The Friendship Treasure Hunt activity is designed to enhance children’s social skills, communication abilities, and understanding of the fundamental steps involved in making and maintaining friendships. By the end of the activity, children will have practiced essential social interactions in a fun and supportive manner, gaining valuable skills that will help them build and maintain friendships confidently and compassionately.
Activity Goals
- Develop Social Skills: Encourage children to practice key social behaviors such as introducing themselves, sharing, and showing empathy.
- Foster Communication: Improve verbal communication by prompting children to ask questions, express their likes, and compliment others.
- Promote Kindness and Cooperation: Teach children the importance of being kind, cooperative, and supportive in their interactions with peers.
- Boost Confidence: Build children's confidence in social settings by providing a structured, supportive environment for practicing friendship-making skills.
- Create Positive Experiences: Ensure that children associate positive emotions with social interactions, thereby reinforcing their willingness to engage with others in the future.
- Strengthen Parental Bond: Strengthen the parent-child bond by involving parents in the activity, providing guidance, and celebrating the child's efforts and successes.
Materials Needed
- Treasure map or simple clues (can be drawn on paper)
- Small items for "treasures" (stickers, small toys, healthy snacks)
- A small bag or box for collecting treasures
- Friendship prompts (see below)
Preparation
- Create a Treasure Map
- Draw a simple map of your home or backyard, marking the locations where the clues are hidden.
- Alternatively, be prepared to give out a series of clues leading to different locations.
- Prepare Friendship Prompts
- Write or print out prompts that encourage social interactions. Example prompts include:
- “Introduce yourself to a new friend and ask them their name.”
- “Share a toy or item with someone and explain why you like it.”
- “Ask someone what their favorite game is and tell them yours.”
- “Invite a friend to play a game with you and take turns leading.”
- “Tell someone one thing you like about them.”
- Write or print out prompts that encourage social interactions. Example prompts include:
- Hide the Treasures
- Hide the small treasures at each location marked on the map or indicated by the clues. Attach or place a friendship prompt at each spot.
Instructions
- Introduction
- Explain to your child that you are going on a Friendship Treasure Hunt. The goal is to find treasures by following the map or clues and completing friendship prompts along the way.
- Discuss the importance of making friends and how being kind, sharing, and talking to others are key steps.
- Start the Hunt
- Begin with the first clue or the starting point on the map. Guide your child to the first location.
- Once they find the treasure, read the friendship prompt together.
- Role-Playing
- After finding each treasure, role-play the friendship prompt with your child. For example, if the prompt is “Introduce yourself to a new friend,” you can take turns being the new friend and practicing introductions.
- Encourage your child to use kind words, eye contact, and a friendly tone.
- Move to the Next Location
- After completing the role-play, move on to the next clue or map location. Continue the hunt until all treasures and prompts have been found.
- Reflect and Discuss
- Once all treasures have been collected, sit down with your child and discuss the activity.
- Ask open-ended questions such as:
- “Which friendship prompt was your favorite? Why?”
- “How did you feel when we practiced making friends?”
- “What are some other ways we can make new friends?”
- Celebrate
- Celebrate your child’s efforts with a small reward or by enjoying the collected treasures together. Reinforce the positive behaviors and skills they practiced during the hunt.
- Introduction
Tips for Parents
- Be Patient: Allow your child to take their time with each prompt and offer gentle guidance as needed.
- Encourage Independence: Let your child lead the hunt and practice prompts with minimal intervention, stepping in only when necessary.
- Positive Reinforcement: Praise your child's efforts and successes, emphasizing kindness.
...More Friendship Prompts
- Ask a friend if they want to join you in an activity you enjoy.
- Compliment someone on something they did well.
- Share a snack with a friend and talk about your favorite foods.
- Listen to a friend tell a story and ask them questions about it.
- Offer to help a friend with something they are doing.
This Friendship Treasure Hunt is a fun and interactive way to help children practice the essential skills needed to make and maintain friendships, all while spending quality time with their parents. Enjoy the adventure and watch your child grow into a confident and compassionate friend!
Faith Makes Friends is a delightful tale that encourages children to embrace new experiences and make friends with kindness and confidence.
