“When it hurts to look back and you’re scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there.” (author unknown)
Although this is an unofficial special day, it is celebrated on June 8th each year. It is a day when we let our “besties” know that we care about them and that we appreciate their friendship.
Best Friends Day is also a day to assess the true value of friendship. What is a friend? What qualities do we look for? Are we good friends to others?
Select a book that talks about friends and read it aloud to the class.
For some great ideas, check:
25 Children’s Books About Friendship
Popular Children Friendship Books
After reading, ask the following:
As a class, brainstorm words that describe good friends and print them on a piece of chart paper.
Explain that it is the students’ turn to create a class book about friendship. Pass each student a piece of paper with 2 or 3 lines at the bottom of the page and ask them to print the words and finish the following sentence:
A good friend is _____________________.
The rest of the page is for drawing what they feel is an example of being a good friend.
Remind them that sometimes their mom, dad, brother, sister, or a pet can be a good friend too!
Gather and share the pages. Attach with a ring or ribbon and place in the school library for others to read.
Consider sending some of their answers home in your next school newsletter!
Ask:
Watch the video “Thank You for being my Friend!” and ask students to watch for something that really makes them think about friendship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TruxdhgNtBY.
After viewing, invite students to share some favourite thoughts.
Note: This video has background music and is full of thoughtful quotes. You may wish to pause after each quote to give time for students of all reading abilities to absorb the ideas. Alternatively, you could read the quotes yourself or ask for volunteers.
Form small groups. Share the following quote from Woodrow Wilson and ask students to explain what they think it means.
"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together." --Woodrow Wilson
Provide each group with several pieces of red or brown paper designed to look like bricks. Ask students to brainstorm the qualities they believe hold a friendship together and print them on the paper bricks.
Once they have finished, provide each group with masking tape and invite students to build a structure using the “bricks” they have made. It may be a wall, a building, a circle, or anything else they feel will represent the lasting strength of good friendships. Post creations on the walls and do a class walk-about to explore each construction.
In closing, ask:
Watch this video that highlights the song, ‘Count On Me’, sung and co-written by Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine.
Ask:
In groups, ask students to create a word map on chart paper that describes their thoughts about “true friends.” Share and discuss.
Share this link and invite students to discuss whether or not they agree with these quotes about true friendship:
Invite students to work alone or in pairs to come up with their own “true friend” quotes. Share several with the class.
Ask each pair to select their favourite student-made quote and create a poster that includes the quote, their names, and a background or picture that illustrates what that quote means to them. Share and post.
Close by asking: