Friendship Skills Worksheet

This worksheet is designed to help you practice important friendship skills. Work through the activities below and write your answers in the space provided.

Activity 1: What is a Good Friend?

Think about someone you consider a good friend. List three qualities that make them a good friend.

Activity 2: Empathy in Action

Read the short story below about two friends. How do you think the friend felt? Write one sentence using kind words.

Activity 3: Communication Check

Pair up with a partner and share one way each of you can be a better listener. Write down what you learned from your partner.

Activity 4: Celebrating Differences

Draw a picture of you with a friend who is different from you in some way (it could be different interests, culture, or something else). Write one sentence on how your differences make your friendship special.

Remember to take your time and think about your answers. Good job practicing your friendship skills!

Friendship Discussion Guidelines

These guidelines are designed to help you facilitate a meaningful and inclusive discussion about friendship, where every student feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences.

Overall Discussion Objectives

• Encourage Sharing: Make sure all students have the opportunity to speak and listen.
• Promote Respect: Model and reinforce respectful behavior during conversations.
• Foster Empathy: Help students understand and appreciate different perspectives about friendship.
• Inclusive Participation: Use strategies and prompts that support participation by all students, including those with disabilities.

Guidelines for Teachers

1. Establish Ground Rules: Begin by setting clear expectations for conversation. For example:

   • Listen when someone else is speaking.
   • Use kind words and respect different opinions.
   • Raise your hand if you want to share your thoughts.

2. Encourage Turn-Taking: Provide opportunities for every student to speak by using structured turn-taking. Consider using a talking stick or a similar method so everyone gets a chance to contribute.

3. Use Visual Supports: Display discussion questions and key phrases on a board or chart to help students follow the discussion. This is especially useful for students with language or attention challenges.

4. Prompting Questions: Use the questions below to open up discussion and encourage in-depth thinking:

   • What does friendship mean to you?
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • Can you share a time when a friend helped you feel better?
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • Why is it important to listen to our friends?
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • How do our differences make us better friends?
     
     
     
     
     
     

5. Differentiation Strategies: Be mindful of students who might need additional support:

   • Provide one-on-one support for students who are shy or have difficulty expressing themselves verbally.
   • Use sentence starters on the board (e.g., "I feel...", "I think...", "I like...") to help students who need help beginning their responses.
   • Allow extra time for responses; check in with students who might need additional processing time.

6. Monitor Engagement: Walk around and provide individual support during the discussion to encourage participation, clarify meaning, and ensure that all voices are heard.

7. Reflection: End the discussion with a brief reflection activity where students share one thing they learned about friendship or one positive action they will take to be a better friend. Use written or verbal prompts based on student needs.

Follow-Up Points

• Post-Discussion Reflection: Encourage students to use a cool-down reflection activity where they write or draw their thoughts about the discussion using provided prompts.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Peer Feedback: After discussions, consider a short peer feedback session where students can appreciate each other’s contributions.
• Continuous Improvement: Ask students what they enjoyed about the discussion and what could make future conversations even better.

By following these guidelines, you can create a safe, engaging, and supportive environment where all students are encouraged to share their thoughts on friendship.

Happy discussing!

Interactive Friendship Activities

These activities are designed to engage 2nd grade students in fun and interactive ways to explore the concepts of friendship and social skills. The activities are structured to include role-playing, trust-building exercises, and collaborative group tasks to help students practice effective communication, empathy, and cooperation. All activities are adaptable and include differentiation strategies to accommodate students with disabilities.

Activity 1: Friendship Role-Play

• Divide the class into small groups. Each group will receive a scenario that highlights a common friendship situation (e.g., sharing a toy, comforting a friend, asking for help).
• Ask students to role-play the scenario, focusing on showing empathy and effective communication.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• After each role-play, conduct a brief discussion on what actions helped build friendship and why.

Activity 2: Trust Circle

• Arrange students in a circle. Explain that they will participate in a trust-building exercise where one student will share a kind compliment or supportive message with another.
• Encourage students to listen carefully and respond with their own supportive message.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Use this activity to highlight the importance of trust and respect in friendships.

Activity 3: Collaborative Friendship Puzzle

• Provide each small group with a puzzle or a creative task where every group member must contribute to complete it.
• The task is designed to practice cooperation and recognize each student's unique strengths.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• After completing the task, ask students to share one thing they appreciated about working as a team.

Differentiation Strategies

• Use visual aids and simplified instructions for students who need additional support.
• Pair students strategically, ensuring that each group includes peers who can model positive interactions.
• Offer one-on-one guidance when needed to ensure all students are engaged and understand the activities.

These interactive activities not only make learning about friendship fun but also help build a positive classroom community where every student feels valued and supported.

Friendship Game

The Friendship Game is an interactive activity designed to reinforce the social skills learned during the five sessions.

Game Overview

In this game, students will work in small teams to complete a series of friendship challenges. Each challenge focuses on a key social skill such as cooperation, empathy, and communication. The game mechanics are simple and inclusive, ensuring that every student can participate fully and feel successful.

Game Setup

1. Team Formation: Divide the students into small groups. Try to ensure that each group has a mix of strengths and learning needs.
   
   
   
2. Challenge Cards: Prepare a set of challenge cards. Each card presents a scenario related to friendship (e.g., resolving a misunderstanding, sharing equally, supporting a friend who is upset).
   
   
   
3. Game Space: Arrange the classroom so that groups can have space to talk and move around if needed. Consider using a circle or clusters of desks.
   
   
   

Game Rules

1. Drawing a Card: Each team takes turns drawing a challenge card.
   
   
   
2. Discuss and Act: The team discusses how they would handle the scenario on the card. They then role-play or act out their solution focusing on using kind words, clear communication, and empathy.
   
   
   
3. Sharing Insights: After each role-play, the group shares with the class one key friendship skill they used or learned from the activity.
   
   
   
4. Inclusive Participation: Teachers facilitate by ensuring every student is involved and using differentiation strategies, like sentence starters or paired support, to help those who need extra guidance.
   
   
   

Adaptations for Differentiation

• Visual Supports: Use pictures on each challenge card to illustrate the scenario.
  
  
  
• Simplified Language: Provide simplified instructions or rewritten cards for students who require additional language support.
  
  
  
• Peer Buddies: Pair students with a peer buddy who can help explain the challenge and encourage participation.
  
  
  

Game Reflection

After several rounds, gather the students for a cool down reflection:

• Ask: "What was one thing you learned about being a good friend today?"
  
  
  
• Allow students to share either verbally or by drawing a picture.
  
  
  

This game not only reinforces the social skills and friendship concepts discussed in the lessons but also provides a safe, engaging environment for all students, including those with disabilities, to practice and grow their skills in real-time.

Friendship Warm-Up Activities

These warm-up activities are designed to quickly engage 2nd grade students and set a positive tone for each session on friendship. The activities are simple, fun, and inclusive to ensure that every student can participate, including those with additional support needs.

Activity 1: Smile and Wave

• Have students stand up in a circle. Ask each student to give a big smile and a friendly wave to the person on their right.
  
  
  
• Encourage students to say hello to one another, creating an atmosphere of warmth and friendliness.
  
  
  
• Differentiation Tip: For students who might be shy or have social challenges, allow them to sit and simply smile or wave, ensuring that they are comfortable participating.

Activity 2: Friendship Freeze Dance

• Play some upbeat music and invite the students to dance. Every time the music stops, they freeze and share one word that makes them feel happy when thinking about a friend (e.g., kind, fun, caring).
  
  
  
• This activity energizes the class and highlights positive associations with friendship.
  
  
  
• Differentiation Tip: Provide visual cue cards with emotion words to support students who may need help expressing their thoughts.

Activity 3: Quick Compliment Circle

• Gather students in a circle. Each student takes a turn giving a simple compliment to the student next to them, such as "I like your smile!" or "You are a good friend."
  
  
  
• Emphasize that kind words help build strong friendships and a caring classroom community.
  
  
  
• Differentiation Tip: Use a compliment prompt card for students who might struggle to verbalize their thoughts quickly.

These activities are intended to be quick and engaging, setting a friendly tone for the lesson ahead while ensuring every student feels included and valued.

Friendship Cool Down Reflection

The Friendship Cool Down Reflection is designed to help you think back on what you've learned about friendship and social skills during the Five sessions. This reflection is a time for you to express how you felt, what you learned, and how you might become an even better friend in the future.

Reflection Prompts

1. What was one thing you enjoyed learning about friendship today?
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Can you describe a time during our activities when you felt really included and happy with your friends?
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Write or draw one way you can show empathy or kindness to a friend in the future.
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. How do you think being a good friend can help make our class a better place?
   
   
   
   
   
   

How to Reflect

• You can choose to write your answers in your reflection journal or on the reflection sheet provided.
  
  
  
• If you prefer, you can draw a picture that shows how you feel about friendship instead of writing all of your answers.
  
  
  
• Take your time and think carefully about each question. Your cool down reflection is a personal space for you to share your experiences, so there are no right or wrong answers.

Great job this week, and remember, every small act of kindness helps build strong friendships!

Additional Friendship Activities

These additional activities are designed to complement the small group counseling sessions, providing even more opportunities for 2nd grade students to practice and reinforce friendship and social skills. They are creative, interactive, and include strategies for differentiation, ensuring that every student feels included and supported.

Activity 1: Friendship Story Time

• Storytelling: Read a short story about friendship. Pause to ask questions about the characters' actions and feelings.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Discussion: After the story, ask students what they think made the friendship in the story special. Encourage them to share similar experiences or ideas.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Differentiation: Use visual aids (illustrated storybooks or picture cards) and simplified language to support understanding.

Activity 2: Friendship Art and Craft

• Crafting: Provide art supplies (paper, crayons, stickers) for students to create a 'Friendship Badge' that represents qualities of a good friend.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Sharing: Have each student explain what their badge represents and why these qualities are important.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Differentiation: Offer pre-cut shapes or templates to support students who may need extra assistance with the art process.

Activity 3: Compliment Relay

• Game Setup: Arrange students in two lines. The first student in each line receives a compliment card with a positive message about friendship.
• Relay: They pass the compliment to the next student in line, who then receives a new compliment card. Continue until every student has received a compliment.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Discussion: After the relay, ask the students how receiving kind words made them feel.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Differentiation: Use visual cards with simple words and pictures to reinforce positive messages and ensure all students understand the compliments.

Activity 4: Friendship Circle of Kindness

• Circle Activity: Form a small group circle. Each student takes a turn sharing one kind thing they have done for a friend recently or one kind thing a friend has done for them.
• Reflection: Encourage students to discuss how these acts help build strong friendships.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Differentiation: Provide sentence starters (e.g., "I felt happy when...", "My friend helped me by...") on visual cue cards for students who need help expressing their thoughts.

These additional activities are designed to reinforce key friendship skills through storytelling, creativity, physical movement, and reflective sharing. All activities are adaptable to meet the needs of students in a small group counseling setting, including those with additional support needs.

Friendship Soup Activity (Enhanced Version)

The enhanced Friendship Soup Activity is a creative, hands-on exercise designed to help students explore and mix the qualities that make a good friend. With a variety of additional materials, this activity becomes even more engaging and interactive, allowing each student to visually and physically grasp the different components that create a supportive friendship environment.

Materials

• A large, clear container or bowl (represents the 'soup pot')
• Colorful small bowls or containers for each student to hold their 'ingredients'
• Cards or paper cutouts with different friendship qualities (e.g., kindness, trust, empathy, respect, sharing)
• Markers, crayons, stickers, and other decorative items for each student to decorate their quality cards
• A variety of spoons and ladles in different colors or sizes
• Optional: Additional craft supplies such as glitter, ribbon, and labels to personalize the cards further
• A large poster board to serve as a "Friendship Recipe" chart

Instructions

1. Introduction:

   • Begin by discussing what makes someone a good friend. Write down ideas on a large poster board, labeling it as your "Friendship Recipe."
   • Introduce the concept that every great friendship is like a delicious soup made up of many special ingredients.

2. Ingredient Creation:

   • Distribute small, colorful bowls to each student along with their set of supplies.
   • Ask students to choose one or more friendship qualities and decorate a card or paper cutout that represents that quality. Encourage creativity by using markers, stickers, or even glitter.
   • Allow students to write or draw symbols that remind them of the chosen quality.

3. Mixing the Soup:

   • Gather the group around the large 'soup pot' container.
   • Invite each student to come forward one at a time, share the friendship quality they have decorated, and then place their card into the soup pot.
   • As each card is added, refer back to the "Friendship Recipe" chart on the poster board and have a brief discussion about why that quality is essential in a friendship.

4. Stirring the Soup:

   • Once all students have contributed, use the colorful spoons or ladles to "stir" the soup. Ask students what they observe about how the different qualities blend together to form a warm, cohesive friendship.
   • Optionally, let a few students take turns stirring the soup and sharing one final insight about what they learned from the activity.

5. Reflection:

   • Provide a reflective pause where students can share which qualities they felt most connected to and which ones they plan to work on improving.
   • Encourage students to write or draw their reflections on a separate sheet or directly on the "Friendship Recipe" poster board if space allows.

Differentiation Strategies

• Visual Supports: Offer sample decorated cards and a visual "Friendship Recipe" chart to support students who might need extra assistance in brainstorming friendship qualities.
• Simplified Language: Use clear and simple language when explaining the activity. Break down the steps into manageable parts for students with language or processing needs.
• Hands-On Assistance: Provide one-on-one assistance for students who might need help with cutting, gluing, or decorating their cards.
• Choice of Expression: Allow students the option to participate by drawing, writing, or verbally sharing their thoughts, accommodating different learning styles and comfort levels.

Implementation Tips

• Preparation:

  • Gather and organize all materials beforehand. Ensure each student has access to their own set of supplies and that the large 'soup pot' and poster board are prominently displayed.
  • Prepare a sample quality card and a filled "Friendship Recipe" chart to model expectations.

• Setting the Stage:

  • Begin with a brief, engaging discussion about what quality ingredients make a great soup, linking it to the qualities that make good friendships.
  • Use a visual or interactive whiteboard to capture students' ideas during the introduction.

• Facilitating Participation:

  • Encourage every student to participate by calling on volunteers and ensuring quieter students are gently guided to share.
  • Use group or individual check-ins, especially for students who may require extra support.

• Managing the Activity:

  • Keep the activity organized by setting clear time limits for each phase (ingredient creation, mixing, stirring, and reflection).
  • Circulate around the room to give support where needed and to keep students engaged.

• Post-Activity Reflection:

  • After the activity, conduct a group discussion or have students share their reflections verbally or on paper.
  • Encourage students to discuss how combining different qualities creates a stronger, more supportive community, reinforcing the lesson's key messages.

• Adaptability:

  • Be flexible: adjust the pace of the activity based on the group's dynamics and individual needs.
  • Consider using a quieter space or additional assistive tools for students with sensory sensitivities.

This enhanced and detailed version of the Friendship Soup Activity offers a structured approach complete with implementation tips to ensure a smooth, engaging experience that builds both social-emotional skills and a sense of community among students.