Activity: Developing and Maintaining Friendships

Help children understand what it means to be a Christlike friend and how to build friendships.

Start the activity with a short game to help children discover what they have in common with others in the group.

• Invite the children to write down or draw some things about themselves, such as their year in school, how many siblings they have, and their favorite foods, games, music, or activities. Invite them to talk to other members of the group to find out how many people have similar answers.
• Talk about how we can be friends with people even if we do not have much in common. If appropriate, talk about how we can learn from others and appreciate our differences.

Play another game to demonstrate one way we can show love to our friends.

• Ask each child to decorate a piece of paper with their name on it. Then randomly place the papers throughout the room. Place a pen or pencil next to each paper.
• Play music while the children walk or run around the room. When the music stops, have them run to the nearest paper and write or draw something positive about the person named on the paper. After the children have written or drawn nice things about several friends, stop the game and share the comments.

• Teach the children fun ways to greet each other at church or school, such as a small cheer or fun handshake. When meeting a new friend, teach them the cheer or handshake so they feel part of the group.
• Discuss ways to ask others to play. Role-play situations where the children invite someone new to play with them as well as situations where they are the new person approaching a group.
• Service idea: Invite the children to identify someone in their age group who does not come to activities often. Talk about ways the children could reach out in friendly ways to include that child, such as writing a kind note, dropping off a treat, or personally inviting them to the next activity.

Encourage children to talk about how what they are learning can help them and others grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity and should last just a few minutes. You could ask questions like the following:

• How was Jesus a good friend to others? How can we follow His example?
• What are some ways you can serve your friends?

• Building Positive Communication Skills
• Let’s Tell a Story
• Enjoying the Outdoors
• Speaking Kind Words
• Using Good Manners
• Outdoor Games