National Safe Schools Framework F-1 Relationships

Safe Schools

Relationships: student activity

Friendship tree

School is a great place to meet and make new friends. How do you meet and make new friends?

Get ready

You’ll need:

  1. Friendship picture story book
  2. Friendship leaf handout
  3. Friendship tree

Activity Steps

Step 1

Read one of the following books with your teacher:

  • Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, by Mem Fox, 1984
  • Rose meets Mr Wintergarten, by Bob Graham, 1992
  • Franklin’s new friend, by Paulette Bourgeois, 1997
  • Do you know Millie?, by Gordon Winch, 2008
  • A visitor for Bear, by Bonnie Becker, 2008
  • Bear’s new friend, by Karma Wilson, 2006
  • Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House, by Libby Gleeson, 2009
  • Jessica’s box, by Peter Carnavas, 2009
  • Quincy and Oscar, by Kerry Millard, 2007.
Step 2

As a class, think about what happened in the story.

  • What does the story tell us about friendship?
  • Why is it important to have friends?
  • How do you feel when you have friends?
  • How do you feel when you do not have friends?
  • What words can we use to describe how the characters were feeling?
Step 3

Sit in a circle for Circle Time. Think about why it is important to make new friends at school. Can you think of and share times when you found it difficult to make new friends at school?

Step 4

Think of and share your ideas for making new friends at school. Some good ideas are:

  • smiling and being friendly
  • inviting a child to play a game
  • joining in a team game
  • finding children with similar interests
  • eating your lunch with someone new
  • offering to help someone do their work
  • doing something nice for someone
  • playing with your friend’s friends.
Step 5

We have many different types of friends at school, such as special friends, play friends, and friends for learning. Some friendships last a long time and others only a short time.

Step 6

Create a class friendship tree.

  • Take a friendship leaf and write your name in the centre.
  • Draw a picture of your face.
  • Then draw or write either a way to make a new friend or a place to meet a new friend.
  • Glue your leaf onto the class friendship tree.

Use this tree to remember the names of other children in your class. That will help you to make new friends at school.

Step 7

Think about finding a real friendship tree in your school playground that you can sit under to meet new friends.

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