Friendship Unit - Creating a Friendship Quilt

{If you're looking to do a unit about friendship and community, here are a few kinder-tested activities that we know will be a hit in the classroom!}

A great way to build community in your classroom is to invite your kiddos to write about what they like about their classmates. Not only is it an esteem booster for your kiddos to read nice things about themselves, it's also important for your students to practice saying nice things about other people. A friendship quilt makes a great format for displaying your students' kind comments about their peers.

• First, discuss with your students what makes a great friend. Friends share their toys, treat you fairly, don't talk about you behind your back, forgive you when you mess up, apologize when they mess up, etc. You might consider reading a few books about friendship - How To Be A Friend by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown, The Best Friends Book by Todd Parr, etc.
• Next, so that no one is left out, assign each student a classmate to write about. Have them think about their peer and complete the prompt, "I like my friend __________ because..."
• Finally, have your students script their completed prompt onto a piece of 12" x 12" scrapbook paper and illustrate it {see the example below.}

  

The result is a beautiful recognition of the unique individuals that make up your classroom - perfect for hanging in the hallway to be seen by parents, teachers, and peers alike!