Friendship Tag
Equipment list
Optional Materials:
Cones or markers to create boundaries for the playing area
Stickers or small tokens (optional, for rewards after completing tasks)
Explanation
Introduction (3 minutes):
Start by engaging the students in a brief discussion about the importance of healthy relationships. Focus on kindness and respect in friendships. Ask the students:
"What does it mean to be a good friend?"
"How can we be kind to others?"
"Why is it important to respect our friends?"
Activity:
Choose one or two students to be “It” (the taggers). The remaining students are “friends” who must avoid being tagged.
When a “friend” is tagged by “It,” they must freeze and wait for another student to unfreeze them.
To unfreeze a friend, the student must perform a "respectful" or "kind" action, such as:
Giving a compliment (e.g., “I like your shirt!”)
Offering help (e.g., “Would you like me to help you with that?”)
Sharing a positive affirmation (e.g., “You are awesome!”)
After performing the action, the frozen friend is unfrozen and can rejoin the game.
The game continues for several minutes, with different students having a chance to be tagged and helped.
Reflection:
After the activity, ask students to reflect on their experience:
"How did it feel to help a friend?"
"What kind words did you hear today?"
"How do you think kindness helps us build stronger friendships?"
Variations
Math Variation:
Give each student a number between 0-9. To return to the game, they must solve an addition or subtraction problem with their two numbers. Example: If they have 3 and 5, the sum is 8.
Music Variation:
Focus on steady beats and patterns. Students receive cards with half of a 4/4 beat pattern (e.g., "ta" or "ti ti"). To unfreeze, they must say or clap the rhythm.
End of Day:
Share affirmations or highlight something positive a student did during the day. This is a great way to wrap up with kindness.
Progression
Start with basic “kindness” actions, then move to more challenging variations (Math or Music). You can also adjust the pace and complexity based on the students’ engagement and understanding of the concept.
ASK ID 2024-07-15-001-E