About this resource
Asking 'What makes a good friend?' helps children think about the qualities they want in a friend and how to be one. In this activity, children read the ingredients, talk about what each looks like and add their own to the pot.
Purpose
Children mix up a recipe for a great friend, choosing ingredients such as kindness, sharing and listening, and adding their own.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Educators and school support staff. Also relevant for counsellors and therapists, youth workers, speech pathologists.
Client or participant group: Children aged about 5 to 11, with a teacher or counsellor.
Practice setting: Classrooms, wellbeing groups and counselling.
Suggested uses
- Individual play-based sessions
- Building a relationship with a child
- Talking about feelings without pressure
- Sharing ideas with parents or carers, with the child's agreement
Instructions for practitioners
- Read the ingredients together.
- Ask what each one looks like at school or at home.
- Add the child's own ingredient to the pot.
- Choose one to practise this week.
Accessibility considerations
Big pictures and few words. Read it aloud, let the child draw or point, and use their own words for feelings. Print in colour if you can, or let the child colour it in.
Scope and limitations
A play-based activity that supports therapy. It is not a stand-alone treatment, a clinical assessment or a validated tool. Follow the child's lead, stop if they become distressed, and follow your child safety procedures if the child discloses harm.
Research basis
School-based social and emotional learning programs improve students' social skills, behaviour and academic results.
- Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x
What is included
A 2-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced. Illustrations and activities were created for Practitioner Plus; no third-party worksheet or image was used.
