Friendship Island

Social skills needed for positive peer relations are some of the most important skills to be learned during elementary school years. Friendship Island is a therapeutic and educational game specifically designed to teach these skills to students. The game focuses on the three vital areas of friendship:

Making Friends
Being a Good Friend
Resolving disagreements in a win-win way


The play of the game has been designed so that the players cooperate and help each other as well as answer questions about friendship to win points for themselves. The game also helps shy and socially delayed students explore friendship issues that they would be hesitant to verbalize without the special supportive environment of the game.

In order to be challenging and fun, as well as a learning experience,, the Friendship Island box contains two different games. One game is designed for children in grades 1 and 2, and the second game is designed for children in grades 3 and 4. Both games use the same board, but the rules and cards for each game are completely separate. The game for older players involves more strategy, harder questions, more advanced vocabulary, and more opportunities for negotiation.

The principles of friendship emphasized in both versions of the game include sharing, being a good listener, taking into account the needs of a friend, the importance of talking out problems, etc., will continue to be valid into adulthood.

A guide with complete lesson plans for both versions of the game is included for teachers and group leaders. Participants are challenged to use critical thinking in answering questions and in forming their strategies for playing the game. During the post-game discussion players may link their experience in the game with real life.


Grades 1-4(Also high interest material for older students and for kindergarten students when the leader reads the card.

Skills Addressed:

Foundation Skills: Thinking Skills, Personal Qualities, Basic Skills
Workplace Competencies: Interpersonal Skills, Systems

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn specific actions that they can take to make new friends.

2. Learn specific actions that they can take to resolve differences with peers.

3. Learn how to treat friends with respect.

4. Learn the responsibilities of friendship.

5. Learn pro-social behaviors, such as:

Sharing
Taking turns
Being a good listener
Talking out problems

Avoiding bossy behavior
Taking the needs of others into consideration.



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