Name Popcorn Warm-Up

Objective: Help students recall and practice saying their own and classmates’ names in a fun, fast-paced activity.

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

• Soft Toss Ball (or beanbag)

Instructions:

1. Have students sit or stand in a circle. Hold the ball and explain the rules: when you catch the ball, you say your name, then toss it to someone else.
2. Model the first toss: “My name is Ms. Lenny,” then gently toss to a student.
3. Student catches the ball, says “My name is ___,” and tosses to another peer.
4. Continue until every student has caught the ball and introduced themselves at least once.
5. For a second round, challenge students to say the name of the peer they caught the ball from before sharing their own name.
6. Close with a quick cheer or clap to celebrate everyone’s great work on learning names.

All About Me Worksheet

Welcome to our Friendship Builders group! Let’s get to know each other by drawing and writing about our favorite things.

1. Draw Your Favorite Animal

(Draw your favorite animal in the box below)

What is your favorite animal?

2. Draw Your Favorite Snack

(Draw your favorite snack in the box below)

What is your favorite snack?

3. My Favorite Color

Write your favorite color below.

4. Draw Yourself with a Friend

(Draw you and a friend playing or having fun)

What do you like to do with friends?

Great job! We can’t wait to share these with the group and make new friends together.

Sharing Scenarios Worksheet

Read each scenario below. Think about how you can share or take turns kindly. Draw or write your response in the space provided.

1. Your friend is playing with the toy car you want.

What can you say to ask for a turn? Use sharing words like “please” and “thank you.”

2. You and a friend have one ball and both want to play with it.

How can you take turns so everyone gets to play? Draw or write your idea.

3. You just finished building a tower with blocks, and your friend wants to build next.

What polite words will you use when you give them a turn?

4. The blue marker you want is in use by someone else.

Describe or draw how you will wait patiently and ask for it when it’s your turn.

Great job practicing sharing and turn-taking! We’ll talk about how each of you handled these scenarios together.

Sharing Stick Pass Warm-Up

Objective: Practice expressing what you like about playing with friends and build listening skills.

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

• Sharing Stick or plush toy

Instructions:

1. Have students sit in a circle and explain that the Sharing Stick will help us take turns speaking and listening.
2. Model first: hold the stick and say one thing you enjoy about playing with friends (e.g., “I like playing tag because it’s fun to run with my friends”).
3. Pass the stick to the next student. When students receive the stick, they share one thing they like about playing with friends.
4. Continue passing the stick until every student has had a turn to share.
5. Encourage students to listen quietly while a peer is speaking and wait patiently for their turn.
6. Close with a cheer or clap to celebrate everyone’s sharing and listening skills!

Feeling Faces Flashcards

Use these flashcards to help students recognize and name basic emotions. Print each card, cut them apart, and show one at a time during the warm-up. After displaying each face, ask: “What emotion is this? How can you tell?”

Happy

😃

Sad

😢

Angry

😠

Surprised

😲

Scared

😨

Excited

😃


(Feel free to replace these emojis with child-friendly illustrations of each feeling.)

Listening Partners Worksheet

Objective: Practice active listening by sharing feelings and repeating back what you heard.

How to Use

1. Find a partner. Decide who is Partner A and Partner B.
2. Partner A is the Speaker first; Partner B is the Listener.
3. After Round 1, switch roles for Round 2.

Round 1: Partner A Speaks, Partner B Listens

Partner A (Speaker):

• Think of a time you felt happy.
• Share your story with your partner.
• Write or draw your story below:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Partner B (Listener):

• Make eye contact and nod while your partner speaks.
• Repeat back what you heard your partner say.
• Write or draw what you heard below:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Round 2: Partner B Speaks, Partner A Listens

Partner B (Speaker):

• Think of a time you felt sad.
• Share your story with your partner.
• Write or draw your story below:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Partner A (Listener):

• Listen quietly and show you understand with your face.
• Repeat back what you heard your partner say.
• Write or draw what you heard below:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Reflection

Answer together:

• How did it feel to share your story?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How did it feel to listen and repeat back?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Great job practicing listening and empathy!

Emotion Charades Cards

Use these cards for the Emotion Charades game. Gather students in a circle and have each draw a card. Without speaking, the student acts out the emotion shown while peers guess. When a peer guesses correctly, the actor says “You did it!”

Print and cut these cards, then place them in a bag or hat for drawing.

Emotions to Act Out:

• Happy 😊
  
• Sad 😢
  
• Angry 😠
  
• Surprised 😲
  
• Scared 😨
  
• Excited 😃
  

Optional: Once students are comfortable, add cards for “Shy,” “Proud,” or “Tired” to extend the challenge.