Friendship

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Home : 2003 : July : 7

Friendship
By Sue W.

I used a "Friendship Web" with second graders and think 1st graders could do it too. It could be used as a getting-to-know-you activity. Have the kids seated in a circle on the floor. Have a ball of yarn. Hold on to the
loose end of yarn and toss the ball to a child somewhere in the circle. Saying the child's name. "Hello, Vanessa, welcome to our first grade friendship circle!" Vanessa holds on to the yarn with one hand and tosses the ball of yarn to another child as she repeats the greeting, using that child's name. Set up the rules before-hand. The yarn must go to someone who has not had it yet and

the last child tosses it back to you, saying your name. Each person has to keep a hold on the yarn with one hand, holding it down to the floor, while tossing with the other hand. All the while a "web" design is forming on the floor. When every one has had a turn, have the kids each hold their yarn in one hand and all stand up. The web rises with them. You may get a few oohs and awws. "Just like a web, our classroom is special because we can all be friends, working together." If you have time and boredom hasn't set in you could go back and take apart the web saying the names again. My kids liked it well enough to ask to do it again,later in the year, so we did, using a compliment for each other as the message shared.