Activity: Friend Trees
Providing your child with opportunities to "branch out" and make new friends can be a fun and rewarding way to grow important social skills.
Materials:
- sky blue construction paper (your choice of size)
- green construction paper (enough to cut out one leaf per friend, plus enough for new friends to come)
- brown yarn
- liquid glue
- scissors
- felt tip marker for writing
Directions:
Provide a fun opportunity for your child and a special friend to enjoy time together by "growing" individual Friend Trees. Begin by assisting each child in making a list of favorite friends, young and old. Use liquid glue to help each child trace a tree design onto a piece of blue paper. Before glue has time to dry, press brown yarn into the glue to outline or completely fill-in each tree trunk and branches. Allow glued yarn to dry. Use green paper to cut-out enough leaves for every name on each child's list, plus some extra leaves for future friends. Write one name on each leaf. Then glue leaves on the lower branches, working up and out. Keep supplies handy so each child can continue adding new friends until the Friend Trees are fully grown. Tip: Cut-out a heart design for tree leaves.
Talk about It: Ask your child to share characteristics that make a friend fun to play with. Then think about ways new friends can get to know each other better like playing games, cooking, and watching cartoons. Share ideas about how friends can show each other they care.
Take it Further: How about being a good friend to your own environment? Find an outdoor plant or area that needs some attention. Take responsibility for making the environment a better place by watering a "thirsty" plant, cleaning out a weedy or trashy flower bed, or by clearing toys or objects from a busy walkway.
With a Group: "Liven up" the neighborhood by inviting local nurseries to donate surplus or less desirable small trees, shrubs, and flowering plants to pot or plant. Make a sign to stake in the ground near each project area with your group's name. Take pictures throughout each season to document changes, and to make comparisons and observations from season to season.
