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Keeping Kids Connected

Keeping Kids Connected
Article Glossary

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.

  1. No friendship (relationship) is perfect.
  2. Every friendship is different.
  3. Trust & Respect are the two most important qualities of a friendship.
  4. 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!

Check out our growing library of friendship-themed activities designed for kids to do either at home or in their classrooms!

To access this resource, you must purchase Educator Membership, Trial Membership or Parent Membership.

To support our URSTRONG Families and Schools, we have developed a growing library of friendship-themed activities that kids can do from wherever they are – whether they’re learning remotely from home or in their classrooms. We are committed to helping bring positivity, fun, and friendship to kids around the globe.

Our Keeping Kids Connected collection is broken out into 3 sections:

  1. URSTRONG Classroom sessions – these are videos designed for independent, self-directed learning so that kids can simply “push play”
  2. Keeping Kids Connected Activities – these are projects designed specifically for remote learning that can be done with or without adult support
  3. Other Fun, Relevant Activities – these are lesson plans & activities that can be easily adapted for home-learning

URSTRONG CLASSROOM:

  • Be a Bestie (Kindy to Year 3) – this session is designed to teach kids about the qualities of a great friend, focusing on the importance of treating themselves like a best friend too.
  • Ice-Cream and Friendship Ninjas (Kindy to Year 3) – this session helps kids understand how to show respect in their friendships & put out Friendship Fires!
  • Make Friends, Lika a Ninja! (Year 2 to Year 4) – this session teaches kids 4 strategies for making new friends.
  • Friends are Like Stars (Year 4 to 7) – this session helps kids reflect on their friendships to create a Friendship Map.
  • Be a Friendship Ninja (Year 4 to 7) – this session is designed to teach kids how to handle conflict in their friendships, like a ninja!
  • Be Calm (Year 3 to 6) – this session is designed to teach kids how to manage those big emotions that arise when they are angry or frustrated with a friend.
  • Friendship Goals (Year 3 to 6) – this session helps kids set realistic, achievable goals in their friendships.
  • Feel-Good Friendships (Year 4 to 7) – this session is designed to get kids reflecting on the health of the friendships to focus on what feels good + come up with a plan for what doesn’t.
  • Navigating Friendships Online (Year 5 to 8) – this session is designed to help tweens/teens navigate the complicated world of social media to keep friendships healthy online.
  • Find Your Tribe (Year 4 to 7) – this session is designed to help kids discover a sense of true belonging by reflecting on friendship groups, cliques, and fitting-in.

KEEPING KIDS CONNECTED ACTIVITIES:

  • Green-Time Scavenger Hunt – Send your kids outdoors for some green-time with this one!
  • The Big Friendship Reveal – Kids will love surprising their friends with this invisible art project.
  • Music & Magic – Help your child get some feelings out with this music-inspired activity.
  • Frabble – When you mix Friendship with Scrabble, you get…FRABBLE!
  • Time Warp Capsule – Help your kids capture the many beautiful and unique moments they are experiencing.
  • Thanks a BUNCH – Is there someone that you could say thank you to right now? Let’s give thanks to a teacher, nurse, bestie, or neighbour!
  • My Beautiful One – For our littlest Friendship Ninjas, sometimes a poem and a cuddle are just what the doctor ordered.
  • Friendship ROX – What do you get when you combine a rock found on a nature walk with a heartfelt message for your bestie? Friendship ROX, of course!
  • Message in a Bottle – Forget text, Snapchat, or TikTok… We’re going old school on this one with a message in a bottle!
  • Together-Apart – Want a list of fun, easy ways that kids can feel connected? Sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go.

OTHER FUN, RELEVANT ACTIVITIES IN OUR LIBRARY:

  • URSTRONG Colouring Sheet – Sometimes a bit of colouring-in goes a long way to help us reflect on our friendships.
  • Create a Natural Friend-o-meter – Fresh air? Yes please. Get your child outside for this one to remind them there are Friend-o-meters all around!
  • Make a Calm Down Kit – Encourage your child to create a toolkit of items that help them calm down when they’re overwhelmed with big emotions.
  • A Letter from Your Strong Self – “I’m not good at this!” or “I suck!” Does your child get stuck in negative self-talk? Let’s tap them into their inner strength!
  • Big Emotions Snow Globe – If your child is having an emotional storm, let’s teach them to *stop* and let the big feelings settle – like snowflakes falling to the ground.
  • Food Friend-o-meter – Who would have thought chips, popcorn, and candy could help us learn about friendships!? Let’s get in the kitchen for this activity!
  • Be Your Own BFF – No half-heart necklaces here! There is only one BFF (Best Friend Forever) and that’s yo’self! #Besties4Life
  • The Drive Home Show – Need to spice up your chats? Here’s a great list of interesting convo-starters.
  • Clouds & Rainbows – Is your child gloomy? We all have ‘Cloudy Days’ once and a while, but let’s teach your child how to *sing in the rain* and clear the clouds!
  • Unwrapping Your Gifts – Grab your tissues because this activity will tug at your heartstrings… & your child needs to hear you say these things!
  • Tune in to Happy Vision – Don’t worry, be happy! Let’s keep your child’s inner TV tuned in to Happy Vision with this fun, artsy visionboard project.
  • Where am I in this Picture? – If your child is feeling BIG emotions, let’s activate their imagination to help them feel better.
  • Your Child’s Emotional Piggy Bank – Have you heard of the 5:1 ratio? Check out these easy ways to make positive investments in your child’s mental health.