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Friendship Boards
Activity, Grades 4-8, Art, Elmers
Celebrate relationships with family and friends!
Friendships are important to children, and research shows that children tend to have better attitudes towards school when they have friends and feel accepted among their friends. Summer can be a great time to create memories with good friends. The friendship bonds that children form with their peers can be among the most important and rewarding relationships of their lives. Moreover, they are vital to their social development and future success. Without the structure of school, summer can provide both freedom and anxiety for some kids as they cultivate relationships with their peers.
Reinforcing the characteristics of a good friend and having conversations with children about how their actions make others feel will help them make lasting friendships as well as recognize the important people in their lives. Friendship boards are fun and easy for kids to make and personalize to capture the summer memories with family and friends.
Cognitive Benefits:
Time management skills
Social-Emotional Benefits:
Social perception, self-regulation, positive emotions
Family Advantages:
Communication, cooperation, empathy, responding to the emotions of others
Supplies Needed
Elmer's Cork Foam Board
Elmer's Dry Erase Foam Board
Elmer's CraftBond® Fabric & Paper Glue
Elmer's Glue-All®
Fabric
Ribbon
Gemstones, buttons, large foam letters and other embellishments (optional)
Dry erase markers
Binder clips
Instructions
Prep, create, and clean-up time:
1-3 hours
1
Depending on which foam boards inspire your child, there are really so many possibilities for this project. You may decide to make the largest portion cork foam board for pictures and cards. Or, you may decide to make the larger area dry erase board so that your child can change the look and the message every day. It's fun to let children decide how to arrange their boards and give them materials for more than one section - one for dry erase markers, the cork board for push pins, and a another for photos, etc.
2
Cover one section in fabric to make it stand out from the base board. This section not only adds variety to the board, but also makes it very easy for the child to quickly add a photo, souvenirs, greeting cards, etc to his or her board. An easy way to do this is to measure a piece of fabric that is slightly larger than the square foam board. Using Elmer's CraftBond® Fabric & Paper Glue, cover the board with the fabric and glue the edges to the back of the board. Then use ribbon or elastic to create a square or diamond pattern across that portion of the board.
3
Next, apply a generous amount of glue to the back of the smaller board and place it on the largest board. Use binder clips to hold hold the smaller accent boards in place while the glue dries.
4
It is simple to add a fabric pocket to store dry erase markers, extra push pins, etc. Fold the fabric in half and glue each side to the board leaving a little give in the center. Reinforce with staples or thumbtacks.
5
Add some sparkle with Elmer's Glitter Glue or glue other embellishments such as gemstones, buttons or sequins. Encourage your child to be creative with colors and decorative additions.
6
Attach a wide ribbon to the back of the board with Elmer's Glue-All® to hang on the wall or door.
Start with a Story!
Have you Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud is a wonderful book to encourage positive behavior and the impact that our words and actions have on others. While this 32-page awardwinning book has grown into a character development program for all school-age children, the concept of filling a bucket is one that all kids can relate to and gives them a great visual as they interact with friends and family.
Another similar story is How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids by Tom Rath. As the main character interacts with friends and relatives throughout the day, he recognizes how happy people make him feel happy and grumpy people leave him feeling grumpy, too.
Older readers may enjoy Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This chapter book for children ages 8-12 shares one boy's perception of empathy, compassion, and acceptance. Get two copies and read them together but independently so that you can discuss the message and theme of this powerful story of friendship.
This project is provided by Elmer's Products, Inc. For more Summer Learning Crafts download its intire Summer Learning Crafts Booklet:
