Teach preschoolers friendship lessons through interactive activities.
Although emphasis in preschool focuses on developmental and academic skills, social skills also are an essential part of growing up. For some children preschool may be the first time that they have a chance to interact with a lot of children who are not related to them. Preschoolers may understand that the other kids they play with daily are their friends. Teaching a unit on friendship using age-appropriate books and activities will help them to understand why friendships are important, and maintain them. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Teach through song. Preschoolers love to sing, clap and dance around, which is why music is an important teaching tool in preschool. Sing friendship songs based on common nursery tunes that many preschoolers know. Perfectly Preschool suggests singing the "Different Friends" song to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." The song goes, "Love, love, love your friends, different as they seem. Playing, laughing, joking, helping, true friends are like a dream!" Another song is a classic Girl Scouts song that reminds children that you can keep your old friends and still make new friends. The song goes, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other's gold." Feel free to come up with your own friendship lyrics sung to the tune of popular children's songs.
2. Read children's books about friendship. The right books -- when colorful and age-appropriate -- teach the children about the importance of friends. Share these entertaining stories during story time. Friendship book ideas include, "A Rainbow of Friends," by P.K. Hallinan, which teaches that friends come in all different sizes, shapes, colors and abilities; "Making Friends," by Cassie Meyer, about how it is important to be a good friend; and "Be A Good Friend," by Laurie Krasny Brown, which gives age-appropriate advice on being a good friend.
3. Encourage the children to make new friends. Inevitably children are often drawn to one or two other children in the class and they tend to stick together. Get the children to spend time with other classmates through the sticker activity. When the children come to class in the morning, give each a sticker, with two people each having the same sticker. At circle time, the children must find the person with their same sticker and sit next to them. During circle time the children sit on the floor in a circle for activities such as songs, sharing and stories. Throughout the day, have the children work together with their partner doing projects, cleaning up, and walking in line together. At the end of the day, ask the children one thing they learned about their partner.
4. Create a friendship quilt. Have the class create a paper friendship quilt. First place a picture of each child on a square of construction paper. Allow the children to decorate around their picture however they like. Meanwhile, pencil out even square boxes on a large poster board. Place a square in the center that says "Friendship." When the children are finished with their squares, they can add it to the poster board "quilt" wherever they would like.
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