This activity promotes development and learning by encouraging children to develop positive relationships with other children. One of the best ways for children to learn healthy social interactions is through positive modeling, roleplaying, and practice.
Materials Needed:
- Paper
- Markers, pencils, or crayons
- Cardstock
- Scissors
- Binder Clips
Participants: This activity is intended for adult/child interaction and independent play.
Directions:
- Step 1: Ask your child to think about a close friend. What is that friend like? What are their hobbies and interests? What is the best thing about them?
- Step 2: Write down some of your child’s responses or encourage them to write their thoughts about their friend.
- Step 3: Ask your child to draw a picture of the friend on the cardstock, including as many details as possible. Cut the picture out and insert it into a bull clip to make a stand for it to be used as a “friend statue” (or paper doll) during playtime.
- Step 4: To extend this activity, help your child make statues of other friends, themselves, family members, and pets. Alternately, make these using actual photos of family members and friends. These statues can be used for play, but you can also use them to roleplay social situations, such as how to ask for a turn, resolve a conflict, or have a back-and-forth conversation.
