About this resource
Children sometimes put up with unkind behaviour from friends. Sorting examples helps them work out what a good friend does and what to do when a friend is unkind. Cut out the cards and sort them into two piles, then talk about the tricky ones.
Purpose
Colourful cards to sort kind and unkind friend behaviours, and to talk about what to do when a friend is not being kind.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Educators and school support staff. Also relevant for counsellors and therapists, youth workers, social workers.
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
- Cut out the cards.
- Sort them into kind and unkind piles.
- Talk about any tricky ones. There may be no single right answer.
- Ask what the child could do if a friend did this.
- Add the child's own examples.
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. School anti-bullying programs reduce bullying perpetration and victimisation.
- 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
- Gaffney, H., Ttofi, M. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2019). Evaluating the effectiveness of school-bullying prevention programs: An updated meta-analytical review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 45, 111–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.07.001
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.
