Ideas For Early Childhood: Friendship

Begin the Theme of Friendship at Circle Time (Group Time)

Start the topic of what it means to be a friend at group circle. Record the preschoolers answers down and then rewrite them into a large heart for display. Place the heart in a spot where parent's can read. A great song to include after this introduction is "The More We Get Together" by Raffi, and sing everyone's name into the song:

The More We Together

The more we get together, together, together

The more we get together, the happier we'll be

Cause your friends, are my friends

And my friends are your friends

The more we get together, the happier we'll be

Another great song/chant to sing about friends which is a great transition song out of circle time is:

As I was walking down the street, down the street, down the street

One friend I happen to meet, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho

Riggidy jig, and away they go, away they go, away they go

Riggidy jig, and away they go, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho.

Preschool Crafts for Friendship Theme

There are a number of crafts that work well during a theme on friendship, such as:

friendship bracelets or chains with paper
working on art projects together, such as painting or group collages
friendship quilt: each child decorates a square of paper and together the pieces make a quilt
paperdoll chains

Friendship Theme in the Drama Center

The drama area is often the place in a preschool or daycare setting where young children learn about sharing and problem solving. It is an environment that allows them to play out what they are learning and viewing about relationships in the world around them. A great idea for a drama center set up during a friendship theme is to turn the area into a coffee shop. Certainly, many preschool children have gone into coffee establishments, such as Starbucks, and watched their parents buy the beverages while viewing friends chatting at the tables. Some of the material needed for this drama set up are:

Setting Up a Coffee Shop

•table and chairs

•coffee cups and coffee pots

•pastries from a playfood collection

•cash register and money

•purses, wallets, car keys, phones

•used coffee shop gift cards

Suggested Felt Activities about Friendship

The following bakery felt activity, can have the words changed for a friendship theme. Make five bakery items, such as muffins, cupcakes, doughnuts or cookies; whatever the choice, decorate the felt pieces with glittery felt pens. The following words can then be used:

Five yummy cupcakes in the bakery shop

Round and sugary with icing on the top

Along came (child's name) with a quarter one day

He bought one for a friend and gave it right away.

Further Reading: Preschool Songs for a Friendship Theme

The More We Get Together

In a circle, the children can stand up or be sitting holding hands to sing this song. The children's name can be included throughout the song. Raffi's version is the most well known.

The more we get together, together, together

The more we get together, the happier we'll be

With Bobby and Jenny, and Sarah and James (optional)

The more we get together, the happier we'll be.

Valentine's Day Friendship Song

Sung to: "Row, Row, Row, your boat" :

Love, Love, Love your Friends,

Love them all year long.

Especially on Valentine's Day,

As we sing this song!

Although the lyrics are not about friendship, the activity during this song is great for a friendship theme. The teacher needs to find different color scarves and tie into a big train. Then in a circle, the scarf train will come out of the box. The children must work together to gently pass the tied up scarves through their hands, until it makes a full circle and everyone is holding onto the rainbow chain. While this activity is occurring, the teacher and children can sing or listen to the "Rainbow Song:" The following youtube version is a little slow. I suggest speeding up the tempo with young children and the scarf activity.