Activity: Interview parents, grandparents, or aunts and uncles about how they made friends when they were kids

Materials needed: an interview form students can take home (teacher creates the form) - include student’s name, family member interviewed and relationship to student, questions. Here is a list of possible questions for the form: 

1. Can you tell me about how you made a friend when you were my age or a different age? 
2. What was hard about making friends for you? What was easy about making friends? 
3. What kind of things did you like to do with your friend? 
4. Did you and your friend ever argue? What happened? 
5. What do you think makes a good friend? 
6. Do you have any advice that I can use about making friends? 
7. Can you show me any photos of you and your friend? 

Directions: Explain this as a homework assignment: “This week you will have some homework which requires you to interview an adult in your family. I will give you an interview form that either you or the adult you’re interviewing will fill out. We will share our interviews when the forms are turned in. The adults in your life have had many years of experience meeting other people, and we can learn from them about how to make friends. That is why I’m encouraging you to ask them to share their stories about friendship.”  

Wrap it up: “Making friends isn’t always easy for everyone. We can learn from other people, what works for them, and what doesn’t. I can’t wait to hear about your interview because maybe I’ll learn something, too! Ask the adult you’ll be interviewing to set up a time with you, at least 10 minutes, so you can have a good conversation. We’ll do a show and tell when all the interviews are done.”