Circle of Friends
Take a large piece of white paper and cut it into a circle. Let the children
paint it with blue and green paint. Take a picture of each of he
children. When the painting is dry, tape on a picture of each of
the chidren somewhere on the circle. Then they look like they are
all standing around the Earth as a Circle of Friends.
FRIENDSHIP SALAD & POEM
Submitted by LauraMarie
I've posted this idea every year since I joined this ring but I love
it and so do the kids. Each child brings in a small can of fruit-the
kind with out syrup-and as we sing this silly song I made up each child
pours their drained can into a big bowl. We stir it up and serve
for snack.
Song(sung to hokey pokey)
First we put the fruit in
from all our friends
We stir it up and stir it up
until it blends
Sharing is the fun
that never ends
It's friendship fruit salad
made by friends!
A Wrinkled Heart
Submitted by Tia
I do an activity with my kids that runs along the lines of this "tale". With
the kids seated on the floor I start talking about the difference
in the things we say that make people feel good or that hurt them.
While talking I am cutting out a big heart. After I have it
cut out, I hold it up and tell the kids that each one of us starts
out with a heart that is as pretty as this one. I ask the kids
to start telling me things that a person might say that might hurt
another person's feelings. With each response, I fold the heart
(any direction....just put a fold in it). Eventually the heart
is crumpled in my hands. I tell the children that each
time they say something hurtful to someone, they are putting a little
wrinkle in that person's heart. We talk about how someone's
heart might begin to look like this crumpled heart if people continue
to say mean things to them. I then have the kids start to tell
me things that they might say to someone to make that person feel
good. With each response, I UNfold one of the creases in the
heart. Eventually I have pressed out all of the "hurts"....except,
of course, for the fact that the wrinkles can still be seen, even
though the heart is now all the way unfolded. We talk about
how we each have those wrinkles in our hearts from things that people
have said to us, and how we want to be careful with what we say so
as to not add more wrinkles to anyone's heart. We put that heart
up in a high corner of a bulletin board and leave it in plain view
all year. Frequently someone will mention it....that their heart
is wrinkled like that one,etc. It serves as a great reminder
all year long.
BALLOON PALS
You will need: 9-inch round balloons, precut feet shapes, one for each
child; tagboard; yarn
scraps, colored construction paper scraps; markers, glue;
scissors
Cut out feet shape and trace it onto tagboard. Cut out the shape including
a slit. Slide the tied end of an inflated balloon along the slot to the
center of the feet.
Now the balloon can stand up.
while the children use the yarn to add hair, and the paper scraps and markers
to add eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
After all the balloon pals are complete, form a group and ask each child to
introduce her pal and describe what she/likes most about her/his new friend.
MUSICAL NAMES
Arrange chairs in a circle. Walk around them to music. Sit
when the music stops. Take one chair away. If you don't find
a chair to sit in ....stand behind someone who is seated. The
standing child tries to name the seated child. Later when there
are not enough chairs...stand behind someone who is seated --or in
a line behind someone who is seated....try to name the person who is
in frontof you...(we'll always help if you don't know!) Continue
until everyoneis standing behind 1 seated person.
PAPER-DOLL FRIENDSHIP CHAIN
Submitted by Brenda
One thing I like to do during my "Friends" theme is make a paper
doll chain. I give each child a set of 3 connected paper dolls
to decorate. We use yarn for hair, wiggle eyes, material scraps
for clothes, and crayons to draw faces and stuff. I tell them
to make the middle one look like themselves, and the other two are
their friends. Then we put them all up along the wall in one
long chain. The kids love them...and so do the parents.
OUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
Submitted by Debbie
Tune: The Farmer In the Dell
Come join our circle of friends
Come join our circle of friends
Come stay and play today
Come join our circle of friends.
My co-worker created a board to be used with the song. It has
a circle of friends in the middle and around the outside it has a large
circle of 18 hands. Each hand has a piece of velcro on it.
She also wrote the 16 names of our children and the 2 teachers names
on pieces of oaktag. She placed pieces of velcro on the backs
of each name.
We sang the song together and then we called 4 children to place their
names on the "Circle of Friends" Board. We repeated the song
and added 4 more names. We continued that pattern until only
2 spaces were left. We asked the children "who hadn't placed their
names on the board?" They figured out the teachers hadn't! We
asked if we too could be part of their circle of friends? I want
children to think of me not only as their teacher, but also as their
friend....someone who cares about them and will keep them happy and
safe....as well as "teach" them.
Wanted to share "variations" on the Circle of Friends song and velcro
name board.
1. As the children become more acquainted with each other we
will
choose children, but ask other children to identify their
name.......before they add them to the Circle of Friends board.
2. We will add additional verses such as:
Tune: The Farmer In The Dell
Come join our circle of friends
Come join our circle of friends
Come stay and play today
Come join our circle of friends
If your name starts with A
If your name starts with A
Come stay and play today
If your name starts with A
OR: If you have blue eyes
If you have blue eyes
Come stay and play today
If you have blue eyes
OR: If you have a cat
If you have a cat
Come stay and play today
If you have a cat
I think you get the idea.............as you want to learn more about
one another create verses to do so. After singing the verse every
child that has blue eyes, or a cat, or an A name places their name
on the Circle of Friends board.
FRIENDSHIP SONG
Submitted by Carole
One little friend came in to play
In the classroom one fine day.
He (she) was having so much fun
He (she) called another friend to come.
FRIENDSHIP SONGS AND POEM
Submitted by JLC
If You're Friendly and You Know It
(Tune: If You're Happy and You Know It)
If you're friendly and you know it,
clap your hands.
If you're friendly and you know it,
clap your hands.
If you're friendly and you know it,
and you really want to show it,
If you're friendly and you know it,
clap your hands!
Substitute other "friendly" actions such as "wave hello" or "shake
a hand" etc.
Friends
Friends at school
Are big and small.
Friends at school
Are best of all!
FRIENDSHIP BOOK
Submitted by Debbie
A clever idea I found on the internet that I want to try this year.
Make a book patterned after "Brown Bear, Brown Bear".
Take a picture of every child and teacher in your classroom individually
and then everyone together.
On the bottom of the first page write:
Mrs.___________, Mrs._______________ Who do you see?
At the top of the next page write:
I see__(Lisa)_looking at me!
At the bottom of this page write:
___(Lisa)____(Lisa) Who do you see?
Turn the page and continue with every child in the class.
On the last page of the book glue everyone's picture and write: I see
my new friends looking at me!
What a fun way to learn everyone's face and name, as well as incorporating
early literacy. After reading it several days at school I will have the kids
take turns taking it home and reading the book to their parents
FRIENDSHIP
An idea I've used with my K & 1 class is Friendship Hats. The
students create wizard type hats as friendship teams. Then after
the hats have been created and placed on their heads they can turn
their world into a magical place.
1) Pretend you are riding Golden Silverwind through your school. What would
the school area turn into in your imagination?
2) Pretend that the friendship hats could let you go anywhere in the world
(without flying in a plane!). Where would you go? What would you see?
What would you do there?
3) Provide a large sheet of butcher paper. Allow teams to draw their
fantasy land using lots of details.
4) Pretend that it is dark outside and you and your teammate have to walk home. From
what monsters or other scary things will your friendship hats keep you safe?
I used these exercises after reading "Best Friends" by Steven Kellogg
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