
– creativity
– writing
– early literacy
– book making

Materials Needed

  • Scissors
  • Stapler
  • Crayons
  • Copy of the Friends Can book.  This activity is a free ECE printable available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Directions to make the DIY Friends Can Book.

  1.  Print a set of Friends can booklet.
  2. Stack the booklet in the order you want the pages to appear.
  3. Staple the left side.
  4.  Read the pages with your child. Let the child illustrate each page.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-ECE-Printables-2026340
Click to print a copy of the DIY Friends Can Book

After I print the Friendship books out, I set them out in the writing center for the children to work on in small groups. Here is what our center looked like:

Each child completed their own friendship book.

If you are short on time, you could have each child work on one page, then assemble it to make a class friendship book as well.

I like that this activity allows for children to participate even though they are on different academic levels.

Toddlers are learning the vocabulary of friendship and how to use a variety of writing utensils. Their pictures may be mostly scribbles with some lines and circles forming.

2 1/2 year old page (with mom’s help)

Preschooler – Kindergarteners are forming bodies and faces. They are able to grasp more abstract concepts of friendship.  I would encourage children of this age to use a minimum of one color per age. If you are 4 years old, then 4 colors should be used. (this paper is still a work in progress). If they have forgotten important details of people, hand them a mirror and encourage them to double check their illustrations body parts!

5 year old’s friendship book page
Grade Schoolers are really past this book, but my oldest wanted to participate too. I never turn away a kid who wants to draw, write and read.  These activities allow children to express their creativity.  For struggling readers, making a book for a younger child is a great way to provide opportunities for them to interact with text at their level without being “too young.”  When having older children write alongside younger children, it also provides a model for them as well.  Extend their learning by having them write a story in paragraph form about how to make and keep friends.
9 year old’s friendship book page

Picture Books about Friendship

Reading books about friendship with your child is a great way to start a discussion on how the characters in the story made new friends. Ask questions during the story such as: What do you think ___ will do? How would you handle the situation? Affiliate links to books:
 
 

A Dance of Friendship (Angelina Ballerina) I love Angelina in that she is always such a kind mouseling. This book introduces how to deal with friendship and feelings of jealousy. Read more here

Franklin’s New FriendWhen the moose family moves in, Franklin is initially a bit afraid of moose because of his size.  When the two get to know each other, they realize that despite their differences, they become new friends.  Read more here

 

Learning to Be a Good Friend: A Guidebook for Kids (Elf-Help Books for Kids)This book is part of a series of stories designed to help children navigate through life situations.  A good springboard for parent / child discussions.  Read more here

Friends: Making Them & Keeping Them (American Girl) Geared for girls 7+, this book covers friendship issues common to grade school girls. Read more here

 

How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? This story is a perfect introduction to SHOWING young kids how to play with dinosaurs, I mean friends. Geared for children ages 3-5, but would be enjoyed by older and younger children as well. Read more here

Llama Llama Time to ShareThis book is set in the cute rhythmic pattern of all llama llama books. It is set in a home environment, making it perfect for young children in a homeschooling setting. Read more here

More articles on How to Make Friends from the Teach ECE Education Blogger Team:

We are teachers, mom, and homeschoolers of young children sharing FREE resources to parents, teacher, and educators every Wednesday.  Stop by any of our blogs for new lesson plans each week.

Here is our Schedule

2015 - 2016 Earky Childhood Education Team Thematic Units

Find on social media using the hashtag #TeachECE

Role Playing How to Be a Good Friend by Mom Inspired Life
Songs About Friendship for Kinder and Pre-K by Capri +3
Teaching Kids About Friendship and Being a Good Friend by Raising Lifelong Learners
Making Friends: Teaching Kids to Learn and Respect Different Names by Munchkins and Moms
How to Play with Friends a Preschoolers Visual Guide and Game by Powerful Mothering
Helping Your Homeschooler Socialize by Still Playing School
Making Friends Even When You Are Homeschooled by Learning 2 Walk
Making Friends: Qualities We Look For in Friends by Tiny Tots Adventures
Book Friends by Growing Book by Book
Tips for Helping Preschoolers BE a Good Friend! #TeachECE by The Preschool Toolbox BlogFree Friends Play Dough Printable by Life Over C’s
Working Together to Create a Classroom Community by Fun-A-Day!
Teaching Kids How to Make Friends by The Educators’ Spin On It

Tips for Making New friends at School

For more ideas visit Tips for Making New Friends at School

Like this idea? Pin for later or share now with a friend!

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Kids Activities, Reading Tagged With: Activities for Preschoolers, Book List, diy books, Friendship, Parenting

About Amanda Boyarshinov

K - 12 masters reading teacher, author and mom to 3. Amanda is a National Board Certified teacher with oodles of experience in early childhood education.

« Sending a Smart Kid to Kindergarten
Brown Bear Brown Bear Inspired DIY Pool Noodle Animal Stamping Book »

Comments

  1. Devany LeDrew says

    August 12, 2015 at 7:41 am

    I love the book! We'll definitely be using that!

    Reply
  2. Theresa A says

    August 12, 2015 at 8:01 am

    It was really fun to see your children of different ages drawing pictures in the book. That will be such an amazing keepsake. The detail from your 9 year-old was incredible.

    Reply
  3. Pschooltoolbox says

    August 12, 2015 at 9:31 am

    Great tips for making friends! Love the booklet for a writing center as it appeals to kids with various skills levels!

    Reply
  4. Danielle Buckley says

    August 12, 2015 at 10:18 am

    I love the book! I am going to print it out for my son to do this week. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Clarissa Hooper says

    August 12, 2015 at 1:15 pm

    I love the little book you created! I could see us putting the finished product in our bookshelf to refer to over and over again 🙂

    Reply
  6. Mary Catherine says

    August 14, 2015 at 5:33 pm

    I love making books with kids, and this one is perfect for the beginning of the year with my pre-k students! Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Nicolette Roux says

    August 16, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    we love making things to draw in!! So this will be right up there in our list of things to do

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign Up for our Newsletter!

For ages…

Baby
Toddler
Preschool
Grade School

Find a Kid’s Activity

Popular Posts

Child working at table with white bookcase behind with toys
winter virtual field trips for kids featuring sledding, snow covered mountains and evergreen trees and ice castles

You Might Also Like

Family using books and technology to cope with changes during social distancing

Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19

indoor play activities for cold winter days

Indoor Play Activities; Winter Learning Activities and Crafts

Indoor Movement Games and Activities for Kids

101 Valentine's Day for Kids

101+ Valentine’s Day Activities for Play and Learning

How to Make Easy Heart Shaped Pancakes with Kids

Let’s Connect!

Kim Vij

Early childhood teacher, author, speaker and mom of 3. Kim Vij shares ways to make learning fun and parenting an adventure by sharing developmentally appropriate activities.
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021