Friendship & Social Skills

🌟 Friendship Skills You Can Practice

Say Hello – Smile and say someone’s name.
Ask to Join In – “Can I play too?” or “Want to play together?”
Give a Compliment – “I like your drawing!”
Listen and Wait Your Turn – Don’t interrupt—show you care by listening.
Share and Take Turns – Fair doesn’t always mean equal, but it means kind.
Apologize Sincerely – “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. I’ll try to do better.”
Respect Personal Space – Give friends space and ask before touching.

🤗 Friendship & Social Skills

Be kind. Be confident. Be a great friend.

Friends make school more fun, but friendship takes practice! This page helps you build strong relationships, talk about your feelings, and solve social problems kindly.

🧠 What Are Social Skills?

Social skills are the ways we act, talk, and listen when we’re around others. Being a good friend means:

Listening with your whole body
Sharing and taking turns
Saying kind words
Using calm voices and faces
Solving problems without hurting feelings

You can practice social skills just like you practice reading and math!

📚 Books About Friendship & Social Skills

How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids by Tom Rath & Mary Reckmeyer
Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick
The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill
A Little Spot of Friendship by Diane Alber
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy

🛠️ Social Skills You Can Practice in Class

“Whole Body Listening” Posters
Partner Talk Practice – Take turns talking and listening.
Feelings Charades – Act out emotions and guess how a friend might feel.
Compliment Chain – Give a compliment and pass it on!
“I-Message” Practice –
“I feel __ when __. I would like __.”
Role-Play Scenarios – Practice sharing, joining in, solving a conflict.
Friendship Circles – Group activities to build trust and fun.
Kindness Challenges – Try to do 3 kind things each day.

🗣️ Kind Words You Can Use

“Want to play?”
“You can go first.”
“That looks fun—can I join?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“Thanks for helping me!”
“Can we take turns?”
“Do you want to be partners?”

🎥 Friendship & Social Skills Videos

🧠 Zones of Regulation & Friendships

Understanding your zone can help you be a better friend! When we know how we feel, we can act in a way that helps—not hurts—our relationships.

Zone : Blue

Feeling : Sad or left out

Skill : Ask to join, find a buddy, talk to someone

Zone : Green

Feeling : Happy and calm

Skill : Great time to share, play, and connect!

Zone : Yellow

Feeling : Annoyed or silly

Skill : Take a break before saying something unkind

Zone : Red

Feeling : Angry or out of control

Skill : Walk away, breathe, get help from an adult

🌟 Leader in Me Connections

Use your 7 Habits to be a thoughtful and respectful friend:

Habit 1: Be Proactive – You control your actions and words.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win – Look for ways everyone can be happy.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood – Listen before speaking.
Habit 6: Synergize – Work and play well with others. Teamwork rocks!
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw – Take care of yourself so you can be a good friend to others.

Gratitude Game!

Try this game out with a friend or family member!

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