Get your students into the spirit of the holidays with this fun, whole-class activity. Inspired by Hallmark’s Garland of Good Deeds, students will be encouraged to do a different friendship challenge each day.
12 Days of Friendship
Glossary of Terms
At URSTRONG, we believe it’s important to use kids’ language for kids’ problems. That’s why we have our very own, unique language of friendship. Here are some important terms that children, parents, and teachers learn in our program.
Friendship Fire®: Any situation between you and a friend that results in negative feelings.
Mean-on-Purpose: When someone is intentionally unkind to someone else.
Quick Comeback: A very short word or phrase that is used when someone is Mean-on-Purpose. Quick Comebacks are designed to let the other person know that you heard/saw what they did and you’re not okay with it.
Friend-o-meter: A visual tool that assesses the health of friendships, ranging from the healthy zone to the unhealthy zone.
Friend-o-cycle: The normal cycle in a friendship that brings the friendship back to the healthy zone after experiencing a Friendship Fire. The phases of the Friend-o-cycle are: Healthy Friendship – Fire – Confront the issue – Talk-it-Out – Forgive & Forget – Closer & Stronger – Healthy Friendship…
4 Friendship Facts: A set of four facts that help us have realistic expectations in our friendships so we understand what is normal.
- No friendship (relationship) is perfect.
- Every friendship is different.
- Trust & Respect are the two most important qualities of a friendship.
- Friendships change…and that’s okay.
Red Shirt Girl and Striped Shirt Boy: Two characters that remind us about the importance of body language.
Friendship Ninja: A Friendship Ninja is someone who surrounds themselves with friends in the healthy zone of the Friend-o-meter. A Friendship Ninja is kind and friendly to everyone. A Friendship Ninja understands the 4 Friendship Facts and puts out their Friendship Fires when they ignite. A Friendship Ninja stands up for themselves and their friends. A Friendship Ninja makes new friends and understands that friendships change…and that’s okay. Above all else, a Friendship Ninja is someone you want to be friends with because they’re true to who they are!
Help your students feel MERRY & BRIGHT with this friendship-themed activity + decorate your classroom at the same time!
Objective
Key Outcome
Students will practise their friendship skills each day with a fun challenge.
Materials
- 12 Days of Friendship
- Colourful paper, markers
- Glue, tape, or a stapler
Instructions
- Print out the 12 Days of Friendship – either one copy for each student or one for the whole class.
- Give the students a chance to review all the fun friendship challenges. Kids can colour-in and decorate the strips to make them look festive & bright. (Don’t forget to turn on some Christmas music to help them get into the spirit!)
- Get students to cut out the strips and then glue, tape, or staple each strip together to create a chain/garland.
- Hang your 12 Days of Friendship garland up or put them around a class Christmas tree!
- Every day for 12 days, get the students to open up and reveal that day’s friendship challenge!
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Just a heads up!
We noticed that you only selected one ticket for a Language of Friendship (parent-child) workshop. Just a reminder that you need to purchase tickets for everyone attending the workshop.
Just a heads up!
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