Active learning ideas
Making and keeping friends is a vital social skill for 1st Class students as they navigate more complex playground interactions. This topic focuses on the qualities of a good friend, such as kindness, sharing, and listening, and how to resolve small conflicts. It aligns with the NCCA SPHE strand 'Myself and Others,' specifically 'My friends and other people.'
Activity 01
Give students a scenario where a friend is left out or a toy is taken. In pairs, students act out a 'kind' way to solve the problem and a 'unkind' way, then discuss how each made the characters feel.
What makes a good friend?
Activity 02
In small groups, students 'cook up' a friendship by choosing 'ingredients' (e.g., 2 cups of kindness, a spoonful of sharing). They present their recipe to the class, explaining why each ingredient is important.
How can I be kind to my classmates?
Activity 03
Children think of one thing a friend did that made them happy. They share with a partner and then the class creates a 'Friendship Tree' where each leaf has a positive friendship quality written on it.
What should I do if a friend is sad?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Friends must agree on everything all the time.
Children often think a disagreement means a friendship is over. Use role play to show that friends can have different opinions and still be kind to one another.
You can only have one 'best' friend.
Young children can be very possessive. Active grouping strategies in class help them see the value of having many different friends for different activities.
Methods used in this brief